Community Gathering June 4th

Some conversation and additions to the mandala map presented on June 4th.

On June 4 a dozen or so members of the Boston Shambhala community joined together to discuss where we’re collectively headed. Despite the early Saturday morning meeting time and a little disappointment about the relatively small size of the group, the room was full of energy and creative ideas, and we came away with renewed inspiration and dedication to expanding and deepening the interconnections of our community.

At the last community gathering (in January), we focused on three things: moving into Boston,  inviting the Sakyong back to Boston, and building the capacity of the Center. This last item served in a way as a starting point for the June meeting – in order to determine where we’re going, we need to look at where we are and have been. Ashley Hodson and Max Roberts-Zirker shared a “map” they’ve created to help us understand how the Four Pillars of Shambhala; Governance, Practice and Education, Dorje Kasung, and Economy and how they work together to create the space necessary to support the activities and mission of the center. The map was brought to life on the shrine room floor with zafus representing various “landmarks.” Once we got the lay of the land, as it were, we explored which activities and issues might correspond with a particular sector of the map (in which region, for instance, do meditation instruction or contemplative arts take place?).

With this map in mind, Ashley shared with us the concept of Open Space Technology, which is not something used for writing software but instead a set of guidelines for fostering group discussions. For those unfamiliar with it, when Open Space is used, it goes something like this: people in the group put forth an idea they want to discuss and choose a physical location in which to do so. The other people decide which of the ideas they’d also like to explore and join that particular conversation. By having the group participants rather than one or two leaders determine what needs to be addressed, there is more ownership of the issues and possible solutions/plans of action.

After Ashley’s introduction of Open Space, five different topics prompted by the idea of “where are we now/where are going” were suggested. Pretty quickly everyone settled on which group to join, and some earnest conversations ensued. At the conclusion of the discussion period, each group reported the highlights of what had been talked about:

– Moving into Boston. Rather than leaving our current building, the group suggested “pop-up satellite space” as a way of physically integrating Shambhala in other parts of the metro area.

– Intersection of practice and community. It can be tempting to replace daily practice with service. How can community members support each other to find a balance?

– Connecting the web of programs. Motivating people to staff programs seems one way to increase interconnectedness, as does disseminating information about how and why we do things (through newsletters, “gateway” gatherings, etc.). We want to remove barriers that might prevent people from getting further involved.

– Responsibility. A person has to be ready for responsibility, and the community has to be ready for the person to get involved. The more one gives, the more one gets.

– Bringing our Shambhala citizenship into our volunteer activities in the world. Having a partner could help, either when doing the actual work or just to provide support and feedback.

With these ideas percolating, the meeting came to a close. The consensus was that the next gathering should be held before summer ends – we hope to see you there.

Respectfully submitted,
Ruth Blackburn

See you at the next Community Gathering: Sunday, August 28th from 2:00 – 5:30pm: Register Here