Good news at Google. Next, they should try Shambhala Training Level 1!

“Little wonder, then, that among the hundreds of free classes that Google offers to employees here, one of the most popular is called S.I.Y., for “Search Inside Yourself.” It is the brainchild of Chade-Meng Tan, 41, a tall, thin, soft-spoken engineer who arrived at Google in 2000 as Employee No. 107.

Think of S.I.Y. as the Zen of Google. Mr. Tan dreamed up the course and refined it with the help of nine experts in the use of mindfulness at work. And in a time when Google has come under new scrutiny from European and United States regulators over privacy and other issues, a class in mindfulness might be a very good thing.

The class has three steps: attention training, self-knowledge and self-mastery, and the creation of useful mental habits.”

http://nyti.ms/IjKTvx

Google Course Asks Employees to Take a Deep Breath – NYTimes.com.

22 Apr 2012 – Sakyong’s Earth Day message: Our future is at a crossroads

In his Earth Day message, issued today, the Sakyong Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche warns that “our future is at a crossroads.”

“It is no longer a time when the future can be decided by one person, or even a few individuals,” he says in his message. “Rather, as a global society, we must pause and reflect on this essential theme: who are we, and what are we doing? This is the meaning of Earth Day.”

The full text of the Sakyong’s message follows:

As the world now faces seemingly insurmountable challenges, our future is at a crossroads. Never has there been a more poignant time for us to hear the message of basic goodness. Many of the issues that we encounter, personally and societally, concern the very notion of human nature.

Therefore, reflecting on humanity’s basic goodness can no longer be simply a personal contemplation; it must now be a global one. It is no longer a time when the future can be decided by one person, or even a few individuals. Rather, as a global society, we must pause and reflect on this essential theme: who are we, and what are we doing? This is the meaning of Earth Day. It is a time when humanity can reflect on who we are and how we might move forward.

Therefore, I encourage everyone to take a moment on this Earth Day to reflect on human nature and basic goodness. Then, reflect on how you personally are participating in the global society. As Shambhalians, we have the ability to help shift the global culture from one of doubt and aggression, to one of trust and kindness. It is time for us all to engage in this endeavor, both personally and socially.

To make such a shift is the very notion of enlightened society. Rather than letting challenges overwhelm us, let them incite our warrior heritage of bravery. In this way, Earth Day can be a new dawning of the sun of human goodness.

With blessings and aspirations for the world to be free of plague, famine, and war — and for peace and harmony to be all-victorious,

The Sakyong

http://youtu.be/7Ebthg7padM

Come join us at PVSC from 7-9pm on Friday, April 6th, for this first screening of Crazy Wisdom. This event is in honor of the 25th Parinirvana (passing) of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

The Weather Man

Come join us for movie viewing from a Shambhala perspective (with popcorn and discussion!)

Nicholas Cage is a TV weatherman who feels he can’t measure up to his Pulitzer Prize-winning father (Michael Caine), or get anything right with his ex-wife (Hope Davis) and teenage kids. A funny and tender study of one man’s struggle to find meaning and appreciation in a fast food world.

“Despite his occasional surliness, Mr. Ruzzamenti [the initial donor] said he felt driven to help others when possible. And as he considered the relative risks and benefits of organ donation, particularly to relieve a whole chain of suffering, it just made so much sense. “It causes a shift in the world,” he said. Perhaps, he said, there was some influence from a Tibetan meditation he had practiced when he was first drawn to Buddhism six years ago. It is known as Tonglen. “You think of the pain someone’s in, and imagine you take it from them and give them back good,” he said.”
Read the rest of this entry »

This is what warriorship looks like. Please read this moving article by long-time Shambhala practitioner Joan Whitacre.

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2012/02/the-buddha-on-food-stamps–joan-whitacre/

This document highlights the findings from 69 Shambhala Centers, as they dialoged about kindness, society, Shambhala, and meditation in September 2011. The report provides a window into the history, present activities, and aspirations of Shambhala. Enjoy!

http://shambhalatimes.org/2012/02/07/shambhala-and-society/