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.
The past couple of mornings, posted up at the torri gate — guarding the entrance! Pretty much just sitting there, in my Kasung uniform — which doesn’t fit me so well. Heather brought me breakfast. Meditating. Enjoying the bird songs, blue sky, trees in the breeze, chipmunks. Sakyong comes running by with his crew. I stand and salute.
We’re hosting Scorpion Seal VI, which means high practitioners are all over the place. It’s very cool to be in the midst of them. Their presence, practice, creates a heightened atmosphere. The sounds of their rituals echo throughout the valley. Smoke from ceremony, chanting, warrior cries.
Shenpen, Sensei is among them. Yesterday she glided over to me and offered me a piece of chocolate, then with big bright whole-being smile, asked if I’d help uplift (clean) a small corner table in the staff mud room, so that it may properly host a flower arrangement. She spreads flowers all over, generally, in all sorts of ways, on many levels. She is in the bodhisattva business of beautifying. I’m drawn to her style of contribution.
There’s all sorts of powerful teachers all over the place.
Acharya Hessey is here. He’s been an Acharya-homie of mine ever since we met last fall, when he and I sat together — I asked him questions about psychedelics, meditation, and what not. He led me in meditation, incorporating Grateful Dead lyrics into the guidance. It was beautiful. Later that night, there was a gathering of folks around a fireplace and Acharya Hessey, Greg Smith and I played guitar, sang, jammed — played some Dead tunes, some jazz, I offered some originals. A very fond night in my memory!
Anyway, Acharya Hessey has devoted a lot of his life to Shambhala Mountain Center. He’s been involved for nearly four decades. He’s lived here, worked and taught here, served as executive director, has sat on board of directors for a long time. He’s as local as they get. I carry around a bag I found in the free room which has his name scribbled inside. It was his a long time ago.
Last night, Acharya Hessey sat in the Staff Living Room with a group of us, sitting in a circle on chairs and couches, and gave a beautiful talk, led discussion: What is Shambhala? What are these “Scorpion Seal” people up to? How may we approach living here together at Shambhala Mountain Center? What obstacles arise?
The thing is: We can work together to create a friendly, gentle environment.
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Some notes:
Always new. This has never happened before.
Feel whatever I’m feeling, not always acting on it.
Not laying trips on others.
READ SHANTIDEVA
— June 19, 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.