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.
Motion and glow — nature, from my perch on the porch, the moon moving slowly across the morning sky. Perfect arrhythmic chorus of creatures, and myself doing nothing.
A couple of nights ago, community open mic. Buddhist jokes from our host Kyle, kirtan from Cody, Danny wowed with magic tricks and contact juggling, Dorian — so soulful. Heather, Kate and I offered some music and an interactive experience — folks holding candles and singing spontaneous verses in tribute to our friend Chris, who is moving on.
“let it shine, let it shine, let it shine…”
Very sweet and a reminder of what art and music are all about — uplifting people, situations. Accessing harmonious, deeper than the day-to-day, experience. We offer vulnerability — a nod to sacredness.
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Last night, Acharya Lobel gave a talk on Shambhala. The whole thing:
Entering the Cosmic Mirror: From Level I to Scorpion Seal
A two and a half hour talk. He spoke freely, deeply. I served as his Kasung guard — sitting beside him, holding space.
He spoke about Shambhala as a path to being a good husband and father and also a way to know the origins of the universe. Mmm…
Something like: “What we want, in this society, is secular mindfulness. A practice that will easily fit into our existing worldview. Shambhala is not that.”
He spoke of the terma tradition as being radical — a different way of experiencing reality — and one of the most profound mystcial traditions occuring on the planet at this time.
Afterwards I thanked him:
“That was huge.”
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A couple of other nice notes from teachers in the last few days:
Acharya Lyon: “You’re relaxing a lot. Not taking things so seriously. You’re ready for the mahayana.”
Joshua: “There is a path. You don’t have to walk in the middle.” And then, with a big grin: “You can walk on the edge.”
— July 16, 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