After careful deliberation, the Shambhala Center Board recently approved a number of changes to our Program Pricing Policy. This blog article is to inform you about them, and a copy of it can also be found on our website: click here. Our intention in making these changes has been to simplify our policy and to make it more consistent with our view and our mission. The changes are as follow:

1. We will be ending the Work/Study Program that has enabled students to volunteer services to the Center in lieu of tuition payments for programs. While this program has helped many sangha members in recent years, it has been difficult to track, and more importantly, it has sent a very mixed, quid pro quo message about the nature of volunteering at the Center. This unfortunate but inevitable message has been clearly at odds with our mahayana perspective on volunteering, and we need to correct it. Of course, we also need to cultivate the Mahayana perspective even further with regard to volunteering, and we are confident that we will be able
to do this.

2. The Pay What You Can Policy will be replaced with a Generosity Policy.
Although this change may appear to be rather subtle, the intention behind it is to shift the focus away from one of “payments” to one of “offerings.” While the monetary outcome in a given situation might not be changed at all by this shift, the view behind it will change from one of ‘saving money for oneself’ to one of ‘being generous to the Center.’ Generosity, furthermore, is a critical part of the mahayana path, and we want to encourage each other to practice it.

3. Tiered Pricing will be introduced for most programs, and in general, prices will be slightly increased. We will be rolling out this change in pricing structure over the next month and appreciate your patience while we finalize all of the changes. The tiers are as follow:

Patron Level-approximately 25% higher than the normal price.
Sustaining Level-the normal price that keeps us running.
Supporting Level-approximately 65% of the normal price.
Generosity Policy-always available if the Supporting Level is too high.

Registration and prepayments via the web will become the norm for most programs, and use of the Generosity Policy will generally need to be negotiated with a member of the Shambhala Center Staff prior to the program in question.

4. Member Discounts will be discontinued. This change mirrors the Generosity Policy by shifting the view of membership away from what one receives as a member to the mahayana view of what one gives.

5. Volunteer Training Programs will continue to be offered as part of our commitment to the path of service.

The changes that we are making to the pricing policy are intended fundamentally to clarify the view that we take toward finances. Because of the important Generosity Policy element, they should also not entail additional hardship for anyone. At the same time, they should also help us to raise slightly more revenue as well as a lot more lungta.
If you have any questions about these changes, please feel free to contact Caitlin Cianflone, our finance manager or me, Charles Styron.

In the Vision of the Great Eastern Sun,

Charles W. Styron, Chagdzo
Boston Shambhala Center

On Tuesday, February 21, we will gather together as a community for the traditional activity of Neutral Day: cleaning! Neutral Day is the day before the Tibetan New Year and Shambhala Day. It falls in between Dön season, which is the end of the previous year when it is said that karma and negativity ripens and extra care and attention is vital, and the fresh start of the New Year. This year we will be entering into the Year of the Water Dragon and celebrating Shambhala Day on Wednesday, February 22.

Cleaning before the New Year is a way of attracting positive energy into the environment, or as we might say in Shambhala, “drala.” It allows us to put time and energy into uplifting our space to start the year with a sense of freshness, new beginning, openness and possibility.

Doing so as a group adds some extra fun and zeal to the whole experience. Join us!

Schedule

4-6pm Open Cleaning: for those able to come earlier.

6-7pm Eat Pizza!

7:00pm  Sitting Meditation

7:30pm Introduction to Mindfulness and Cleaning

7:45-9:15pm Break into cleaning crews and Uplift the Space!

9:15 Dedicating the Merit

Come for all or part of the evening. We appreciate your generosity and look forward to uncovering sacred space with you!

Please RSVP by emailing info@shambhalaboston.org so we know how much Pizza to order. Thanks!

In the summer of  2008, our Sakyong Wangmo,  Dechen Choying Sangmo,  began to undertake projects for the benefit of the Shambhala sangha and its extended community. The first of these projects involved sponsorship of monks at the monastery of her father, His Eminence Terton Namkha Drimed Rabjam Rinpoche, in Pharping, Nepal, outside of Kathmandu. The Sakyong Wangmo has been involved with the care of the monks at the monastery, and wrote  a letter to the Shambhala sangha explaining the importance and the benefits of monk sponsorship, a tradition since the time of the Buddha.
To view the  letter of the Sakyong Wangmo click here.

Over the past several years, the Boston Shambhala sangha has supported two monks at Rigon Tashi Choeling.
As of early December 2011,  there is $128 in the monk support fund.   To continue to support two monks, the fund goal is $600.

Each monk lives on a mere $300 per year, which provides their basic necessities: food, housing, clothing, study materials, and health care. Your gift would not only support an individual dedicating his life to the Dharma, but the progress of our tradition as a whole.

To help us sponsor our two monks you can make a donation via Paypal:

Tolearn more about where the funds are going, Click Here to see the Ripa Ladrang website.
Or send a check to: Boston Shambhala Center, Ripa Monk Foundation, 646 Brookline Ave, Brookline, MA 02445

May all have a cheerful winter solstice!

Timaree Bierle-Dodds

Dan Glenn

What do Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche and Kevin Garnett have in common? They both believe that anything is possible. The Celtics’ emotional leader and quintessential warrior is well-known for his proclamation after Boston won the 2008 NBA Championship, its first in twenty-two years. I have also heard Sakyong Mipham make this same proclamation (albeit in a bit more subdued fashion) at multiple gatherings in the past few years. As ecstatic as I am about NBA basketball returning after a prolonged lockout, my job description doesn’t include writing blogs about professional sports, so I’m going to primarily focus here on the vision of creating enlightened society.

At his Shambhala Day address this year, the Sakyong said, “We are in the profession of making the impossible possible.” What is it that we are making possible? It is the vision of creating a society that is based on the principles of basic goodness, profound kindness, and a sustainable future for the planet and the beings that live on it. It does sound like a tall order, and a lot of times I feel at a loss for how to proceed with such a vast mission. But when we really look at how to begin, the steps are simple and the path laid out by those who have gone before.

Through our meditation practice, we can begin to get a taste of contentment. When our mind rests and we begin to see that we do not necessarily need to cling to or grasp after every fleeting thought, emotion or pleasure, we can began to relax into a sense of appreciation of our life. It is from that place that we can begin to turn our mind toward others and exert ourselves in working for the benefit and well-being of others, which is the source of joy. The inspiration and lightness of this joyful discipline propels us towards being able to expand our mind beyond conventional thinking and recognize reality as it is. This is what we call being fearless. As we open further and are willing to go even further beyond habitual mind, we taste the intuitive ability to relate with any situation that arises and the innate power to do so, which is inherent wisdom.

This is how Sakyong Mipham describes it from here: “With the selflessness and wisdom of the dragon, we are in a stable, open space, no longer derailed by the delusion of duality. We become sensitive to the subtle energies of the environment, and they become sensitive to us. As we take in the suffering of others, we join the intuitive wisdom of prajna with the practicality of compassion. Our windhorse is strong; we are drinking ziji [brilliant confidence] for breakfast. Now we are able to judge conditions and time decisions properly in order to give new endeavors the greatest possible advantage for success” (Ruling Your World, page 158).

When we trust in basic goodness, trust in the process, lean in to the discipline of meditation practice, and open ourselves to others and the world, we are able to tune into our innate nature. We feel healthy and we actually physically begin to glow and radiate splendidness. At the Dignity leadership program this fall, the Sakyong said that, “When a person feels that way, they feel that anything is possible” (you can read a Shambhala Times article about the teachings from that program here).

It is from this empowered state of being that we can act with clarity, precision, and inspiration to begin to turn the tide of humanity toward goodness, kindness, and wakefulness once again. We can engage with one another to discuss ways to bring about social change (the Sakyong said that we can bring about enlightened society “one conversation at a time”). We could go out into the community to serve and make connections with other organizations doing great work to benefit humanity. We can engage in meaningful meditation practice from a place of strong intention. And we can simply enjoy one another’s company, and celebrate being alive.

The great thing is that Shambhala has no copyright on authentic presence, dignity, inner strength, or the inspiration of windhorse. We need look no further than the TD Garden for that. Mr. Garnett is one of many examples of athletes, artists, or professionals who approach their trade with inspiration and passion that seems almost superhuman. The world needs more of this. Let us live with blazing passion and channel that energy into being of great benefit. And let’s utilize whatever it is that inspires us to get there.

For the record – the two official NBA teams of Shambhala? The Warriors and the Magic.

And don’t forget to pick up your “Making the Impossible Possible” t-shirt!

Dear Boston Shambhala Community,

I am pleased to announce the appointment of our Director of Societal Health and Well-Being at the Boston Shambhala Center. Ms. Martina Bouey has accepted this appointment and we are thrilled to have her serving in this role.

The role of the Societal Health & Well-Being (SHWB) Director is to promote and support the ongoing development of community within a local Shambhala Centre. The Director safeguards the view that a community that enjoys being together, celebrating together and taking care of one another is an integral part of our practice and is as important as meditating and studying together. Community reinforces the truth of interdependence and thus can be taken as a key component of our path to enlightenment. The SHWB Director holds the view that our mission, as Shambhalians, is to create enlightened society, rather than to become a collection of enlightened individuals. Therefore, the purpose of this seat is to foster what the Sakyong has called “a culture of profound kindness” at the local center level.

The appointment of local SHWB Directors is made centrally, by the Director of the Shambhala Office of Societal Health & Well-Being, who receives a nomination of an individual from a local center. The SHWB Director holds a seat on the local center’s Council, Board or other governing body.

The local SHWB Director is the official liaison to the central office of the same name, which is under the direction of Ms. Mary Whetsell. As such, she is the communication conduit for matters pertaining to community, advising the central OSHWB Director about local matters and sharing with the local community pertinent information from the OSHWB. As this post serves in the Pillar of Government, the SHWB works closely with the Center Director. This is a three-year appointment.

The Societal Health & Well-Being Director forms and leads a local committee dedicated to fostering a warm, inviting, and caring community of practitioners, thus polishing and shining the Third Jewel of Sangha. Activities of this committee include:

-Fostering greater communication and contact among community members, including focused community building efforts.

-Ensuring there is a welcoming, hospitable environment for all who enter the center.

-Developing awareness and pro-active sensitivity as regards all aspects of diversity: racial, ethnic, socio-economic, sexual orientation, age, gender, physical ability, etc.

-Making sure there are regular celebrations and social activities, including oversight of all Nyida Days (in collaboration with the Office of Culture and Decorum).

-Caring for the health and well-being of community members when illness, conflict or social difficulties arise (in collaboration with the Desung).

When discussing this nomination with members of the Boston Shambhala Center’s leadership, Ms. Bouey was the resounding ideal fit. She has been involved with Shambhala for over 8 years, completed Warrior Assembly in 2010 and currently serves on the Board of Trustees. In addition, she has been involved with the Visiting Teachers Committee, Community, Programming & Leadership Development task force, and the Diversity Committee.

In her professional life, Martina is currently Deputy Director at South Africa Partners, a nonprofit committed to forming partnerships between organization and institutions in U.S. and South Africa in the area of health, education, and economic development. She is also an active member in the local Boston community, serving as a facilitator for the Boston City-Wide Dialogues on Ethnic and Racial Diversity. She has served as a volunteer mediator in the Massachusetts court system, and was President of the Cambridge Women’s Center. While at Tufts, Martina was recognized for her commitment to public service. She received the 2006 Presidential Award for Citizenship and Public Service and the 2006 Rob Hollister Award for Community Service and Citizenship.

Please join me in welcoming Martina to this post!She will official take her Oath of Office as part of the Children’s Day and Winter Solstice Celebration on Saturday, December 17 at 3:00pm.

Yours in the Vision of Shambhala,
Dan Glenn, Executive Director

On a windy morning in November, members of the Shambhala Boston leadership rose early to attend the 48th Annual Governor’s Prayer Breakfast. Looking dapper, they gathered at the invitation of Boston’s Rotary Club #7. Rotary International is an organization that supports ‘service before self’ and aims to ‘help build goodwill and peace in the world’. Jane Arthur, Karme Choling’s Executive Director also traveled from Vermont to attend at the invitation of Shastri Carolyn Krusinski. Jane is herself a member of the Saint Johnsbury Rotary Club in Vermont.

Shastri Krusinski was invited by Boston’s Rotary President David Manzi to offer a prayer of Peace as the first Buddhist Representative in Boston since this event first began 48 years ago. She spoke for our community along side other religious leaders such as Rabbi Jonah Pesner Founding Director of Just Congregations, Dr. Imam Talal Eid Founder of Islamic Institute of Boston, Reverend Stephen T. Ayres, Vicar of the Old North Church (where lanterns signaled Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride) and Bishop John Patrick Boles the Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Boston.

The Breakfast is to both honor and support organizations who are outstanding in their commitment to service as well as to include local government in their aspiration to uphold the well-being of our community. The organizations of honor were The Trefler Foundation, Future Chefs and My Sister’s Keeper. Massachusetts State Treasurer, Steve Grossman, spoke beautifully about how the work to be done in Boston in both public and private sectors is to bring out the dignity in all people. A common thread developed among the variety of speakers that there is a deep concern and care for the future of our community which wove itself alongside our own view as Shambhalians.

Shastri Krusinski was the last to speak following a hearty rendition of ‘God Bless America’ by retired State Trooper Daniel M. Clark. She shared afterwords that it was uplifting to look out over the room of 200 people and see the full table of Shambhala practitioners among the entirely corporate and non-profit sponsored tables and to represent Buddhism in Boston for the first time at this gathering.

In the Shambhala tradition, Shastri Krusinski offered Aspirations for Peace. One of the aspirations was inspired by the three organizations honored during the event, all of which support children in one way or another. Here is an excerpt from the Shastri’s aspirations:

May the Children of Boston and the World know they are loved and supported on a bright path to a fulfilling life even when facing difficulties. May they each discover and appreciate their unique qualities.

When peaceful abiding permeates the atmosphere at home, work and play we can be genuine and kind and act in ways that build an Awake Society where we can make wiser, sustainable choices. It’s that basic. This is how we can change the world.

Following the event, Dan Glenn, the Boston center’s Executive Director, and Shastri Krusinski presented David Manzi with the book Turning the Mind Into An Ally by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. He expressed interest in coming to the Shambhala Center of Boston as well as collaborating with the center to offer meditation instruction and discussion with his Rotary Club community. Dan Glenn said “It was a truly profound and historic moment to be sitting at the table listening to Carolyn speak about Shambhala at an event like this. Her presentation was perfect – and the room responded with a sense of stillness and calm, which a number of people remarked on afterward. It was a very inspiring event with an interfaith feel as well as a focus on selfless service. I think we’re all looking forward to doing more [community events and local outreach].”

The Shambhala Meditation Center of Boston has been working hard over the past few years to expand and reach out to greater Boston. This is exactly the kind of community building that inspires us to keep working and continue offering a view and a practice that can touch people across traditions and service sectors. We look forward to working with the Rotary Club in the future and participating in future events together!

Greetings, Boston!

It is with a tremendous sense of gratitude and privilege that I step into this role to serve as Executive Director of the Shambhala Meditation Center of Boston. Having lived in the Boston area most of my life and having been a member of the Boston Shambhala community before moving to Karme Choling, our retreat center in Vermont, just over four years ago, it is a genuinely delightful homecoming. It is clear to me that I am coming on board at a time that the center is flourishing, bursting with energy, and truly poised to take off. This excellent state of affairs exists very much because of the superb guidance and vision of our previous Director, Ms. Jill Blagsvedt, the incredible strength and dedication of all of the leadership at the center.

It is an exciting and potent time for the Boston community. I just returned from Halifax, where Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche taught at a gathering of leaders in the community called “Dignity: Governing Enlightened Society.” The clarity, brilliance, and inspiration behind the Sakyong’s teaching were profoundly moving. He emphasized that our ability as leaders – and I would consider all of us leaders in a blossoming societal movement at this point – depends solely on having a personal, deep connection with and understanding of basic goodness. He talked about his own in-depth, personal reflection on these teachings and asked us all to do the same: to really contemplate the teachings on basic goodness and how they are personally relevant to us on an experiential level. I also felt a strong sense of unification over the course of the weekend – a sense that we may all have our different personal practices, our different areas of work in the world, our different views and experiences, but we are all moving forward together in a vision of building and realizing enlightened society .

The Sakyong also said that this is a poignant time right now in the world – we can talk about human nature without necessarily being seen as “spiritual” or “philosophical” because people are genuinely questioning what life is about. With so much falling apart, there is a window of time before us to genuinely affect change in the world. It is in this spirit that we can move forward with our vision in a myriad of ways. As we continue to come together and strengthen as individuals and as a community, we can go out more and more and be of benefit to the world.

With our expansion of adding a second center located on Newbury Street looking more like a reality, with Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche moving at lightning speed and challenging us to keep up, and with a core of teachings that truly can change the world , we find ourselves in an incredibly exciting and fortunate situation. I look forward to working with all of you, continuing to get to know you, meeting those of you whom I haven’t yet met, and hearing your ideas about carrying this vast vision forward. Please feel free to come by the center and say hello or have a conversation any time.

Sincerely yours,

Dan Glenn

Not a thousand suns
just ease and brilliance of dawn
breaking against distant peaks
in this open valley.

Not a thousand distractions
just penetrating immediacy of now
where richness, abruptness and tenderness
are always found.

Not a thousand texts and practices,
just simplicity of profound view,
effortless, unelaborated meditation,
direct, uncontrived conduct.

Not a thousand partners,
just an open heart willing to share,
surrender, and sacrifice
with honesty and devotion.

Not a thousand years,
just this year, this day, this moment,
all that’s clearly apparent without truly existing,
joyful, precious display of our lives.

- Frank Ryan

October 24th, 2011

There are many ways to get involved at the Shambhala Meditation Center of Boston! We are a mostly volunteer run organization and without everyone’s incredible effort and dedication we couldn’t offer the teachings and programs available. If you have questions about one of the open positions below or want more information, please contact

Ashley Hodson: info@shambhalaboston.org or call 617-734-1498 between the hours of 11:30am-7:30pm.

Facilities Coordinator

Time Commitment 1 year: 1-2 hours a week (at home or at the center)

We encourage membership for long-term positions, but it is open to any committed practitioners.

This position is ideally someone who has experience maintaining buildings, or can facilitate hiring contractors or handy-people to fix things when necessary. Things break or need regular maintenance such as plumbing, lighting, or outside of the building like the roof. The Facilities person works closely with Ashley Hodson, Head of Operations, to ensure projects big and small are being addressed. This often is making phone calls to acquire bids for projects, or cultivating volunteers in the community who are handy and can fix some of the smaller ongoing things that occur. Mostly this position can happen from home or through email, but this person would need to come in occasionally to check in with projects.

Technology Co-coordinator

Time Commitment 1 year: 5 hours/month (at home or at the center)

We encourage membership for long-term positions, but it is open to any committed practitioners.

We currently have one committed member as the technology coordinator but are in need of another coordinator to help with the ongoing projects. We are in the process of moving to Macs and need someone to help move the center into 2011! This often involves mostly researching for purchases (looking for a new printer, whats the best software, updating our machines, purchasing in general), troubleshooting and helping us look ahead with a fresh technology plan. Someone with mac and PC experience is preferred, and someone who has the energy to make good decisions and help our systems run smoothly!

Housekeeping Co-coordinator

Time Commitment 1 year: 8 hours/month (at home and at the center)

We encourage membership for long-term positions, but it is open to any committed practitioners.

We currently have one committed member doing a great job as the housekeeping coordinator, Dorothy Godwin. We are seeking a second person to coordinate supplies ordering (paper goods, cleaning supplies, etc) and help Dorothy cultivate a more comprehensive group of housekeepers to keep the center sparkling. It is no small task to upkeep a space that is so heavily used with volunteers alone, so we deeply appreciate everyone’s generous time and energy. With many hands we can make light work!

If you have questions about one of the open positions below or want more information, please contact

Ashley Hodson: info@shambhalaboston.org or call 617-734-1498 between the hours of 11:30am-7:30pm.