Gratitude all around

We received this lovely card from Margaret Beilharz recently: It has to be said that the gratitude is mutual.  New faces in our practice events and community gatherings are welcome and much appreciated. We are particularly grateful for the efforts that Ron Schulz made to bring this convergence about, for sharing some of the ideas … Continue 

A warm welcome to Eugene

We are working to organize a more sociable welcome event to our friends from Eugene. In the meantime, here is Zoom intro and welcome to some of our Zoom events. This invitation goes out to old and new friends in Eugene as well as to folks in Portland. As is always the case, once you … Continue 

History & Storytelling: many homes, many contributors, many phases

Many members of Portland Shambhala gathered to remember our history on a recent Sunday afternoon. Gardner Murphy had collected some of this recollections in advance:   General Timeline and History of Portland Shambhala Center Started in 1970’s, met in peoples’ houses, Gardner was one of the originals! (Gardner to insert his remembrances of history here) … Continue 

Training to teach and learn the Dharma

The Shambhala project is worth pursuing. So say the cadre of Portland’s authorized Shambhala teachers and almost a dozen members of the Portland Shambhala community who are beginning a teacher training program. Why is this important? Although we are a meditation center, teaching and learning are at the core of Shambhala and a Shambhala center’s … Continue 

Moving as an opportunity for community

You may have heard: we’re moving.  Moving house is always chaotic, but moving a community is an opportunity for community-sized chaos! First you have to unpack everything, sort it, figure out what to keep, what to discard.  It’s a massive undertaking. BUT a big move is a huge opportunity for collaboration and connection. Out of chaos, … Continue 

Town Hall – July 25, 2020

The Town Hall on July 25, 2020 invited our community to continue to explore our challenges with polarization and inclusivity. It was intended to ask whether we will be able to hold the diversity of viewpoints and identities that exist in our community. As the conversation unfolded, one person, citing their background in anthropology, described … Continue 

Four Years Later: A Look Back (and Forward) at our Societal Health and Well-Being

When I took my leadership oath as council representative for Societal Health and Well-Being at our Harvest of Peace festival in September, 2016, I came into the seat with a number of hopes. I had hoped to expand our repertoire of affinity groups, especially our family group. I’d hoped to see our deleks reinvigorated. I’d … Continue 

Community Conversation — July 11th, 2020

  So much had been happening in our community and in Shambhala at large that the Portland Shambhala council felt that we needed to stop and check in with each other. On Saturday, July 11th members of Portland Shambhala met online for a community conversation to reflect on a recent letter from several Achyaras who … Continue 

Midsummer’s Day Eve Town Hall – June 20, 2020

Fourteen of us joined the Portland Shambhala Center virtual town hall on June 20, 2020. We started with three check-in questions: What have you most appreciated in your experience of society this week?; How are you feeling about our future?; and How are you feeling about Shambhala’s future? The participants had a wide range of … Continue 

Leaving the Carnegie Library Building: First Steps

On June 16, members of the Portland Shambhala Council and Relo Team prepared a proposal to our landlord for terminating our lease early. We face some real challenges: our income has been drastically reduced with the pandemic, many members are older and considered at high risk for serious complications from COVID-19, groups of more than … Continue