HiveMind at Karmê Chöling

Dear Friends,
From November 18-20, members of the collective will be gathering—for the first time in person at Karme Choling in Vermont—and online. We will open up to the whole Collective via Zoom for two hours each day from 1–3 pm Eastern time, to include all those that want to contribute in this sacred shared space.   ¶    The Shambhala Touching the Earth Collective is six years old. How fortunate we are to be supported by the Bess Family Foundation who is funding this opportunity.    ¶    For three days we will experience being a hive and share both our individual and collective wisdom. We will be outdoors, indoors, exploring    ¶    In the October Newsletter, Christine Heming shared with us a quote about relationships, and the words of Thomas Merton which she shared still resonate for me now. In the chapter, “Advice to a Young Activist”, Merton says:
“Do not depend on the hope of results. When you are doing the sort of work you have taken on, essentially an apostolic work, you may have to face the fact that your work will be apparently worthless and even achieve no result at all, if not perhaps results opposite to what you expect.    ¶    “As you get used to this idea, you start more and more to concentrate not on the results but on the value, the rightness, the truth of the work itself.    ¶    “And there too a great deal has to be gone through, as gradually you struggle less and less for an idea and more and more for specific people. The range tends to narrow down, but it gets much more real. In the end, it is the reality of personal relationships that saves everything.”—from: The Root of War is Fear— Thomas Merton’s Advice to Peacemakers.

The  purpose of this gathering is to explore, question, share wisdom. What is Shambhala Ecodharma and how do we articulate and embody it through the Shambhala teachings and terma?  What does it mean to be a warrior protecting the earth? How do we manifest and live it? What can we do right now?    ¶    There are multiple definitions of ‘Hivemind’. The one I am holding close is: “The sharing of ideas, opinions, etc. among a group of people.”  We are richer, by relationship. While we have funding to gather, the cost of sharing an idea, a wish, a dream, a recipe, a poem, a framing, a sit spot, a noticing, a speaking up, showing up, rising to act, acting, has no dollar amount attached to it.    ¶    Please attend this Hivemind for as much time as you can. We strengthen each other, and the hive becomes more alive.

To register to attend in-person at Karme Choling, please email Irene Woodard

To register to attend online, please email Deborah Luscomb, to receive the Zoom link.