Sukhavati for Arbie Thalacker announced; Mark Rothe, Executive Director of Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, shares a remembrance

Following on our previous posts regarding the life and passing of Arbie Thalacker: It has been announced that there will be a sukhavati for Arbie at the Shambhala Meditation Center of New York at 5:00 PM on Thursday, January 12. There will be an opportunity to sit with Arbie in the main shrine room starting at 4:00 PM. There will also be a chance to sit with him on Wednesday evening, January 11, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at Redden's Funeral Home at 325 West 14th Street. All are welcome to attend these events.

In addition to tributes by Melvin McLeod, Richard Reoch, Barry Boyce and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, we now also have a remembrance of Arbie by Mark Rothe, Executive Director of Karma Triyana Dharmachakra. Read this after the jump.

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From Mark Rothe, Executive Director of Karma Triyana Dharmachakra:

Monday, January 9, 2012

Arbie Thalacker was beloved at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, especially by the long-term staff who helped him develop KTD since the 1980s.  Arbie and Deborah [Garrett] have a home in the greater Woodstock area, and we would get to see them not only when they had KTD business but sometimes also just when they had gotten out of New York City to relax.

Organizationally, Arbie was more tied to the Shambhala centers, Naropa University and the Karmapa Foundation than specifically to KTD. However, Arbie was an advisor and benefactor to KTD since almost the beginning, and, as a KTD administrator, I knew I could call on him for advice. Arbie's responses sensitively took into account the often-thorny personal, political and multi-cultural issues that can arise at a dharma center in America.  Handling a problem technically was often the least part, but he did that, too!

Last summer, Arbie greatly helped the entire U.S.–based Karma Kagyu Sangha by facilitating the U.S. visit of His Holiness Karmapa. As far as KTD was concerned, necessary interactions with U.S. State Department, the Diplomatic Security Service, and other concerned parties overseeing His Holiness' visit were simply beyond my expertise. Arbie stepped up and moved easily between the modern culture of government and the traditional culture of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism, and the visit went much more smoothly than it otherwise might have.

We at KTD have, over recent months, been aware of Arbie's decline in personal health, and we have offered spiritual practice dedicated to his benefit. KTD President Tenzin Chonyi and KTD Lama Karma Drodhul visited Arbie in Manhattan just last week. I understand His Holiness Karmapa was notified this morning, and I'm sure Dharma practice will continue in various locations over the upcoming weeks. I believe Arbie knew of my — and our — regard for him, and that he will be greatly missed.

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Sam Zurick Swings One Bat this Time *from Tim Kinsella's blog

This is me swinging a bat over and over in an attempt to feel better. I performed this exercise approximately 12 times a day as part of my Buddhist practice. At the time I was convinced I could still make it into the Major Leagues because I was daydreaming. That pole you see in the foreground has a tethered ball attached to it that I would smack the living bejeezus out of if my neighbors weren't home (it shook the whole building when I made solid contact)...this is an extracted chunk of content from a post I made for Tim Kinsella's blog, the video can be seen in it's intended context @ timkinsella.wordpress.com

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