“The foundation of enlightened society is being unashamed of who you are.” ~ Chogyam Trungpa
Recently I had an opportunity to gather with my meditation teacher, Shastri Nick Kranz and several of his other students, via Zoom, to unpack some of the themes in Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche’s 2017 Shambhala Day Address. This was our second such gathering since Shambhala Day.
Using Social Meditation as our form, applying the key points of body, speech and mind/heart, with Shastri Kranz’s kind and gentle encouragement, expert facilitation, and his own authentic presence as a model, we began to explore, in nowness, our inspiration and challenges around the themes of love, friendship, openness, trust, dignity and fearlessness.
As we held ourselves and each other in the cradle of loving kindness, feeling our own and each other’s vulnerability as we shared our perceived shortcomings, our triumphs, our dreams, and our questions, bravely holding space for our own and each other’s open and tender hearts, wisdom began to emerge.
It was personal, intimate, uplifting and energizing. It was powerful. There was an openness and a tenderness, a sense of connections deepening, bonds being forged, and possibilities I’d never before imagined began to take shape, both in terms of continuing to work to bring those simple human qualities into my relationships at home and at work, at our center and in the world, and also how I might use the form of Social Meditation to help me do that. I can’t wait to do it again!
In the Shambhala Principle, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche writes:
“My father, like many loving parents, would hold my hand in times of difficulty and challenge. He was teaching me to feel, showing me how just being with someone else is a powerful method of engendering kindness. That human contact allowed me to relax and feel my own strength and potential, opening my heart and letting its natural kindness flow forth.”
The world needs our kindness, yours, mine, ours; and we need each other’s kindness. Social Meditation, for me, feels like one way that we can hold each other’s hands, feel our own and each other’s strength and potential, our innate kindness, letting it flow from our hearts into our own and each other’s lives, and into a world that desperately needs it.
I feel extremely grateful that I will get to spend an entire weekend learning about and experiencing more of this wonderful practice when Shastri Kranz comes to Toronto to teach on September 15-17. Maybe he’s teaching at your Centre soon, find out here!
Heart and Now 