By Travis Newbill

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.

Early in the morning, dharma dream — with Xavier, who was encouraging me to come live in Mexico to hang out.  Inside a Theravaden shrine room, I hooked a swing on chains to the wooden rafters on the ceiling — delicate.  And I swung playfully around the room while telling Xavier about Trungpa, Ginsberg, and the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics.  I told him that a decade ago, the moment I heard of the school, after I had just begun reading the beats, I knew for sure that I’d be attending one day.  At that instant, the chain broke through the rafters and I fell flat on my ass — as if punctuating the statement: I will attend JKS.

I told Heather about the dream, wrote in my journal, and then walked down the hill — it was dawn-time, but no sign of the sun.  Thick mist.

“Regard all dharmas as dreams.”

I practiced in a room by myself downtown, in front of the giant thangka of Amitabha in his pure land.  Then, I washed the dishes — covering Heather’s shift so that she could rest, as she still is not quite over the cold I passed to her.

— September 11, 2014

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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 Center.  His roles within the organization include Marketing Associate and Head Dekyong–a position of leadership within the community.  Follow Travis on twitter: @travisnewbill