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Welcome
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Vision
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Report
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Open Space
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Final discussion
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Photo gallery
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This gathering is open to everyone who is interested in engaging with the future of Shambhala, relaxing into being together, and celebrating as a community.
At this pivotal time for Shambhala we are challenged to see more clearly what our innermost values are, as individuals and as society. And we have the precious opportunity to ask ourselves, what we want to bring forward to uplift each other, how we can enrich our world and what support we can offer. As Europeans in Shambhala many of us have been longing for a common and diverse European identity.
In 2018 the idea of having a European Forum started to grow in some peoples minds and hearts. The European regional directors and coordinators – ERDC – are excited about going forward with this idea and Dechen Chöling is auspiciously supporting and hosting this European gathering.
For 2 days we will be exploring how to now manifest the Shambhala principles of basic goodness and enlightened society; we will have conversations and heartfelt exchanges that are meaningful and fun.We will create a welcoming and safe practice container. In doing that, we are strengthening our European identity.
We will reach out to the process team and our outcomes will be communicated and offered to them.It is an honour to journey together with you.
In the Vision of Enlightened Society,
The European Regional Directors and Coordinators – ERDC
At this pivotal time for Shambhala we are challenged to see more clearly what our innermost values are, as individuals and as society. And we have the precious opportunity to ask ourselves, what we want to bring forward to uplift each other, how we can enrich our world and what support we can offer. As Europeans in Shambhala many of us have been longing for a common and diverse European identity.
In 2018 the idea of having a European Forum started to grow in some peoples minds and hearts. The European regional directors and coordinators – ERDC – are excited about going forward with this idea and Dechen Chöling is auspiciously supporting and hosting this European gathering.
For 2 days we will be exploring how to now manifest the Shambhala principles of basic goodness and enlightened society; we will have conversations and heartfelt exchanges that are meaningful and fun.We will create a welcoming and safe practice container. In doing that, we are strengthening our European identity.
We will reach out to the process team and our outcomes will be communicated and offered to them.It is an honour to journey together with you.
In the Vision of Enlightened Society,
The European Regional Directors and Coordinators – ERDC
First European Forum in Dechen Chöling
Introduction
From Thursday May 29 until Saturday June 1, 26 European Shambhalians from all directions gathered in Dechen Chöling for the very first European Forum.
The first seed for this meeting was planted at the Kalapa Garchen in 2017 where the European representatives met and expressed their feeling that a European meeting, in Europe, would be very enriching.
In 2018 during the German regional meeting the idea of a European Forum was born.
These two ideas were brought together by some of the European Regional Directors, along with the much-appreciated support of Dian Marie Hosking - a member of the Steering Committee of the Process Team . For those who needed financial support an Offering Bowl was set up and also the European Treasure Council helped financially to make this meeting happen.
The organisers vision was to make this gathering a ‘meditation in action’, and - with support of formal practice, “Sadhana of Kindness”– to assist participants to have the conversation they needed and wanted to have, about the subjects that were important for them in a way that they choose to do. A ‘minimal structure’ was carefully designed to provide a safe and supportive container for these conversations.
THURSDAY, DAY 1: evening meeting after dinner.
Talking circle: Why are we here; what motivates us?
After the usual introduction of Dechen Chöling the participants contemplated the question what made Shambhala so important for them. Why they had travelled and made costs to be present at this Forum. What had touched them in Shambhala and why did they care so much for its future?
Answers were very diverse. To mention a few, some were drawn in by the warmth, openness, acceptance, challenge, genuineness and freshness they found in Shambhala. Others talked about their connection with both Sakyongs. Another group mentioned the preciousness of the Shambhala teachings of basic goodness and enlightened society and how important these are (although manifested in an imperfect way) in a world dominated by aggression, money and power.
Pair Work: Getting to know another in their variety and complexity.
After the circle participants were invited to pair up with someone whom they did not know. They were asked not to speak about the issues in the sanga but, rather, to speak about themselves so as to get to know each other as human beings. The sleep many of us longed for after a long day of traveling made us end this first evening early, to get up fresh the next morning for the lhasang.
FRIDAY, DAY 2
A lhasang and the practice of Sadhana of Kindness laid the ground for the continuation of our meeting.
Circle: Who is in the room?
Each person wrote on an A4 sheet, their name, country, role(s) in Shambhala, and other identities they felt they brought with them. Standing in a big circle, participants were invited to walk to the front in response to questions such as: who here is a center director? Who is member of the dorje kasung? and more personal questions such as: who here is a child of divorced parents? And other intriguing questions...In this way, we learned a lot about who was present. After this, we all arranged our sheets on the floor in a map of Europe - which clearly showed the painful absence of some regions, mostly from the more Eastern parts. This laid the ground for the felt need to have a second Forum in that part of Europe.
Articulating aspirations and generating agreements: How do we envision these two days?
The organisers re-stated their view of the Forum as ‘meditation in action’ and, in this context, the importance of generating ‘skilful means’ for collaborative working. They further outlined their aspiration to empower participants to have the conversations they would like to have. With this in mind, participants were asked to generate some agreements about HOW they wanted to work together. A few agreements were: to work with ‘fearless expression’, ‘appreciating diversity’, ‘taking responsibility’ and not ‘to freeze windhorse into ice’. An outline of the ‘minimal structure’ for the two days was also shared (flipover) and a conversation initiated about recording and harvesting and the agreements we wanted to make about that (who, how, sharing with whom? photos? etc).
Visualisation: “Imagine it’s now the end of the forum; for you, it was fabulous… what made it so?
Individual contemplations were followed by sharing in groups of five; groups then identified the themes and summarised them on flipovers. Again, this allowed us all to have a sense of what needed to happen and how. Emergent themes included: We would ‘feel inspired, confident, positive about practice, connection and motivation’,we would have ‘been open to pro’s and cons of different opinions’, we would have ‘found practical support for Dechen Chöling’ ‘would have had space for our pain, fear, worries, feeling uncomfortable, sadness and anger’, we would be happily surprised discovering the reality of the European mandala.
Storytelling (Tales from the field)
After lunch and sitting, a brief introduction to story telling was given, emphasising the qualities of ‘telling from your experience’, in rich (multi sensory) detail, no ‘right/wrong’, and deep listening. Groups of five were formed with rotating roles of speaker, listener, and observer. Each person, in turn, told about the situations they experienced e.g., in their center or group and how they felt. Each group prepared a flipover to summarise the core themes. A plenary space was made for Dechen Chöling since it is our European centre. Konstanze (the CEO) spoke about the financial and emotional problems. From the other groups came themes such as: ‘tiredness from dealing with the drama of the situation’, ‘overwhelming workloads’, ‘feeling of isolation’, ‘hard time to magnetize people’, ‘painful that friends are leaving’, cat walking around the hot porridge’.
‘Omdenken’ (Dutch for ‘looking from a different perspective’.
A plenary conversation was held, back in our talking circle. Participants were invited to reflect on their stories and e.g., whether they now thought, or felt, differently. A brief connection was made to letting go, to shifting from problems to possibilities, to re-storying… One of the groups already wrote down that ‘Crisis is opportunity’. Also, in other groups similar sounds were heard, ‘Finding our inner motivation’, ‘connection brings magic’, a family feeling in a meeting like this’, ‘waiting is not going to work’.
SATURDAY DAY 3
Open Space Technology
Using this method 7 groups were formed. (see also tab OST for details)
Group 1. Trust and accountability in understanding misconduct and starting a process.
Group 2. How the community and the Sakyong can re-unite in an inspired way?
Group 3. Feedback
Group 4. Future of DCL
Group 5. Suggestions and creative ideas for change
Group 6. What does the world need (from the kasung)?
Group 7. Opening the forbidden
Visioning exercise: Envision a flourishing Shambhala in 2029
This was an exercise in imagining, using all the senses, and in as much detail as possible, how your group, centre, region, land center… manifests as Enlightened Society. Participants were asked, also, to reflect on what concrete actions were needed in the next six months to get this going. Groups were invited to present their vision in any way they wanted. This invitation resulted in a mix of improv theatre, serious stories, humor, prose and song. The lungta level was raised.
Harvesting, going forwards and reflecting (see also tab Final discussion for details)
In a circle, we discussed how we would share what we experienced with the larger community. Many options were mentioned. We also talked about the desire to have a second European Forum, preferable in Eastern Europe. In later communications the `the beginning of 2020 was mentioned.
Next everybody was invited to write for him/her self in a notebook the concrete actions – as a result of this Forum - (s)he will take in the first coming period. Further agreements were made about harvesting and sharing and producing a report.
Reflecting and looking back how these two days went (returning to our flipovers: agreements about how we will work, imaginisation of a fabulous forum; see earlier) produced a wide variety of reactions including both great appreciation and the feeling of going home with renewed lungta and inspiration and disappointment that not more concrete steps had been generated. Many felt that we did not have enough time.
Festive banquet
The festive banquet was in the style of a tradition that knows how to appreciate and celebrate. With many thanks to Dechen Chöling and its staff who hosted the European Forum so generously.
Keep this movement moving
These few days were a beginning. We hope a beginning of a fresh start. With this vision in mind we invite and encourage all 7 groups who gathered and had a conversation during the Open Space Technology, to continue their conversation. And to commit to a concrete action (small or big) to make the change they would like to see in Shambhala; if possible, within a concrete timeline. A good way to start would be that the conveners bring their group together again in one way or another.
Conclusion
We, the organizers Konstanze Brockstedt, Dian-Marie Hosking, Grit Turnowsky and Fred van Welsem were very clear that we wanted to create a structure where participants of the European Forum felt empowered and could talk about the topics they wanted to talk about, could connect with each other and (re)connect with their inspiration, lungta and the magic of Shambhala. If participants bring this feeling back to their centers and groups, we feel we have succeeded. Of course, there were also expectations that were not fulfilled. Big organizational steps were not made. But ‘small steps count’. And real changes start in our heart and mind.
Dechen Chöling, June 2019
Introduction
From Thursday May 29 until Saturday June 1, 26 European Shambhalians from all directions gathered in Dechen Chöling for the very first European Forum.
The first seed for this meeting was planted at the Kalapa Garchen in 2017 where the European representatives met and expressed their feeling that a European meeting, in Europe, would be very enriching.
In 2018 during the German regional meeting the idea of a European Forum was born.
These two ideas were brought together by some of the European Regional Directors, along with the much-appreciated support of Dian Marie Hosking - a member of the Steering Committee of the Process Team . For those who needed financial support an Offering Bowl was set up and also the European Treasure Council helped financially to make this meeting happen.
The organisers vision was to make this gathering a ‘meditation in action’, and - with support of formal practice, “Sadhana of Kindness”– to assist participants to have the conversation they needed and wanted to have, about the subjects that were important for them in a way that they choose to do. A ‘minimal structure’ was carefully designed to provide a safe and supportive container for these conversations.
THURSDAY, DAY 1: evening meeting after dinner.
Talking circle: Why are we here; what motivates us?
After the usual introduction of Dechen Chöling the participants contemplated the question what made Shambhala so important for them. Why they had travelled and made costs to be present at this Forum. What had touched them in Shambhala and why did they care so much for its future?
Answers were very diverse. To mention a few, some were drawn in by the warmth, openness, acceptance, challenge, genuineness and freshness they found in Shambhala. Others talked about their connection with both Sakyongs. Another group mentioned the preciousness of the Shambhala teachings of basic goodness and enlightened society and how important these are (although manifested in an imperfect way) in a world dominated by aggression, money and power.
Pair Work: Getting to know another in their variety and complexity.
After the circle participants were invited to pair up with someone whom they did not know. They were asked not to speak about the issues in the sanga but, rather, to speak about themselves so as to get to know each other as human beings. The sleep many of us longed for after a long day of traveling made us end this first evening early, to get up fresh the next morning for the lhasang.
FRIDAY, DAY 2
A lhasang and the practice of Sadhana of Kindness laid the ground for the continuation of our meeting.
Circle: Who is in the room?
Each person wrote on an A4 sheet, their name, country, role(s) in Shambhala, and other identities they felt they brought with them. Standing in a big circle, participants were invited to walk to the front in response to questions such as: who here is a center director? Who is member of the dorje kasung? and more personal questions such as: who here is a child of divorced parents? And other intriguing questions...In this way, we learned a lot about who was present. After this, we all arranged our sheets on the floor in a map of Europe - which clearly showed the painful absence of some regions, mostly from the more Eastern parts. This laid the ground for the felt need to have a second Forum in that part of Europe.
Articulating aspirations and generating agreements: How do we envision these two days?
The organisers re-stated their view of the Forum as ‘meditation in action’ and, in this context, the importance of generating ‘skilful means’ for collaborative working. They further outlined their aspiration to empower participants to have the conversations they would like to have. With this in mind, participants were asked to generate some agreements about HOW they wanted to work together. A few agreements were: to work with ‘fearless expression’, ‘appreciating diversity’, ‘taking responsibility’ and not ‘to freeze windhorse into ice’. An outline of the ‘minimal structure’ for the two days was also shared (flipover) and a conversation initiated about recording and harvesting and the agreements we wanted to make about that (who, how, sharing with whom? photos? etc).
Visualisation: “Imagine it’s now the end of the forum; for you, it was fabulous… what made it so?
Individual contemplations were followed by sharing in groups of five; groups then identified the themes and summarised them on flipovers. Again, this allowed us all to have a sense of what needed to happen and how. Emergent themes included: We would ‘feel inspired, confident, positive about practice, connection and motivation’,we would have ‘been open to pro’s and cons of different opinions’, we would have ‘found practical support for Dechen Chöling’ ‘would have had space for our pain, fear, worries, feeling uncomfortable, sadness and anger’, we would be happily surprised discovering the reality of the European mandala.
Storytelling (Tales from the field)
After lunch and sitting, a brief introduction to story telling was given, emphasising the qualities of ‘telling from your experience’, in rich (multi sensory) detail, no ‘right/wrong’, and deep listening. Groups of five were formed with rotating roles of speaker, listener, and observer. Each person, in turn, told about the situations they experienced e.g., in their center or group and how they felt. Each group prepared a flipover to summarise the core themes. A plenary space was made for Dechen Chöling since it is our European centre. Konstanze (the CEO) spoke about the financial and emotional problems. From the other groups came themes such as: ‘tiredness from dealing with the drama of the situation’, ‘overwhelming workloads’, ‘feeling of isolation’, ‘hard time to magnetize people’, ‘painful that friends are leaving’, cat walking around the hot porridge’.
‘Omdenken’ (Dutch for ‘looking from a different perspective’.
A plenary conversation was held, back in our talking circle. Participants were invited to reflect on their stories and e.g., whether they now thought, or felt, differently. A brief connection was made to letting go, to shifting from problems to possibilities, to re-storying… One of the groups already wrote down that ‘Crisis is opportunity’. Also, in other groups similar sounds were heard, ‘Finding our inner motivation’, ‘connection brings magic’, a family feeling in a meeting like this’, ‘waiting is not going to work’.
SATURDAY DAY 3
Open Space Technology
Using this method 7 groups were formed. (see also tab OST for details)
Group 1. Trust and accountability in understanding misconduct and starting a process.
Group 2. How the community and the Sakyong can re-unite in an inspired way?
Group 3. Feedback
Group 4. Future of DCL
Group 5. Suggestions and creative ideas for change
Group 6. What does the world need (from the kasung)?
Group 7. Opening the forbidden
Visioning exercise: Envision a flourishing Shambhala in 2029
This was an exercise in imagining, using all the senses, and in as much detail as possible, how your group, centre, region, land center… manifests as Enlightened Society. Participants were asked, also, to reflect on what concrete actions were needed in the next six months to get this going. Groups were invited to present their vision in any way they wanted. This invitation resulted in a mix of improv theatre, serious stories, humor, prose and song. The lungta level was raised.
Harvesting, going forwards and reflecting (see also tab Final discussion for details)
In a circle, we discussed how we would share what we experienced with the larger community. Many options were mentioned. We also talked about the desire to have a second European Forum, preferable in Eastern Europe. In later communications the `the beginning of 2020 was mentioned.
Next everybody was invited to write for him/her self in a notebook the concrete actions – as a result of this Forum - (s)he will take in the first coming period. Further agreements were made about harvesting and sharing and producing a report.
Reflecting and looking back how these two days went (returning to our flipovers: agreements about how we will work, imaginisation of a fabulous forum; see earlier) produced a wide variety of reactions including both great appreciation and the feeling of going home with renewed lungta and inspiration and disappointment that not more concrete steps had been generated. Many felt that we did not have enough time.
Festive banquet
The festive banquet was in the style of a tradition that knows how to appreciate and celebrate. With many thanks to Dechen Chöling and its staff who hosted the European Forum so generously.
Keep this movement moving
These few days were a beginning. We hope a beginning of a fresh start. With this vision in mind we invite and encourage all 7 groups who gathered and had a conversation during the Open Space Technology, to continue their conversation. And to commit to a concrete action (small or big) to make the change they would like to see in Shambhala; if possible, within a concrete timeline. A good way to start would be that the conveners bring their group together again in one way or another.
Conclusion
We, the organizers Konstanze Brockstedt, Dian-Marie Hosking, Grit Turnowsky and Fred van Welsem were very clear that we wanted to create a structure where participants of the European Forum felt empowered and could talk about the topics they wanted to talk about, could connect with each other and (re)connect with their inspiration, lungta and the magic of Shambhala. If participants bring this feeling back to their centers and groups, we feel we have succeeded. Of course, there were also expectations that were not fulfilled. Big organizational steps were not made. But ‘small steps count’. And real changes start in our heart and mind.
Dechen Chöling, June 2019
OPEN SPACE TECHNOLOGY
Transcription of Open Space Records
Group 1
Trust and accountability in understanding misconduct and starting a process.
[Susan Jenkins, Debbie Coats, Grit Turnovski]
Headlines:
What have we noticed? What ideas have emerged ?
Group 2
How the community and the Sakyong can re-unite in an inspired way?
[Herbert Elsky, Nicolette de Hoop, Simon La Haye, Susan Jenkins, Merlin Cox, Debbie Coats, Hans Henning Heide, Ali Hidouche]
Headlines:
What have we noticed? What ideas have emerged ?
2. What is your vision for the future?
Group 3
Feed back
[Fred van Welsem, Julia Vidal, Ernst Kleisterlee, Veronique Villemagne, Ans de Vries]
Headlines:
What have we noticed? What ideas have emerged ?
Group 4
Future of DCL
[Ans de Vries, Ernst Kleisterlee, Adrian Bude, Konstanze Brockstedt, Aurelie Hirtzel, Cash Clay, Ute Reinhardt-la Haye]
Headlines:
What have we noticed? What ideas have emerged ?
Group 5
Suggestions and creative ideas for change
[Sofija Terzic, Stefan Wrenfelt, Cash Clay, Konstanze Brockstedt, Aurelie Hirtzel, Catherine Eveillard, Tanja Duda, Marie José Gallego, Ute Reinhart-La Haye, Dian Marie Hosking, Nicolette de Hoop, Diederik Prakke]
Headlines:
What have we noticed? What ideas have emerged ?
Pains and sorrows
Prides
Changes / actions
Teachings / programs
Group 6
What does the world need (from the kasung)?
[Debbie Coats, Maria Jose Gallego, Catherine Eveillard, Grit Turnovski, Veronique Villemagne]
Headlines:
What have we noticed? What ideas have emerged ?
Group 7
Opening the forbidden
[Diederik Prakke, Stefan Wrenfelt, Dian-Marie Hosking, Fred van Welsem, Cash Clay, Tanja Duda, Julia Vidal]
Headlines:
What have we noticed? What ideas have emerged ?
Transcription of Open Space Records
Group 1
Trust and accountability in understanding misconduct and starting a process.
[Susan Jenkins, Debbie Coats, Grit Turnovski]
Headlines:
- We need to understand better that there have been and are effective processes in working with misconduct
- Communication and reporting about these processes need to be improved (e.g. care- and conduct reports)
- Local initiatives have worked with issues – e.g. confidential circles / listening posts
- How to communicate and share about that, so it can be heard; gather the sense that things are being looked at and worked with.
What have we noticed? What ideas have emerged ?
- Language issues in reporting – care and conduct panel now has multilingual members
- Main issue is trust – mistrust of the Olive Branch / case and conduct
- Confidentiality
- What are the obstacles to recreating trust?
- We need care and conduct panels in each country so they can work with issues in own culture and language.
- The Code of Ethics should reflect the valuable, healthier aspects of Shambhala wisdom
- Also, in communications, create 2 levels: a clear summary of objectives/process and a detailed explanation of these.
Group 2
How the community and the Sakyong can re-unite in an inspired way?
[Herbert Elsky, Nicolette de Hoop, Simon La Haye, Susan Jenkins, Merlin Cox, Debbie Coats, Hans Henning Heide, Ali Hidouche]
Headlines:
- The work we have to do as a sangha
- We can invite the Sakyong for a conversation - ???????? made exchange
- Practicing (really) our teachings as a community
- Work towards (re)creating a clan/family culture
What have we noticed? What ideas have emerged ?
- Sakyong can find a way to express a fuller more complete apology – to sangha; and also work with persons privately
- Need a proper (fuller perspective) ???? for what has happened.
- Not looking only back to old past all the time (before 2016)
- What are the causes and conditions necessary to reunite the Sakyong and the sangha in an inspired way?
2. What is your vision for the future?
- The Sakyong needs to relate and we need to relate to his/our own chaos
- Create a ground where he feels invited
- Change feudalistic system of Tibetan Buddhism
- Change the form of government and system of government
- Sakyong is spiritual inspiration, but not government power
- Concerns about financial situation. How to choose people for leadership positions. Group proposes people.
- This approach to ‘sex’ is normal in feudal system
- Invite Sakyong to ‘compassionate exchange’ conversation
- Being more open & how to express
- Not fixated on past
- Having a proper narrative
- Are you actually doing it?
- Better understanding of samaya
- Practicing what we believe
- Create a family/clan feeling
Group 3
Feed back
[Fred van Welsem, Julia Vidal, Ernst Kleisterlee, Veronique Villemagne, Ans de Vries]
Headlines:
- There is a need of feedback in the form of ombudsman / court jester (who has no formal power, but makes things transparent and gives advice)
- This needs to be made very concrete
- Therefore, training and protocol is needed
- It is about timely surfacing conflict
What have we noticed? What ideas have emerged ?
- It all starts with fear of conflict
- Especially in spiritual groups there is fear of conflict
- What kind of system/organization do we need for feedback? Forms? An ombudsman?, regular checks ?
- Needed on local, regional and international level
- Think also about peer level feedback
- ‘Feedback’ should be ‘Feed forward’
- We have to create a culture where leaders have an attitude of listening
- Feedback has different levels : personal, financial, on leadership
- Do not wait for the perfect system. Work with ‘Try and error’
- Feedback also needed between the 4 pillars. Pillars should be seen as equal important
- Feedback needs a follow-up.
- A revival of the Dekyong as ombudsman was discussed. The Dekyong can be the bridge between the Lha and the Lu. The system did not work in the past, but that might be different if we understand why it did not work.
- We need a bulldozer dekyong for Europe
- Decided was that a workgroup will work out a concrete plan before 31/12/2019. In this group are Julia Vidal, Adrian Bude, Ans de Vries, Veronique Villemagne, Fred van Welsem. Fred will organize the first zoom, Adrian will find the Dekyong manual and send it around; Ans will collect the available feedback forms; Veronique will create a google folder for this work
- Merlin Cox has an on line feedback system
Group 4
Future of DCL
[Ans de Vries, Ernst Kleisterlee, Adrian Bude, Konstanze Brockstedt, Aurelie Hirtzel, Cash Clay, Ute Reinhardt-la Haye]
Headlines:
- Financial stability; DCL is part of Shambhala Europe and needs support from Shambhala Europe
- Survey sangha about program wishes was a good move
- DCL relies too much on fund raising
- The treasure of DCL
- Investments pay off
- How can DCL better ask for help and support
- How to create a financial buffer of € 500.000
- Poverty mentality is energy-draining
- Three levels: reserve / structural income / future plans – selling ‘paradise’
- What can we offer outside Shambhala that is useful for people?
What have we noticed? What ideas have emerged ?
- Main question is how to engage the European sangha to help DCL create a sustainable future
- Expertise and money is needed
- DCL is a treasure
Group 5
Suggestions and creative ideas for change
[Sofija Terzic, Stefan Wrenfelt, Cash Clay, Konstanze Brockstedt, Aurelie Hirtzel, Catherine Eveillard, Tanja Duda, Marie José Gallego, Ute Reinhart-La Haye, Dian Marie Hosking, Nicolette de Hoop, Diederik Prakke]
Headlines:
- Our pains and sorrows of Shambhala
- Our prides of Shambhala
- Suggestions / actions for change
- Teachings / Programs
What have we noticed? What ideas have emerged ?
Pains and sorrows
- Lack of honesty
- Culture of silence (why did we not speak earlier?)
- Having excluded other teachers
- Manifested monarchy (creating wolken-kuckucks heim (???) for the teacher/guru)
- Disempowerment of ourselves
- Trapped in forms
- Too much mix of the secular and spiritual
- Feeling lonely / we were not best friends
- We are still small / Too much competition, ambition and ego
- Heaven and earth not communicating successfully – lack of communication upwards
- Becoming ‘closed up’; becoming a ‘club’ / losing our ‘accomodatingness
- Specially when fearful that all the good we had maybe flushed down the drain
- Feeling disempowered instead of encouraged
- Guilt based, victim solidifying American puritism
- Confusing ‘social justice warriorship’ with ‘enlightened society’
- Not having a system that allows peoples voices to be heard
- That the active post of Andrea Winn was needed to make it happen
- Misuse of power
- Nowadays afraid of sharing our love/trust/pride
- “Smile positive” culture silenced our doubt, anger, disappointment.
- Reflection: What is ‘Monarchy in itself / and ‘How we worked with it/
- Same for issues like ‘empowerment’ ‘hierarchy’
- Spiritual path : Old Dog (= fruition) / Drama / enthronement / devotion (= path( / Open kid ( = ground)
- Don’t be shy – but not final
Prides
- Daring
- Guts to play with the teachings
- Principles of basic goodness, Great Eastern Sun, Dignity
- Teachings and methods
- Variety
- Lineage
- Know how about celebrating and rituals
- Community creating / family feeling / exploring humanness
- Being inclusive / all accommodating
- Fearless, even towards difficult themes
- Culture – kado, kyodo, arts
- Depth and breadth of the teachings and practice
- Culture of bravery, warriorship, genuineness, brilliance
- Mesmerizing poverty / magic shining
- Warriorship: integrating secular and spiritual
- Sakyong joining heaven & earth principle
- Not ashamed of who we are, even as we are imperfect manifesting
Changes / actions
- Inviting other Tibetan teachers
- Performing secular government independent from the Sakyong / this government will use and practice the Shambhala teachings
- Sakyong should be spiritual head of Shambhala??
- A new financial system where the owners will be the sangha
- Welcome / invite young/new people to gatherings/forums
- Create a good network system: regionally and Eu-wide / also in terms of what programs we want to offer in groups, centers, DCL
- New agreement about what or who will be in the center of the mandala
- Be the Shambhala you would like to see
- Be an example of what you want & create
- Practice as if your hair was on fire
- Working with culture of silence and the causes
- Establishing a feedback system that also reaches / includes the teacher(s)
- Offer simple practice containers for all (like weekthüns), with social / celebrating / community building elements
- Establishing a dignifying farewell culture
- Re-establish Shambhala congresses
- Create a new structure
- Dividing governance and spiritual
- Having/creating a spiritual/teaching council. Not only have one person in charge.
- Creating a kind of parliament as a way to make everyone’s voice is heard; to empower every member to be involved. Also, as a means to have a working feedback system.
- Being proud of our celebration culture and expand it
- Establishing ‘Rigden principle’, ‘king’, and ‘kingdom’ as ARCHETYPES, represented by the teacher – but not continuing with trying to make it ‘real’ in the relative level.
- Do this process in your sangha: writing ‘prides’ and ‘sorrows’
- Stop in believing in rumors, social media (constant sexual abuse image is incorrect – the unheard voices was true …)
Teachings / programs
- Connect personally and in the name of the centers with sister organizations (buddhism or not)
- Invite, debate, crisscross
- Bring up societal issues and cross with Shambhala vision : ecology, injustice, racism
- Develop the practical/societal aspects of our vision
- Inviting other Tibetan teachers – reaching/including people who are struggling with SMR
- Everything offered should be based on meditation shamatha/vipasyana
- Programs around intimacy and devotion, feeling we should look int it deeper rather than regulate it away
- Our longing and life-force are at stake
- Exploring our precious Mahayana teachings and bring them into today’s context
- Integrating care and conduct in everyday program
- “Awakened” sisterhood/brotherhood, providing space for various needs, experiences, also harm – and healing it on certain level: acknowledging, embracing … (aimless touch)
Group 6
What does the world need (from the kasung)?
[Debbie Coats, Maria Jose Gallego, Catherine Eveillard, Grit Turnovski, Veronique Villemagne]
Headlines:
- Extend protection to earth / to all beings
- There is a division between DK and other aspects of the mandala: e.g. jealous of comradery
- We need more communication between the pillars and understanding of each others role
- We are all protectors, but DK have a specific role
- Cross pillar training – how to break down the boundaries
- Kasung curriculum needs clarification and integration into all Shambhala programs
- Not discussing military at first, but at an appropriate time.
- We need to discuss the culture clash between East and West
- People in command positions need more support
- Need of leadership training / gatherings for people in command positions / work at local level with other governance bodies.
- We need feedback, so please talk to us and share with us
What have we noticed? What ideas have emerged ?
- Records of training and experience + ???
- Kasung curriculum needs clarification + identify how to invite others into kasung (e.g. at Khandro Rinpoche program everyone did drill
- Strength of DK leadership training – Protecting the KA – What is the KA ?
- A circle within a circle
- It is bodhisattva training / setting the situation / kasung is solid and strong – why not in the rest of the community
- Kasung support the group protection
- Strength of comradery makes jealous.
- Kasung needs to be presented at the begin of path
- Protection from outside is valuable – how to open up on a human level and wake up protection in everyone’s mind, heart and body
- Integrate protection skills into all teachings; be more inclusive
- More training for rusung / regional commanders / regional etc.
- Process team sub-group need forums/spaces to bridge gaps between kasung and other aspects of the mandala.
- In mandala people experience kasung as separate.
Group 7
Opening the forbidden
[Diederik Prakke, Stefan Wrenfelt, Dian-Marie Hosking, Fred van Welsem, Cash Clay, Tanja Duda, Julia Vidal]
Headlines:
What have we noticed? What ideas have emerged ?
- Making it possible to invite other teachers
- Courts system (as condition to host e.g. Sakyong)
- I come to see the forbidden – but it doesn’t feel like much is forbidden
- We highlighted the positive. Negative thoughts affect your practice. Taking down the pictures was a hot potato.
- “He is only human”, could we not have done that from the start
- See the guru in everyone/everybody; but the Sakyong abused
- Why I came? : “Do not trust me, but test it yourself” The journey starts with this.
- In Vajrayana: We cannot talk about this, samaya”
- It is hard to listen, when I have a strong opinion.
- It feels OK to commit confidentiality based on samaya. To do what you promised to do.
European Forum – Dechen Choling – Final discussion session – Saturday 1st June – 5pm
Dian Marie – Introduction
We came here because of our care for the future of Shambhala. This is one step in that process.
Reports will be created about this gathering and shared with the process team and the sangha.
Aurelie and Cash will make PDFs of the flip charts and also collect photos. Written notes from Susan and Debbie or others can be collected and collated by them. These need to be sent to Aurelie and Cash by Thursday 6thJune. They will be assembled next weekend and shared with the European Forum group for comment before being sent to the Process Team to go on the website so they are visible to the international members of that group. Dian-Marie will also give a report to the Process Team steering group.
The report will also be posted on the Dechen Choling website. Tanja Duda has since created a European Forum group on the Shambhala Network.
Fred - We need to personally reflect on what happened here and what we will take back to our home/centres/community.
Diederike wrote a letter with 12 questions. This did not really fir into the format of the European Forum but if you would like to receive the letter and comment on it please give Diederike your email address.
Fred - A few regions were not represented at the forum (Ireland, Serbia, Slovenia, Greece, Ukraine, Poland). Fred asked for suggestions about how we share with them. Merlin suggested holding a European Forum in Eastern Europe at a time that works for them - ? November in Prague.
Ans de Vries presented a painting to DCL. It was a work by Pietr Pietrovsky that represents the Shambhala Principle.
On Saturday morning we made agreements about how to work together These are on a flip chart. We worked together and brought different dreams and aspirations. We gave space for those differences. We did our best to accommodate everyone.
Feedback
1 – Male – felt very invited to join in and it felt very successful and he felt free to express how he felt
2 – Male – expressed appreciation for all of the hard work and creativity to put the forum together and appreciation for everyone who was there. There were many ideas and it is not clear what the issue is fundamentally. There was not enough time to have conversations and process. Owns that he notices when he closes down. He missed a process of really discussing. There is a sense of overwhelm. An acknowledgement that there was a lot of wisdom but not sure where we go from here.
3 – Male – there is a fundamental question that we didn’t address: What is Shambhala? What are we wanting to do? Who are we?
Are we an institution, educational academy, kingdom? We need to have a basic sense of who we are to go forward.
4 – Male – we had lots of posters. The gathering was good. What we want to achieve went less well, like discussing monarchy. He found the open Space session on pride and sorrow inspiring. We need to discuss what is Shambhala to us. We also need a discussion on what Guru/Monarch means. His view shifted during the programme which was a bit of a shock.
5 – Female – It is inspiring to think of forming a secular government. How are we going to do that?
6 – Female – Wanted more action points. There is only one working group that has been formed (relating to feedback)
7 – Female – Feels really sad. We didn’t use this precious opportunity to discuss all the problems we face. It is hard to find the time and finance to gather. The choice was made to do things with patience and slowly but we also need to act quickly sometimes because it is about survival. Feels disappointed that there was too little time to discuss and process and make decisions. From the discussion group feedback, it was not clear what was being suggested.
8 - Male – A Greek philosopher said things go up and down and in between is chaos/opportunity. For now in Shambhala it is about letting go and seeing how to do things in a new, fresh way. It is an opportunity. WE need to have a long discussion about what is Shambhala, what we want and who we are.
9 – Female – Feels discontentment and hungry for more. Feels a connection again after this human meeting rather than zoom. Whatever hasn’t been covered can be covered at the next meeting, hopefully later this year. Hopes the European Forum can grow Loves the European diversity.
10 – Male – takes away that we are not completely knocked out. Reassuring that we are still here. It is true that we have to find new solutions and objectives to be present and there for each other.
11 – Female – Fells frustrated and hungry for more. Didn’t expect to solve everything but hopes there will be a follow up weekend and with new people joining. Need to expand our connection to the teachings that we receive. Wants second European Forum in East European city in autumn. People are not likely to read reports and so we need to encourage them to attend din person. After meeting personally, it is easier to meet online. Feels hopeful.
12 – Male – appreciated gathering and longing in sangha to be together and continue. Felt how serious this situation is for our community. We touched a lot and learned a lot and connected with people. Thank you! It was worth the effort. It was good to meet face to face.
13 – Female – Wants to offer something very simple: journal writing practice is very helpful after a programme. Write for 15 minutes about what happened at the forum, a day later. If people have comments or feedback about the forms used here they could be offered to people who organise future gatherings. Feels that she wants to help brainstorm with Stockholm. Utrecht has dissolved as a Centre but is still there so that is hopeful.
14 – Female – Can we find an online space to connect and grow (eg Shambhala Europe community group) We could join another group or create a European Forum group. The benefit of the Shambhala Network is that all members can join and see the postings whenever they like. It was agreed to create a Shambhala Network group (this has now been done). Everyone is invited to join.
Dian Marie – Introduction
We came here because of our care for the future of Shambhala. This is one step in that process.
Reports will be created about this gathering and shared with the process team and the sangha.
Aurelie and Cash will make PDFs of the flip charts and also collect photos. Written notes from Susan and Debbie or others can be collected and collated by them. These need to be sent to Aurelie and Cash by Thursday 6thJune. They will be assembled next weekend and shared with the European Forum group for comment before being sent to the Process Team to go on the website so they are visible to the international members of that group. Dian-Marie will also give a report to the Process Team steering group.
The report will also be posted on the Dechen Choling website. Tanja Duda has since created a European Forum group on the Shambhala Network.
Fred - We need to personally reflect on what happened here and what we will take back to our home/centres/community.
Diederike wrote a letter with 12 questions. This did not really fir into the format of the European Forum but if you would like to receive the letter and comment on it please give Diederike your email address.
Fred - A few regions were not represented at the forum (Ireland, Serbia, Slovenia, Greece, Ukraine, Poland). Fred asked for suggestions about how we share with them. Merlin suggested holding a European Forum in Eastern Europe at a time that works for them - ? November in Prague.
Ans de Vries presented a painting to DCL. It was a work by Pietr Pietrovsky that represents the Shambhala Principle.
On Saturday morning we made agreements about how to work together These are on a flip chart. We worked together and brought different dreams and aspirations. We gave space for those differences. We did our best to accommodate everyone.
Feedback
1 – Male – felt very invited to join in and it felt very successful and he felt free to express how he felt
2 – Male – expressed appreciation for all of the hard work and creativity to put the forum together and appreciation for everyone who was there. There were many ideas and it is not clear what the issue is fundamentally. There was not enough time to have conversations and process. Owns that he notices when he closes down. He missed a process of really discussing. There is a sense of overwhelm. An acknowledgement that there was a lot of wisdom but not sure where we go from here.
3 – Male – there is a fundamental question that we didn’t address: What is Shambhala? What are we wanting to do? Who are we?
Are we an institution, educational academy, kingdom? We need to have a basic sense of who we are to go forward.
4 – Male – we had lots of posters. The gathering was good. What we want to achieve went less well, like discussing monarchy. He found the open Space session on pride and sorrow inspiring. We need to discuss what is Shambhala to us. We also need a discussion on what Guru/Monarch means. His view shifted during the programme which was a bit of a shock.
5 – Female – It is inspiring to think of forming a secular government. How are we going to do that?
6 – Female – Wanted more action points. There is only one working group that has been formed (relating to feedback)
7 – Female – Feels really sad. We didn’t use this precious opportunity to discuss all the problems we face. It is hard to find the time and finance to gather. The choice was made to do things with patience and slowly but we also need to act quickly sometimes because it is about survival. Feels disappointed that there was too little time to discuss and process and make decisions. From the discussion group feedback, it was not clear what was being suggested.
8 - Male – A Greek philosopher said things go up and down and in between is chaos/opportunity. For now in Shambhala it is about letting go and seeing how to do things in a new, fresh way. It is an opportunity. WE need to have a long discussion about what is Shambhala, what we want and who we are.
9 – Female – Feels discontentment and hungry for more. Feels a connection again after this human meeting rather than zoom. Whatever hasn’t been covered can be covered at the next meeting, hopefully later this year. Hopes the European Forum can grow Loves the European diversity.
10 – Male – takes away that we are not completely knocked out. Reassuring that we are still here. It is true that we have to find new solutions and objectives to be present and there for each other.
11 – Female – Fells frustrated and hungry for more. Didn’t expect to solve everything but hopes there will be a follow up weekend and with new people joining. Need to expand our connection to the teachings that we receive. Wants second European Forum in East European city in autumn. People are not likely to read reports and so we need to encourage them to attend din person. After meeting personally, it is easier to meet online. Feels hopeful.
12 – Male – appreciated gathering and longing in sangha to be together and continue. Felt how serious this situation is for our community. We touched a lot and learned a lot and connected with people. Thank you! It was worth the effort. It was good to meet face to face.
13 – Female – Wants to offer something very simple: journal writing practice is very helpful after a programme. Write for 15 minutes about what happened at the forum, a day later. If people have comments or feedback about the forms used here they could be offered to people who organise future gatherings. Feels that she wants to help brainstorm with Stockholm. Utrecht has dissolved as a Centre but is still there so that is hopeful.
14 – Female – Can we find an online space to connect and grow (eg Shambhala Europe community group) We could join another group or create a European Forum group. The benefit of the Shambhala Network is that all members can join and see the postings whenever they like. It was agreed to create a Shambhala Network group (this has now been done). Everyone is invited to join.