Global lhasang practice

The Shambhala Touching the Earth Collective is inviting you, your Center, or your Group to a global lhasang practice

The upcoming equinox is at 12:06 am, in Halifax, (Atlantic time) on March 20th, 2024.  You may choose to practice whenever works best for your sangha in your time zone.

One of the most significant practices passed on to us by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche is lhasang – the ceremony of burning juniper to purify space and invoke the dralas, the enlightened energies of the natural world.

Many of us in Shambhala are familiar with the drala principle.  We understand that by connecting with the dralas we can help restore the health and vitality of the natural world.  The purifying smoke of the lhasang carries our aspirations upwards and, at the same time, provides for the blessings of the dralas to flow downwards.  Meeting the dralas in this way also creates an opportunity to deepen our personal connection to the earth and all living things.

Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche continually encouraged us to connect with the dralas saying  “They [the dralas] are longing to meet you.”   Now, with the earth in extreme peril, what better time to practice a collective, global calling on the dralas.

With this view, we are envisioning a collective, global lhasang ceremony with Shambhala Centers, formal and informal Groups, and individuals performing lhasang between 4:30 -6:30 pm in their respective time zones.  5:24 P.M. is the actual vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, and autumnal equinox in the Southern Hemisphere.  This will create a continuous smoke offering that circles the earth for 24 hours.

Which lhasang to do? Use the text that feels right for your local situation.  And be sure the text you choose is open to all who attend.

These three are all good possibilities…

• The short four-line Gesar Lhasang
• The Invocation for Raising Windhorse
• The Long Werma Lhasang called The Warrior Song of Drala

If you want to make offerings in addition to juniper, that’s fine.

If you simply have a stick of incense, that is fine.

If you can’t have any smoke, because you are doing it indoors, imagining a spiral of smoke rising up, is fine.

We are making a Global Lhasang to benefit the earth.

With good intention we will make offerings.

And do the best we can.

What you can do to participate:

• • Send an email to your community letting them know that this lhasang practice will be happening on the equinox. You can use this template email or draft your own.
  • Decide who will prepare and lead the lhasang at your local Center or Group or another location, such as a sangha member’s home or a nearby park (keeping in mind any fire restrictions in your local area).
  • Enjoy the lhasang! Take photos and email them to [email protected] so we can share them with the global Shambhala community.
  • You may also want to organize a potluck dinner or some other type of social event before or after the lhasang, but this is not necessary.

• If you do not live near a Center, create your own lhasang and contact the Collective (see email below) if you desire more instruction.

If you have comments or questions, please email: [email protected]

Please join the world-wide Shambhala sangha for this global lhasang on the equinox and be part of a powerful collective expression of Touching the Earth’s Mission Statement:

“Clearly seeing the need for an urgent response to human caused environmental degradation Touching the Earth warriors invite individual and collective action for the rebalancing, protection and celebration of a healthy living world.”