Floral Notes and Bardo: The Creative Chronicles of a Shambhala Mountain Resident is a daily feature on the SMC blog in which a member of our staff/community shares his experience of existing as part of Shambhala Mountain Center.
Nothing is safe to say
unless you know every echo and utterance
in all of space.
Anyway…
The joust between altruism and fame-seeking is going to
result in a bouquet
of laughter
Onlookers liberated by witnessing boogie-beyond-embarrassment.
That’s the virtuous clown. The offering of the artist.
NOT AFRAID TO BE A FOOL
Tonight I will take my one-year Kasung oath. The Dorje Kasung
is military as imagined by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Dorje Kasung = Indestructible Command Protector
From the outside, the Dorje Kasung are among the weirdest components to the
Shambhala tradition. Visitors to the land are often quite bewildered. I think that
may be part of the point.
What is your reaction to people in uniform?
What are your feelings about being in uniform? Maybe all of that ought to be explored… Etc.
I knew I would be going into the Dorje Kasung as soon as I first encountered it last summer–because I had such an immediate and strong aversion to doing so.
This shall be an adventure within an adventure within…
Often, I’ve heard Rusung Edwards (Rusung = Head of Kasung on the land) explain Dorje Kasung
to visitors in this way:
“Buddhist Park Rangers”
I love that.
I’ve not yet felt the desire for a less-weird life. Thus, tonight I shall formally
join the Dorje Kasung!
~~~
Travis Newbill is a curious dude on the path of artistry, meditation, and social engagement who is very glad to be residing at Shambhala Mountain. His roles within the organization include Marketing Associate and Head Dekyong–a position of leadership within the community.