Welcoming the Year of the Wood Dragon
Wood symbolizes humanity’s aspiration for growth, vision, creativity, and flexibility.
The Dragon represents power, generosity, and compassion.
THERE IS NO THEY
“We are the ones we have been waiting for.”
Change just keeps happening. It seems one cannot hold onto anything at all! But is it the change we want? It is up to us. There is no one else who will guide our beautiful Halifax Shambhala Centre forward into this new era….
Please come along on this mysterious journey for which we have been preparing our whole lives. We have everything we need…. the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha….. and our passion and inspiration.
Come and celebrate the new year…. and the unknown path forward.
Neutral Day Festivities…Friday, February 9th
In case you don’t know already, a group of staff and volunteers is taking the opportunity on Friday, Feb 9th, Neutral Day, to come together and do a deep clean and tidy of the Halifax Shambhala Centre between 11 am and 4 pm to get ready for the Year of the Wood Dragon. We will be serving pizza around 1 pm. Would love for you to join us; pick an area of interest and show it some love or we can assign you a task! Family friendly.
Please RSVP by signing up here.
SHAMBHALA DAY, Saturday, February 10th
Kalapa Dawn… 8 am, for Werma practitioners
Sadhana of Mahamudra… 9:30 am, for everyone
Potluck Brunch… 10:30 to noon, for everyone
Shambhala Day Live Broadcast… 2 pm, for everyone
Practice Books now available at the Centre, $10
Appreciation for Laura Chenoweth
On Shambhala Day of this year, Laura Chenoweth will have served her year tirelessly, as Practice and Education Director at the Halifax Shambhala Centre. Unfortunately, due to budget constraints, her contract will not be renewed. Her work has been inspired and invaluable. We will miss her and hope that her presence will continue in some way. Please make an opportunity to express your gratitude to Laura. And wish her well in whatever comes her way ….
Welcome to Nyima Wimberly & Gus Abato
Nyima Wimberly is tasked with expanding our reach beyond the walls of the Centre through hybrid programming and more outward-facing communications. He has a background in television, media and journalism, and IT – a fruitful combination to help share our primordial dharma using the most modern tools. He is a true ‘dharma brat’.
Gus Abato is the newly appointed Finance Director of the Centre. He is a long-time student of Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche and Buddhist/Shambhala practitioner since 1978, who was fortunate to have attended both Seminary and Kalapa Assembly when Rinpoche was actively teaching. After moving here in 1989, he established and ran the Italian Market until 2009. He has now returned to Nova Scotia after many years away and is happy to be back and grateful for the opportunity to help the Shambhala Centre to flourish.
Outstanding Volunteers
Peony (Practice & Education)… Cathy Campbell, Molly DeShong, June Crow, Liza Matthews, Joanne Fordham, Nancy Johnston, and Barbara Stewart
Reception…. Ron Renz, Kate Abato, Norris Eddy, Michael Naugler, Diane Metzger, and Mipham Halpern
Advisory Council…. Shari Vogler, Ron Stubbert, Mindy Moore, Bakes Mitchell, Ron Renz, Richard Peisinger, Joanne Fordham, and Deborah Luscomb
Audio/Visual…. For decades, Bruce Wauchope has been taking care of our sound booth. We cannot possibly express enough appreciation to him!
Library…. Deborah Jones has diligently organized and catalogued our growing library over the last several years.
Garden…. Petra Mudie, along with David Wimberly, has spent years beautifying the gardens and grounds around the Centre for more than a decade.
Without volunteers, the Halifax Shambhala Centre would cease to function. The folks named above are just some of many… Sunday Sitting staff, Open House staff, umdzes chopons, shrine keepers, program coordinators and staff, teachers, cleaners, protectors…. and a multitude of others. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for sharing in this profound and glorious offering for the benefit of all.
Donor Appreciation
Because of your generous end of year donations, and some unexpected, and very large anonymous donations, the heat pumps in the Drala and Windhorse shrine rooms will be installed soon. Not only will we be warm in the winter and cool in the summer, but our heating bill will significantly shrink! Thank you.
The Passing of Nancy Porter-Steele & Curtis Steele
On January 25, 2024 Curtis and Nancy died holding hands on their bed. Partners in life, healing work, and adventure for 53 years, they entered into the mystery together. Curtis was 90 and Nancy was 92. As was their wish, an intimate Sukhavati was held the following day with a very small group of friends and family in their apartment. On the third day, their bodies were interred together at Sunrise Park Cemetery.
Please wish them well on their way….
Appreciation and Thanks – Our Director of Community & Culture
And to close, I would like to express my profound appreciation for your trust in me over this last year. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve the Halifax Mahasangha. I have been enjoying myself immensely. But I am getting too old for this kind of exertion. So, at the beginning of August (the end of my 75th year), I will step down from this post and spend a week at the beach with my three siblings to celebrate my retirement once again.
However, you can be quite certain that I will not be a stranger at the Centre.
Cheerful Year of the Wood Dragon. May we continue to rise to the occasion – together!
gratefully, deborah luscomb
Director of Community & Culture
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