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The Dutch Buddhist Channel (BOS-BUDDHIST BROADCASTING FOUNDATION) has produced numerous documentaries over the years. One recent production, titled Off the Grid,  in particular has caused some controversy. It is about Americans who can no longer, for a variety of reasons … Continue reading → Read More @ Source

Drs. Loizzo & Neale of the Nalanda Institute                   This September at TibetHouse, join Dr. Miles Neale and Dr. Joe Loizzo for a new cycle of the exciting Four Year Program in Sustainable Happiness, beginning with Class 1: Foundations of Self-Healing and Contemplative Life.    The Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science translates the developmental stages, insights and skills of the Indo-Tibetan gradual path (lam rim) through the idiom of contemporary psychotherapy and neuroscience and delivers them through a rigorous curriculum of eight consecutive semester courses, augmented by weekend retreats, combining intellectual and experiential learning modalities, to provide the depth, breadth, consistency and community support required for lasting results.  The Four Year Program is based on Dr. Loizzo's latest book Sustainable Happiness  and supported by clinical research conducted at Weill Cornell Medical Center.   Read More @ Source

The Buddhist Channel, June 30, 2012 Jai Bhim Network lead Buddhist groups to petition against legislation that illegitimizes non-Christian religions Budapest, Hungary -- Buddhists in Hungary are faced with a current major political crisis. The issue, if not immediately dealt with will result in Buddhist organisations being deprived of all legal status, thus losing considerable financial benefits and official legitimation enjoyed by other religions. << Hungarian Buddhist Gypsy youth Last year, elections in Hungary brought to power a conservative nationalist party, winning two thirds of the seats in Parliament. The character of this government is illustrated by its share of significant elements of an extreme right wing party in Parliament, which is more or less explicitly racist, anti-Gypsy and anti-Semitic. With such a substantial majority, the government has been able to write a new constitution for Hungary that gives Christianity a privileged status. On that basis

In this, one of the newest contributions to the Finding True Refuge video series—which shares individuals' stories of how meditation has transformed their lives—mom Lynne L. tells of the healing that she found through meditation after the death of her daughter. Also just added to Finding True Refuge is a new video featuring Krishna Das. Click through here for that, and to learn more. To learn more about the Finding True Refuge video project, see our previous post, in which Tara Brach, senior teacher and founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, introduces the FTR concept and shares a video, also quite moving, from one Jesse T . Or visit Finding True Refuge's YouTube channel, here . Read More @ Source

The Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center (TBRC) has moved from the Rubin Museum of Art to a new office space in Cambridge, Massachusetts, right in Harvard Square. The TBRC was originally founded by the late Tibetan scholar E. Gene Smith in Cambridge back in 1999. According to a recent blog post on the move, TBRC is excited to announce that they have started a new internship program in collaboration with the Harvard Divinity School and the Department of South Asian Studies at Harvard. They've also set up a kiosk and seminar room on site for visitors and students to assist them in their research. In the post at TBRC's blog , the staff writes, "Our new location is spacious and bright, and we are thankful to the support we have received from patrons, board members, supporters, and friends. We are also appreciative that all of TBRC's core staff members have made the transition." The Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center exists to preserve, organize and distribute wor

The wildfire that was threatening the Shambhala Mountain Center in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado over the past three weeks is now 75 percent controlled, SMC director Jon Barbieri announced on Facebook Friday morning. Staff are still watching the fire closely, but Barbieri said he hopes the center will reopen within two weeks. "The emotional, physical, and logistical demands have been great and many of the staff who have been on the front lines, in all of the various locations, need time to breathe and gather strength. We are looking at how to start rotating some people through positions so that they can get some rest as we go along," he said. Because of the fire, SMC programming in July has been dramatically reduced, though some programs are being held in Boulder. Notices about schedule and location changes are being sent to program participants. "A fire such as this no doubt will have impact on people visiting the region and those who would consider coming to on

Here's the latest from The Under 35 Project , by Joshua Eaton . Project curator Lodro Rinzler says: "I enjoyed this piece on social action tremendously. Joshua highlights that compassion can manifest in a variety of ways, either through kindness and support or in a more cutting, revolutionary way. It shares his experience, while leaving the question open to us readers: what is the most skillful means to create change in today's world?" Occupy Sravasti: How Buddhism Inspired Me to Occupy "Such a senseless manifestation Who is monstrously greedy And amasses riches insatiably Is called the poorest of all. Your Majesty, you levy harsh taxes And punish the innocent for no reason. Infatuated with your sovereignty, You never heed The future effects of your actions. While you enjoy power in this world, You do not protect your subjects, And have no pity For the poor and suffering." When I first read these words I was blown away

Facts and ideas are dead in themselves and it is the imagination that gives life to them. But dreams and speculations are idle fantasies unless reason turns them to useful purpose. Vague ideas captured on flights of fancy have to be reduced to specific propositions and hypotheses. W. I. B. Beveridge Quote above taken from: How Intuition and the Imagination Fuel Scientific Discovery and Creativity: A 1957 Guide . Good grief! Beveridge's whole book, The art of scientific investigation (1957) is stored in the Internet Archive. I am given to flights of fancy , I inherited the practice from my mother. I know, and probably she knew, them for what they were. Vague ideas, dreams and speculations. It was good to be brought up short with this quote, and the article it came from, that specific propositions CAN come out of dreams. I tend to bin my flights . But not always I guess. Thanks to Julius who unknowingly pointed me to this article on the site Brain Pickings . Just a mo while

The Alliance for Bhikkhunis has announced their second Annual International Bhikkhuni Day Meditation Pledge-A-Thon, scheduled for September 29, 2012. Dedicated to the founder of the Sri Lankan Bhikkhuni Sangha, Bhikkhuni Sanghamitta Theri, the event is described this way: "Once a year, we pay respect to the Bhikkhuni Sangha and acknowledge its essential role in preserving the dhamma. We remember prominent bhikkhunis and their unique achievements. We also honor all of our women teachers, including our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and sisters. Join in a day of giving and receiving, of listening and sharing. Celebrate with us!" You can find downloads and other tools from the First Annual International Bhikkhuni Day online here . More information will be posted on the website as the date approaches. The AfB is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to "providing information on the Bhikkhuni Sangha, educating laity about the essential role bhikkhunis play and raising fun

Gerry Hadden was making plans for a three-year retreat when NPR hired him as a foreign correspondent. Busy with work and travel, he found that he rarely had time to meditate, and felt he had lost his way. But looking back, Hadden realizes that a reporter is a lot like a meditator. Both are on a quest for truth. And neither ultimately finds it. As he writes in " But First the News… " in the July 2012 Shambhala Sun magazine: "For the next four years with NPR I would look back on that untaken retreat like a man gazing across at himself in some parallel, unreachable life. I'd been so sure that that was my path, had felt so passionate about it, and now I was losing my ability to practice even basic sitting meditation. I fretted over this—in the Lacandona Jungle, the Galapagos Islands, Port-au- Prince, San Salvador, and Guatemala City—even lying in my own bed in Mexico City, just feet from the mat. I loved my job, and had no regrets about having accepted it, but it

The Associated Press reports this week on Italian archaeologist Luca Olivieri and his team's efforts to repair the defaced Jahanabad Buddha in Jahanabad, Pakistan. The statue, which was created in the 6th or 7th century and was one of the largest monuments of its kind in South Asia, was destroyed by Pakistani Taliban, who consider such images idolatrous, in 2007. (The Taliban in Afghanistan notably destroyed the ancient Buddhas of Bamiyan for the same reason in 2001.) The reconstruction is being funded by the Italian government, which, in collaboration with Pakistan, is also helping to ensure that "many other archaeological treasures in the scenic Swat Valley are being excavated and preserved." You can read the full article  here . Read More @ Source

You might have seen that meme/photo of the Rolling Stones that's going around, the one where Sir Mick is holding a sign that says "Meditate every day!" Click on it here and take a closer look at it; you'll see, of course, that it's pretty clearly bogus. No surprise there. What might be surprising to some, though, is that the idea of "Mick Jagger, Meditation Advocate" seems to be grounded in reality. As I explained on The Worst Horse in September of 2010, the semi-notorious UK paper The Sun reported that Jagger is a regular visitor to Laos, where, said one source: "He spent hours with monks in the temples and chanted with them. He practises Buddhist and meditation every day. He says it's the first thing he does when he gets up in the morning." The singer has stayed away from commenting on this much more than telling the Daily Mail , wryly, "It's too debilitating to drink a lot, so I use other relaxation techniques… I sit o

Jon Ciliberto, a graphic designer who runs the website Buddhist Art News, is raising funds to publish a book, Journey to Pangmo , filled with his drawings and watercolors of Himachal Pradesh, India. If it's published, proceeds from the book will go to benefit the Jamyang Foundation , which supports educational initiatives for Buddhist women in Northern India. Ciliberto has launched a Kickstarter campaign to get his book published, but has only until July 8 to raise over $ 3,000 more. Anyone who pledges at least $ 20 will get a copy of the book—a $ 35 value. Ciliberto drew the pictures when traveled to the Himalayas in 2010 to teach English to young girls with the Jamyang Foundation. The book will also includes stories from his travels. "During my time in India I made many drawings and paintings," Ciliberto says. "I shared these with nearly everyone I met along the way: these drawings were often a passport for me to people and places when language was u

By Claire Michalewicz Chong-Ko, who's being called the first Buddhist robot, was created by students at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang in Bangkok to serve in an alms-giving ceremony. The 10-foot tall robot, dressed in a white shirt, helps out by picking up food and giving it to lay people, who then pass the food on to monks. Chong-Ko is controlled by a phone, and there's a webcam inside his head that can broadcast the ceremony to those who can't attend. Here's a video about Chong-Ko from CNN iReporter Sunkonthip Kanchan. . More about Chong-Ko after the jump. One of Chong-Ko's creators, Sathittham Sangthong, explains that he and his fellow students came up with the idea of the robot to commemorate the 2600th anniversary of the Buddha's enlightenment. He says the robot is more than just a science project; it's a way to make a positive difference in the world. "This is just the beginning of the good things that we

Photo via blog-habitat-durable.com Construction of the Buddhist temple in Bussy-Saint-Georges, France , reportedly largest of its kind in Europe, has been completed. The building was inaugurated on June 24 in a ceremony attended by religious and political leaders. The building will serve as the European headquarters for Fo Guang Shan and will open its doors to the public this Sunday. The prayer room alone can hold up to 450 people, and the temple is just one building in a planned complex of other religious buildings that will also include a synagogue, a mosque and an Armenian Orthodox Church. Read More @ Source

I wrote this last night in an effort to describe what I mean by field of merit. How does it grab you? Flowing unseen, unhindered by seeming limitations of time and space is that which benefits beings. A 'field of spiritual merit' which knows no bounds. This is simply the truth of existence. Read More @ Source

If you're a fan of art and photography, you should know Andy Karr. Andy is, along with Michael Wood, co-author of The Practice Contemplative Photography , which we've featured in the Shambhala Sun, and in this Shambhala SunSpace video . Now, one of the many great things about contemplative photography is that anyone can do it. Maybe you're a serious photographer with all the latest equipment, or maybe you've just got a camera in your mobile phone.  Either way, you can take part in the creation of real art. Contemplative photography is completely accessible, as you'll see from this selection of some of Andy's favorite submissions to the Seeing Fresh website, dedicated to contemplative photography and its practice. Each week, Andy will share at least one new favorite "Seeing Fresh" photo here on Shambhala SunSpace. To learn more about the practice, the book, and to submit your own photos, visit the Seeing Fresh website and The Pract

"These are the five rewards for one who practices walking meditation. Which five? He can endure traveling by foot; he can endure exertion; he becomes free from disease; whatever he has eaten & drunk, chewed & savored, becomes well-digested; the concentration he wins through walking meditation lasts for a long time. These are the five rewards for one who practices walking meditation." (The Buddha, in the Cankama Sutta*) The Buddha taught many meditation & mindfulness techniques. One of them, called cankama in the Pali Canon (the Theravada Buddhist scriptures), was a form of mindfulness practice that he was particularly keen on early in the morning. In English, this is known as walking meditation, although this is somewhat misleading as Buddhist meditation involves the development of absorptive concentration which is done in the classic cross-legged position. Becoming unaware of the physical surroundings in one of these states of mind whilst walking could be pret

Buddhism a religion followed by billions of people around the world stands on three pillars- the founder-Buddha, his teachings-Dhamma, and the last called Sangha which means the order of Buddhist monks and nuns. Meditation is a "dharmic" religion which is also popularly called Buddha dharma. The teachings of Buddhist texts are in PALI and SANSKRIT languages. added by: albertmarsh17   0 comments Read More @ Source

by Xinyan Yu, AP, June 22, 2012 BANGKOK, Thailand -- Religion can be a tough sell nowadays, so instead of waiting for disciples to make their way to temple, some promoters brought 36 films with Buddhist themes to the heart of modern Thailand earlier this month. The International Buddhist Film Festival was an effort by the government and private religious groups to popularize Buddhist among the younger generations. "It's like prescribing medicine to children, you have to add a little sweetener there," said Somchai Seanglai, the permanent secretary of Thailand's Culture Ministry. "City dwellers or our young people are not used to the traditional way of practicing Buddhist, so we insert Buddhist dharma into art and culture that people love to consume." Dharma refers to the Buddha's teachings on the meaning of existence. Initiated by the California-based Buddhist Film Foundation, the movie festival came to Bangkok for the first ti

Argyll News, June 26, 2012 Argyll, Scotland (UK) -- A Buddhist group running a retreat at Tharpaland in Dumfries and Galloway, has conducted its own primary research into the impact on human health and function of infrasound generated by wind turbines. It reports that the ability to concentrate in meditation dropped by 70% within a mile of wind turbines and that head and chest pains were experienced during prayer. Quite why it was the occasion of prayer in which head and chest pains were manifest has not been explained. Raised blood pressure, head and chest pains are almost routinely reported in what studies of infrasound have taken place – along with insomnia and nightmares. However, while we can understand that low frequency 'noise' might well impact on body and mind as decribed, quite how the specific circumstances of prayer marry with infrasound to be conducive to the appearance of these symptoms is not immediately explicable. It is, thou

By WINNIE YEOH, Photos by GOH GAIK LEE, All Malayisa, June 21, 2012 Penang, Malaysia -- Ancestor worship prayer has gone digital with a Buddhist temple in Bayan Lepas putting up two 50-inch LCD screens to display names of the deceased. << Modern method: Than Hsiang Temple abbot Ven Wei Wu showing the digital ancestral tablets on a 50-inch LCD screen The LCD screens are set up on both sides of the prayer hall displaying ancestral tablets to replace traditional ones. The traditional way of ancestor worship is where names are written on pieces of paper and pasted on a wall. The slides on the screen change every three seconds to display different names and the digitalised ancestral tablets take the form of lotuses which float towards the palm of Lord Buddha to symbolise the deceased having a rebirth in the Pureland of Buddha. Than Hsiang Temple Ven Wei Wu said the temple decided to launch the digital version of the worship prayer this year in a move to

Deccan Chronicle, June 25, 2012 Karnataka, India -- Karnataka tourism is looking at exploring Buddhist sites in the state for its religious tour circuit. Till now, Jain sites have been much promoted in the religious circuit, and with the new initiative, the department hopes to bring in increased domestic and foreign travellers. The department plans to promote the Tara Bhagavati temple in Shiralakoppa, Koliwad and Dambal in Gadag district, apart from monuments in historical Aihole in Bijapur district for the tourism initiative. "We have got approval for setting up the Buddhist circuit. There is also a Jain circuit that has done quite well. For the Buddhist circuit, we are even looking at China for promoting this circuit among Buddhist travellers," said Mrs Latha Krishna Rao, Principal Secretary, Tourism. For some time now, the state tourism department has found much takers on its Jain circuits such as Shravanabelagola and Karkala. "We plan t

Asian Tribune, JUne 25, 2012 Vienna, Austria -- The first batch of students from the University of Vienna who completed the inaugural Diploma in Buddhism was felicitated in Austria today. The 15 Austrians were conferred with a Diploma after passing the examination conducted by the Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka through the Academy of Buddhism and Christianity of the University of Vienna. In honor of the students who were awarded the Diploma, the Embassy of Sri Lanka organized a ceremony to invoke blessings on the students and staff of the Embassy. The Most Venerable Wijayarajapura Seelawansa Thero, Chief Prelate of the Vienna Buddhist Centrum, conducted the ceremony, followed by a sermon delivered by The Venerable Wilachchiye Kassapa Thero from Sri Lanka. Having invoked blessings on the participants, the Venerable Wilachchiye Kassapa Thero explained to the audience the Buddhist concept of humanity, which emphasised mutual understanding and accommoda

The Shambhala Sun is pleased to co-sponsor a special — and free — teleconference on July 24 with Stephen and Ondrea Levine , renowned spiritual teachers, authors, and pioneers in conscious care of the dying. The teleconference, presented by the Metta Institute , takes place at 12:00 PM PST. Stephen and Ondrea will discuss and take questions about caring for the dying, the spiritual journey, forgiveness, and Ondrea's new autobiography The Healing I Took Birth For . This will be the Levines' first public program in several years. Stephen and Ondrea live in near-seclusion in the mountains of Northern New Mexico. They are both experiencing significant illness, which prevents them from traveling and teaching. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and speak personally with Stephen and Ondrea — all you need is a telephone, though pre-registration is required. Register online here , and receive instructions on how to join the conference call. All participants w

The Buddhist Channel, June 27, 2012 The Knowing Buddha Foundation is preparing a major march in Bangkok on 30 June, to show their respect for Buddha and to show how so many are disrespecting Buddha. Bangkok, Thailand -- The KnowingBuddha Foundation is preparing a Buddhist March - the first time in history - on 30 June, in one of the Bangkok's most famous streets, Khao San Road, to speak out against the improper usage of Buddha's image in the modern world. After being quiet for a long time on how the world uses Buddha's images and name in a disrespectful way, reportedly, Buddhists will be no be longer be queit. The Knowing Buddha organization is gathering a large group of Buddhists who don't want to be quiet any longer, and there message to the world is "Stop Disrespecting Buddha." The March will contain signs to show that Buddha is their father religion, and they will show how the world should treats Buddha with a variety of signs.

"Cutting through Conditioning" (July 9-14) presents powerful techniques from Nyingma Psychology to release the accumulated habits of a lifetime. We focus on the power of time to change us and everything we know, seeing how each stage of life we pass through, even those that we may know as 'difficult' has a distinct patterning and special wisdom to reveal. When we ask, "How did this moment of time arise?" the delicate blossom of the present moment is not crushed by the weight of past conditioning. A space opens up between us and the compelling force of habit. We can look through layers of conditioning, using awareness like a microscope that penetrates to the core of wisdom. July 9-14: Cutting through Conditioning Through skillfully observing mental images, we can recognize and then release the layers of conditioning that have accumulated throughout our lives. Topics covered include: self-image; the cyclic nature of fascination and anxiety; and Abhidh

The Korea Herald, June 26, 2012 JAHANABAD, Pakistan -- When the Taliban blew the face off a towering, 1,500-year-old rock carving of Buddha in northwest Pakistan almost five years ago, it fell to an intrepid Italian archaeologist to come to the rescue. << In this May 24 photo, people sit near a sculpture of the Buddha whose face was destroyed by Taliban fighters at Jahanabad, Pakistan, in the Swat valley. (AP-Yonhap News) Thanks to the efforts of Luca Olivieri and his partners, the 6-meter-tall image near the town of Jahanabad is getting a facelift, and many other archaeological treasures in the scenic Swat Valley are being excavated and preserved. Hard-line Muslims have a history of targeting Buddhist, Hindu and other religious sites they consider heretical to Islam. Six months before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, the Taliban shocked the world by dynamiting a pair of 1,500-year-old Buddhist statues in central Afghanistan. The Jahanabad Buddha, etched h

Buddhadharma is pleased to co-sponsor a special — and free — teleconference on July 24 with Stephen and Ondrea Levine , renowned spiritual teachers, authors, and pioneers in conscious care of the dying. The teleconference, presented by the Metta Institute , takes place at 12:00 PM PST. Stephen and Ondrea will discuss and take questions about caring for the dying, the spiritual journey, forgiveness, and Ondrea's new autobiography The Healing I Took Birth For . This will be the Levines' first public program in several years. Stephen and Ondrea live in near-seclusion in the mountains of Northern New Mexico. They are both experiencing significant illness, which prevents them from traveling and teaching. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and speak personally with Stephen and Ondrea — all you need is a telephone, though pre-registration is required. Register online here , and receive instructions on how to join the conference call. All participants will r

From Heart Advice comes this quote from Pema Chödrön's When Things Fall Apart . "When someone blames us, how do we react? When we've lost something, how do we react? When we feel we've gained something, how do we react? When we feel pleasure or pain, is it as simple as that? Do we just feel pleasure or pain? Or is there a whole libretto that goes along with it? "When we become inquisitive about these things, look into them, see who we are and what we do, with the curiosity of a young child, what might seem like a problem becomes a source of wisdom. Oddly enough, this curiosity begins to undercut what we call ego pain or self-centeredness, and we see more clearly." Want more wisdom from Pema? She'll be leading a "virtual retreat" on July 14, her 76th birthday, giving an exclusive video teaching on the theme of practicing peace; click here for more information about the retreat. And for even more of her teachings, look for "Signs

Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art Meg Whitlock's photo exhibit "Lhasa on the Hudson," which showcases images of Tibetan immigrants now living in New York, is now showing at the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art in Staten Island. Each photo featured in the exhibit is accompanied by a brief biography of the subjects. The exhibit is on display until June 30th. You can read an interview with the photographer here that was published yesterday by Michael J. Fressola of silive.com. Photo by Jim Henderson via Wikimedia Commons . CC Public Domain Dedication . Read More @ Source

I came across this photo just now. It was Photoshopped by one Domo Geshe Rinpoche, [aka Marjorie Wangchuk, aka Tara Wangchuk, aka Marjorie Tara Dadak (Marjorie Quinn)] . If you try to find an impartial biography or even an account … Continue reading → Read More @ Source

I came across this photo just now. It was Photoshopped by one Domo Geshe Rinpoche, [aka Marjorie Wangchuk, aka Tara Wangchuk, aka Marjorie Tara Dadak (Marjorie Quinn)] . If you try to find an impartial biography or even an account of where she allegedly trained to become a Buddhist teacher, you will strike a large [...] Read More @ Source

The Poison Tree I was angry with my friend: I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath did grow. And I watered it in fears, Night and morning with my tears; And I sunned it with smiles, And with soft deceitful wiles. And it grew both day and night, Till it bore an apple bright. And my foe beheld it shine. And he knew that it was mine, And into my garden stole When the night had veiled the pole; In the morning glad I see My foe outstretched beneath the tree. William Blake A couple of days ago I was listening to Poetry Please on Radio 4 as I drove to Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey. This poem stood out as one I'd want to link to here. It speaks to something we probably all do at some level. When we are completely honest with ourselves does friend mean somebody like me and foe mean not like me ? Read More @ Source

NBC Bay Area is reporting that a Buddha statue on Oakland's 11th Avenue—placed on a median in 1999 by local resident Dan Stevenson and his wife to discourage people from dumping garbage—may be removed due to safety concerns. Several emails were sent to District 2 City Councilwoman Pat Kernighan after a wooden structure was placed around the Buddha. People who visit the statue to pray and make offerings must stand, kneel, or sit in the street, potentially putting them and drivers in danger. Though the article mentions that "Kernighan insists there are no plans to tear out the Buddha just yet" and that the complaint is simply being investigated at this point, a group entitled "SavetheBuddha" has sprung up on Facebook. Kernighan also  posted the following on SavetheBuddha's wall: "My Council office has heard from many about the Buddha figure on 11th Avenue. Most neighbors agree that the Buddha figure's presence has helped to alleviate illegal

Charlotte Bell 's new book Yoga for Meditators , available from Rodmell Press, focuses on specific physical challenges that meditators often face, and the yoga poses that can alleviate them. (Earlier we shared the book's helpful advice for basic sitting postures .) This section explains mountain pose, or tadasana , which establishes stability with mobility, aligns natural spinal curves, supports deep breathing and improves balance. Practice with Care: Practice on a firm, level surface. If you have low blood pressure, do not stay in Mountain Pose longer than 1 minute. Prop: one nonskid mat. A mountain is a symbol of beauty and strength. Its beauty lies in its towering granite peaks, solid brown earth, fields of wildflowers, and cobalt-tinted snow. A mountain's strength comes from its ability to meet with grace whatever comes its way. In a typical year, a mountain weathers everything from the glaring, high-altitude sun to gale-force winds and many feet of snow. In the s

Photo: John Perkins Shambhala Mountain Center , situated on 600 acres of land in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, continues to face the very real threat of wildfires and is under a red flag warning from firefighters. Efforts have been underway to protect the Great Stupa of Dharmakaya, the most easily salvageable building on the site due to its concrete structure and location. Volunteers removed weeds and brush around the area of the stupa and placed sculptures and other sacred objects inside. John Perkins, a disaster preparation expert for museums, was also sent out by the Shambhala Legacy Project to help with preparations.  The fire, the most destructive in Colorado history , has consumed 83,000 acres in the past two weeks and destroyed at least 248 homes. For real-time updates from SMC staff, see their Facebook page . Below is a video of the fire as seen from the center. Read More @ Source COMO MEDITAR - 4 de 4 ESTUDIANTES -