United Kingdom
I became interested in Buddhism in my teens, largely through the writings of the beat poets and finding out that Leonard Cohen was into Zen. In my early twenties I read Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's 'Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism', a book which magnetised me completely, leading me to read deeply into the Shambhala Buddhist teachings and Tibetan Buddhism in general. Seven years later I discovered that there was a thriving global community of people practicing these teachings, so I immediately went to their European land centre, Dechen Chöling in France, to learn meditation, volunteer and join a retreat. In the 5 years since then, I have experienced the deepening of gentleness and relaxation that comes with practice, and the taste of wakefulness, awareness and space too. I have followed this taste through the Shambhala training path, and brought my spiritual and study path together in my work as an Interfaith Adviser at a University in London, informed by my training as a Buddhist Chaplain. It took a while for the simplicity of meditation to dawn on me, and now that it has I feel it is the right time to take temporary monastic orders and devote myself to practice, study, and the precepts. During the nine month residency, I will be following a schedule of:
4 hours or more of daily meditation practice
Temporary monastic ordination and training
Yarne 45-day monastic retreat with Gampo Acharya Pema Chödrön
Experiential classes and additional study courses
Community sessions and processing
4 hours of daily service with a weekly nyinthun and open day
I am 34 years old and currently live in London, where for the last two years I have been working at a University as an Interfaith Adviser, using my training as a Buddhist Chaplain to support students and staff. I moved to London six years ago to study, gaining a Bachelor's degree in the Study of Religions and a Master's in Religion in Global Politics, both from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. I am a musician and songwriter, and have a strong connection to the region where I was born and lived for 27 years: Cornwall, in the south west of England.
Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
With great joy, I have been accepted to the Basic Goodness Residency, a nine month Residency with the Shambhala Monastic Order at Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia, beginning October 15, 2018 – July 12, 2019. I am looking to raise the money to cover the cost of participation, and not for the flights or other associated costs.
If I reach the total I will shave my head and my beard, revealing my top lip for the first time in 13 years.
total equivalent to 3600 Canadian dollars - fee for 9 month Basic Goodness Residency. More information at https://gampoabbey.org/the-warriors-who-are-basically-good/
- Claire
$20.00
- Anonymous
$108.00
- Anonymous
- Patrick
$10.00
- Rowena Barber
$20.00
- Audrey
- Gill Windall
$25.00
- Alison Shaw
$200.00
- Don
$25.00
- Anonymous
- Canadian Cousins
$150.00
- C quilliam
$20.00
- felicity gabriel
$12.00
- Stephen
$50.00
- Anonymous
$10.00
- Anonymous
$20.00
- Anonymous
$300.00
- Tania
$50.00
- Angel
$80.00
- Jean-Luc Monfrais
$50.00
- David Schneider
- Chris Donaghy
$20.00
- Adrián Alemán Peña
$40.00
- Michal George
$20.00
- Gaillard Pascal
$100.00
- Monica Deshpande
- Knut Sellevold
$30.00
- Andrew Caink
- evelyn
- Karen Foster
- Laura Niada
- Anonymous
- Agnieszka Judycka
- Sarita
$108.00
- Emily Ford
- Julia Chorley
$10.00
- Louise Stinchcombe
$5.00
- Brad Thiele
- Anonymous
- LOUISE SOLLARS
- Paul
$30.00
- Rachael Cheang
- Jon Shaw
$80.00
- Kate Grierson
- Anonymous
$20.00
- christopher
$10.00
- Alex Noble
$20.00
- Jeremy Doulton