Here’s the schedule for the next two years of Shambhala Training at the Austin Shambhala Meditation Center. THis is an updated list as of May 12, 2008.

• Level IV ~~~ June 6-8, 2008
• Level I ~~~ August 22-24, 2008
• Level V ~~~ September 12-14, 2008
• Level II ~~~ October 10-12, 2008
• Drala ~~~ December 12-14, 2008
• Level III ~~~ February 6-8, 2009
• Level IV ~~~ April 3-5, 2009
• Meek  ~~~ May 8-10, 2009
• Level V  ~~~ June 12-14, 2009
• Level I ~~~ September 11-13, 2009
• Level I ~~~ November 13-15, 2009
• Outrageous / Inscrutable ~~~ December 4-6, 2009

From Georjean Hubner:

Dear Community members,

Please right-click on the image at right to download the pdf flyer about a wonderful fundraiser to benefit cancer research in honor of Maya Hubner. Marigold - Gateway to India is hosting a special benefit evening to honor Maya. Marigold is at 2200 S. Lamar Blvd, and the event is Saturday May 10th, 6:30 - 9:30 pm.

Maya was a member of the Shambhala center her whole life and participated in the children’s program for 10 years. The teachings she learned helped her greatly as she coped with her illness and death. In addition to the info on the flyer there will be an early appearance by the Buddhist monk, David Zuniga, who helped Maya while in the hospital and in hospice. There will also be wonderful raffle prizes, including gift certificates, facail, basket of teas, Dan Castro books and Maya’s cards. Please help support cancer research and honor Maya’s memory.

Maya was a member of the Austin Shambhala Center her whole life and participated in the Children’s Program for 10 years.  She found much comfort in her spiritual path during her illness and would sit at the fountain in the front courtyard of the center after her chemotherapy treatments.  The Butterfly stone was placed there in her memory.

Admission is limited so buy early or contact me regarding will call tickets. Feel free to pass this info on to friends.

Thank you - Sincerely,
Georjean Hubner (Shambhala Hospitality Coordinator)

This is the poem Jake wrote and read to us on Shambhala Day. It’s so cute and we laughed.

Earth Mice!
by Jake Lorfing

one mouse two mice three mice four
six mice eight mice under the floor
mice in the attic
mice at the door
mice in the walls
always more
mice in the vents and hiding in the bathroom
earth mice
furry mice
smelly mice looming
sly mice
bright mice
lusty mice zooming
put down the broom
mice sonic booming
ki ki so mice
let them all go
guiding the new year
mickey
minnie
mo’!

Level One on September 1-3 was a great weekend for all concerned. Our director, Iris Ramos, recommended several books during the course of the weekend, and here is the list of them all.

Amazon links are given for convenience and more information - it doesn’t mean to use Amazon especially.

1. Chogyam Trungpa, Shambhala, The Sacred Path of the Warrior:
Shambhala , Boston and London, 1988.

2. Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, Turning the Mind into an Ally:
Riverhead Books, New York, NY, 2003.

3. Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, Ruling Your World:
Morgan Road Books, New York, NY, 2005.

4. Pema Chodron, Start Where You Are:
Shambhala Books, Boston,MA, 1995.

5. Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, Not Always So:
Harper Collins Publishers, New York, NY, 2002.

6. Jeremy and Karen Hayward, Sacred World:
Shambhala, Boston and London, 1998.

7. Will Johnson, The Posture of Meditation:
Shambhala, Boston and London, 1996.

8. Mary Oliver, New and Selected Poems (”Sunrise”):
Beacon Press, Boston, 1992.

9. Naomi Shihab Nye, Words Under the Words:
The Eighth Mountain Press, Portland, OR, 1995.

BPF Austin will hold our next informal meeting and potluck dinner at 6:30 on Dec. 13th at the Austin Zen Center annex, 704 31st St., across from the Austin Zen Center. Please bring a simple dish to share. This meeting will center on planning for Change Your Mind Day in May. We are working to bring all the Sangas in Austin together for one day of celebration and education in early May. See you soon.

in peace,
Steve Bosbach

The first annual Mipham the Great community practice and sangha gathering was held on Saturday, June 2nd. Attendance was light, but the practice - new to this center - was profoundly uplifting. At the invitation of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, we will hold the practice each year, in conjunction with Namdroling Monastery’s annual three-day practice of supplication to Mipham the Great, embodiment of Manjushri.

Materials used in the practice are available from the member section of Shambhala International website under Annual Events.

You can download a high-resolution photograph of a thangka of Mipham the Great (shown here), and also the practice liturgy.

James and Klare Marzano announce that their wedding photographs are now available to view, here:

http://www.jamesandklare.com

The photographs are stunning by the way, the photographer captured things we simply didn’t see. It was worth the wait of several months after the wedding, but as for the delay the couple explain in their own message:

Hello, Sangha Members.

For those of you interested and for those who were in attendance at our wedding. We have finally posted our
wedding photos online to share with family and friends.

It was mainly due to being very busy with work and partially laziness we haven’t been able to share the photos with you.

Thank you so so much to those who helped with the wedding and celebrating with us.

Yours in the Shambhala Sun,

James and Klare Marzano