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.

Arriving back here after my recent trip to New York, I felt at once inspired, refreshed, and overwhelmed.  This whole thing is a huge project: creating enlightened society.  And, there are no guarantees.  Yet, somehow, here at Shambhala Mountain Center, it has sustained for over forty years.  An ever-changing bunch of people, with their confusions and brilliance, have been doing it together for over four decades.

Here we are.

Photo by John Russel of SMC Colorado Front Range Style

Expectations for myself.  Good inspiration versus overly-ambitious.

Yesterday at lunch time, the three Dekyongs (two dropped out recently) had a meeting.  Molly laying on a picnic bench, sunbathing.  Oakes and I pulled up chairs beside her and we talked causally for twenty minutes or so.  Good vibes.

The previous Dekyong meeting was an hour long, in a shrine room, in the morning.  Two Dekyongs dropped out after that.

It was too tight, too ambitious.  What is realistic here?  What feels good?  I’m re-approaching my duties here with a bit more gentleness.  Too tight and there is freak out.  To loose — crappy and sluggish.

At dinner time a group of us who are doing Enlightened Society Assembly in July met to discuss how we may approach studying together.  Again, it was casual.  It was not an institutional event — just living and directing our attention towards something productive.

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Earlier I sat at a table while some folks talked very negatively about Shambhala Mountain Center.  It seemed like they were getting some sort of kick out of it.  Is that helpful at all?  What are the consequences of doing that?  It seems like complainers gather like puddles of mud.  Meanwhile, the sky.

–June 6, 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.