 |
 |
|
|
Our Tamalpais Family Album Trace the history and development of our Shambhala Meditation Group...a life in process!
The Tamalpais Shambhala Meditation Group, one of twelve Shambhala centers and groups affiliated as Northern California Shambhala, is located in suburban Marin County, immediately north of San Francisco. Named for the great mountain, the group meets in San Rafael, the county largest and most diverse city.
Dharma and Shambhala arrived in Marin County, land of Tamalpais, in magical, artful ways. The county was a place of refuge in the 1950s and 1960s for artists and others seeking a rustic simplicity, including the beat poet Gary Snyder. In 1965, Snyder, Allen Ginsberg and Philip Whalen led a ceremonial circumambulating around Mount Tamalpais, a Buddhist-inspired ritual that has continued annually. And in the spring of 1972, during the same trip in which he opened the Berkeley Dharmadhatu, visited Kobun Chino Otogawa in Palo Alto, and Green Gulch Farm in Marin, the Vidyadhara, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche asked to visit Mount Tamalpais. In the words of Acharya Sam Bercholz, who was present, “Rinpoche wanted to visit Mount Tamalpais. He asked that materials be gathered for burial on the top of Mount Tamalpais for the sake of a future yogi or yogini. When Rinpoche and his party walked up to the top of the mountain, Rinpoche picked an appropriate spot near a rock overhand. We dug a deep hole and buried the capsule while Rinpoche blessed the site. We were worried that the park ranger would come by to disturb us, because his look-out station was within seeing distance.” Sam continues, “Rinpoche explained that this was the same as Padmasambhava burying ‘terma’ in Tibet for future practitioners. He further explained that the objects in the capsule were sufficient so that the prospective future finder of the capsule could become a full Vajrayana practitioner and could be of great benefit to sentient beings.” “As it turned out the park ranger did come down to see what we were doing and Rinpoche's students were quite concerned that the ranger would want us to undo what we had just finished doing.” The ranger asked, "Is that Trungpa Rinpoche?" When the Vidyadhara said, "Yes," the ranger folded his hands and bowed, saying how auspicious it was for them to meet.
Then the ranger invited the Vidyadhara and his students up to his lookout, a small cabin perched on the very peak of the mountain. These lookouts served as summer residences for fire spotters but this particular cabin was equipped with more than the usual supplies. Sam recalls, “There were Rinpoche's books, Meditation in Action and Born in Tibet, plus a couple of other dharma books and a zafu. The ranger explained that his job allowed him to practice meditation for several hours a day. His main job was to watch for forest fires. The ranger was a wonderful, gentle man who was delighted beyond his wildest dreams to be meeting Trungpa Rinpoche. Rinpoche explained to the ranger about the burial of the capsule. The feeling of ‘auspicious coincidence’ was extraordinarily blissful amongst all involved.”
Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche on Mount Tamalpais, the full moon, January 2003 Altogether, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche visited Mount Tamalpais on at least three occasions. Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche has also visited the mountain, including a memorable full moon night in early 2003. His Holiness the Dalai Lama addressed a large public gathering near the peak in the late 1970s and many other spiritual – and temporal – guides (and tourists) have visited the great mountain. Following the arrival of the Vidyadhara in the early 1970s, two Marin Dharma Study Groups were begun – and dissolved - in the 1970s and 1990s.
Not us - these are our friends in Baltimore - but this is how we look meditating, too! Our little group initially met in rented yoga studio space. Attendance was sparse and composed mostly of new people; senior local Shambhala students continued to practice with Shambhala Centers in San Francisco to the south; Berkeley to the east; and Sonoma to the north-east, each only thirty minutes away. Sometimes there were just two or three of us meditating together! The group then met (and celebrated Shambhala Day and Harvest of Peace) in members’ homes. Attendance grew slowly, sometimes with as few as three or four people, sometimes a dozen folk. But in the winter of 2005-06, things began to gel. The group made an in-depth study of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche’s Ruling Your World, which helped to bind and develop a feeling of beloved community. Also in 2005, during an assessment of the locations of Northern California Shambhala’s centers and groups, feng shui master and Shambhala practitioner Eva Wong identified central San Rafael as the best place in Marin County in which to grow a meditation center. Interestingly enough, the group had been meeting in that specific “drala bowl” since its inception.
Shambhala Training Level I, December 2006 Photo by Joy Ruppersburg In late 2006, the group held the first Shambhala Training Level I in Marin County, in rented space of a local non-profit in downtown San Rafael. The weekend was a success, drawing 15 people, including someone who flew in from Florida, and fostered a sense of group container. Shambhala Training continued with Levels II and III in 2007, and Level IV in February 2008.
Entry to the conference room
The conference room set up for Level II (and most Tuesday nights)
Our Level II reception, February 2007
Vicky, Mary and Katie at Level II As a result of the Level I accomplishment, a leadership council was formed out of four key group members, a development that turned out to be quite fortunate when the coordinator – in whose home the group had been meeting for more than a year – suffered a disabling accident. This new Shambhala Council kept the group going, even self-staffing its Level II.
Joy after taking refuge, 2004 Six of our members have taken refuge vows within the last three years, and one has gone on to take the bodhisattva vow. Three members recently completed Shambhala Guide training and one took part in vajrayana seminary in 2007. The first coordinator, Marc Matheson, is a tantrika and meditation instructor, and our new head of practice, Christina Sears, a sadhaka, has recently returned to Northern California after many years in Arizona where she helped to start and coordinate the Phoenix Shambhala Group.
Ondina, Katie, Linda (kneeling), Adrian and Virginia, after taking refuge, 2007 In spring of 2007, the group began to explore options for a more public home. The Marin Abused Womens Services organization, in whose space our Shambhala Training had been held, was looking to rent its spare offices to local non-profit groups. Our Group moved into the MAWS building in April, which affords us room for a shrine, office and meeting space, and public events and larger group meditation.
The storage room at Marin Abused Womens Services - our new home!
Marc and Joy in our new space, May 2007
Tom and Mia appreciating our new home!
Devin, Levi and Tom preparing to paint
Our Dharma treasures await hanging
The painting begins...thanks to Levi and Tom, Mia and Lin!
The colors were sure intense, fortunately not the final versions Thanks to a location midway between Berkeley, San Francisco and the North Bay – with Shambhala Centers located north of us in Santa Rosa – an hour away – and Sonoma – Northern California Shambhala held a regional leadership weekend with President Reoch last November at our place. Our new shrine was almost completed in time for the weekend!
Our new Rigden shrine, November 2007
The shrine a month later - pictures hung
Our Rigden shrine, nearly complete - January 2008
Our shrine to the feminine principle, January 2008 (better photos coming soon!) In Shambhala, the feminine principle is upheld as a vital aspect of enlightened heart and activity; the Sakyong king is joined with the Sakyong Wangmo, the queen of Shambhala. Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, founder of Shambhala, taught on feminine principle, and his wife, Lady Diana Mukpo, has served as Sakyong Wangmo for many years.
Photographs of important Shambhala teachers are displayed on the shrine, beginning with Khandro Tseyang Ripa, wife of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche; Lady Kunchok Palden, mother of the Sakyong; Lady Diana Mukpo, wife of Chögyam Trungpa and current Sakyong Wangmo; Ven. Khandro Rinpoche of the Mindroling Lineage, who is an important teacher and friend to Shambhala; and Ani Pema Chödrön, one of our acharyas, or senior teachers.
Mr. Bruce Dal Santo of the San Francisco Shambhala Center, speaking on "The Mishap Lineage" at our February Shambhala Talk morning Incoming Shambhala Council members take their oaths of office at our Shambhala Day celebration, February 2008. Pictured, left to right, are: Christina Sears, head of Practice; Bill Smith, Information Services; Mia Greene, Council member; Kurt Gundersen, Shambhala Training; Tom Dolan, Publicity; and Joy Ruppersburg, Rusung or squad leader, Dorje Kasung. Missing: Marc Matheson, head of Education.
Bowing is a practice that helps to remind us of basic goodness, present in ourselves and others. As of Shambhala Day, 2008, the beginning of the Earth Mouse Year, we have a new group coordinator, Mr. Adrian Jordan, and our Shambhala Council has grown to include eight people, five men and three women. A working group of a dozen other people helps to steer discussion and decision-making on important group issues, a factor that has added to the community’s cohesiveness.
Adrian Jordan takes his oath of office as our new Group Coordinator.
Shambhala Day 2008 potluck brunch was a great way to start a new era. Facing camera, left to right, are Joe Cisek, Adrian Jordan, Christina Sears and Mia Greene. Photos by Joy Ruppersburg
Left to right: Tom Dolan, Jesse Miller, Marilyn Collier, Joe Cisek, Mia Greene and Kurt Gundersen
As it enters its seventh year, the Tamalpais Shambhala Meditation Group looks to this new year as a time of maturation and contentment found in stability, discipline and deepening. We hope you will visit us, practice meditation and discuss the Shambhala Buddhist teachings with us, and - if so inclined - even consider becoming a member of our delightful small community, here in the magical land of Mount Tamalpais! |
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Learn more about meditation and buddhism at shambhala.org |
 |
|
Search Home Programs Meditation Buddhist Study Shambhala Training Arts Community Tamalpais Shambhala Meditation Group |
|