Lazy end of summer days

The second last day of August and summer at DCL is over. The program season ended early this year with the Scorpion Seal Assembly 2 and the Vajra Garchen. Suddenly the days are crisper and nights are downright cold. End of summer tomatoes from the garden. SO many tomatoes.

Now, fall takedown is in full swing. Since the departure of the last program participants, DCL has taken on a quiet, almost cottage-vacation like atmosphere. Many summer volunteers have already left, and the result is that the remaining staff are treated to many home-baked treats; fresh zucchini bread French toast for breakfast, and home-made peach ice cream and cookies with lunch. This weekend the remaining staff and DCL neighbors enjoyed a western-style brunch at Michael LeBlanc’s house, followed by tango lessons in the evening. A violent early morning thunderstorm cut out the phone and internet for five days, giving the office staff a pleasant break from work and intensifying the sensation that DCL exists in a bubble on an island in the middle of a vast ocean. DCL staff and neighbors enjoying brunch at Michael LeBlanc's.

Post-tango BBQ feast.
The summer, all of those people who came to DCL, all of the volunteers I grew to love, the dream-like nature of it all is both sharp and haunting. Waking up to cool breezes in my tent each morning with a sense of “did that really happen?”. It was a great summer.

Picture which didn't make it into the last post: adorable children raising the flags at family camp.

Rites of Passage

It has become our tradition here to have a cluster of programmes simultaneously at this time of year. Specifically, that is Family Camp, which is pretty much as it sounds, where families come to live and practice together; Kyudo, which is Zen archery, with its strong forms and beautiful costumes, and Sun Camp, where the older children come and experience an independent camp, and hopefully, their own minds. In recent years we have also hosted a programme for young people from teens to early thirties, who train together in contemplative disciplines while helping to provide childrens' activities.

The Rites of Passage children arrive

The culmination of Family Camp is the Rites of Passage ceremony, which is for children of around 8-10 years old. This is an age of transition from young childhood to a more responsible, independent time. In many cultures this transition is marked with a ritual, and in Shambhala we follow this tradition. The children of this age participate in their own stream of activities, which this year included Aikido, Ikebana, and Kyudo. They make their own bow and fire the first shot. Finally they do the Rites of Passage Ceremony, which includes giving up a toy or item of clothing which is representative of their childhood, taking a vow to be kind, and receiving various ceremonial gifts.

Sensei presents a Ya to Ruby

This year we again had the honour of Kanjuro Shibata Sensei XX's presence, and he gave a beautiful Ya, or arrow, to each of the Rites of Passage graduates. Then sacred clowns representing the four elements performed a wonderful dance around the children, before showering them with sweets and nuts.

Sacred clowns

Trailer trash

Here in the countryside, we pride ourselves on the ability to celebrate. Any occasion will do: a wedding, a funeral, a new lawnmower, a cow coughing, what have you. To celebrate moving into my new home, a twenty-five-footer, we had a good  old-fashioned shindig. Promised activities included gurning, tractor-pulls, mud-wrestling and other enlightened activities. In the end, we settled for beer-drinking and welly-wanging, which go together very well.

I had my hair cut special

tragically we lost the baby - anyone seen it?

Dathun meets Encampment

July 15 2010
Heat. Sweat. Aimless people in red or green or blue. Khaki. Meditation. Marching. Hearing that marching is meditation. Mexican feast. THUNDER. Drums and chanting. Not sleeping. Not caring. Caring too much. Dathun. Flowery dathun people. Loud kasung. Humid tents. Encouraging moon. Lightening lullabye.



It seems difficult to remember a time before Dathun. Sitting, patiently or not so patiently, in Shrine Hall Ah, right in the center of DCL, they provide a constant reminder of space. Their presence has a profound effect on the atmosphere. In contrast to the exuberant, sharp nowness of Warriors Assembly, Dathun bring a subtle openness, without promise or compromise. Sometimes, sitting on the rose porch sipping coffee and nursing my internal dialogue, I feel jealous of them. I want to join them. Other times I am glad to be able to go down to the river and lie in the shade when it gets too hot.

As part of the Kado (the “way of flowers”) portion of the Dathun, Marcia Shibata gave a talk open to the DCL community about art in everyday life, with an exquisite demonstration of flower arranging.

Simultaneous with Dathun we hosted the two-week Maitri Space Awareness program, in which participants explore the energy of different emotions through work with meditation and specific colors and postures. Participants could be spotted wandering around the DCL grounds wearing a different color each day.

After the Maitri program, the Dorje Kasung arrived for the first ever Magyel Pomra Encampment at DCL. Situated in the field on the other side of the “lake” (it’s a pond, really), Encampment is a two-week intensive training program for Kasung, in which participants live simply with the elements and train with military forms. From the 6:30 am wakeup music to the shouts of calisthenics and drill commands, encampment makes itself heard all through DCL.


A glorious meeting of the silence of Dathun and the loudness of Encampment occurred on Tuesday night. Early in the evening Dominic Watson-Wall, the DCL Rusung, gave a talk to the dathunees and DCL staff about Kasungship. The talk was well received, and sparked many questions and discussions. Later, under the cover of darkness, the Dathun and DCL staff banded together to raid the Encampment. Walking slowly and silently in meditation mudra, carry roses to symbolize our peaceful intentions, we processed onto the parade ground and presented our flowers as a symbolic offering to the symbolic Sakyong. We were well received by the Kasung, who presented us with an offering of drink and drill practice in return. Parade grounds lit only by the stars and moon, this was a first taste of Kasungship for many of the raiders. After drill we stood in formation for a long time, silently appreciating the sharpness of our senses and the experience of being together. Even for those who have no interest in being Kasung, the heart of encampment practice was transmitted.

Level 2 of the Way of Shambhala was offered this past week for the staff. Taught by Tessa Racine, it was an excellent continuation of the success of Level 1. Says summer volunteer Sarita McNeil , “Level 2 kicked my ass”.

This is the height of the summer season at DCL. There is a sense of forward motion and delight, with always three or four programs happening simultaneously. Some days are unbearable humid—there is nothing to be done but sit and sweat. But dramatic thunderstorms clear the air, bringing coolness and rain.

Winds of Change

Today the weather has made a radical shift to cool and rainy, after weeks of sunshine. We are at a crossroads of programmes, with the dathun, a month-long (mostly) quite retreat ending on Saturday, along with the first Magyal Pomra Encampment, the gathering of the Dorje Kasung, to happen here. Arriving in their stead is the Youth Leadership programme, followed by Kyudo, Family Camp and Sun Camp. The summer schedule is in full swing.

The teachers of Warrior Assembly told me that DCL seemed to be running smoother and more accommodatingly than ever before, and I have to agree with them. The core staff are mostly very experienced, and know each other very well, and the volunteers that have gathered have formed strong connections with Dechen Choling and each other. Perhaps some of the reason for that is also that we have  various systems of communication and support in place to help people to settle in. We allocate an experienced member of staff to be the 'mentor' for any new arrival, and for a month (or possibly more) they will help them in matters of body (knowing where to wash clothes), speech (how to make a suggestion to the managers) and mind ("are you ok?").

Another system we have is regular community meetings. For the volunteers we usually have a bi-weekly gathering to check in and discuss any pertinent issues. For the core staff we have longer meetings, with longer intervals between them. We tend to have a lot of gatherings that deal with getting things done; the emphasis of these meetings is more on 'being' with each other, and exposing any problems or conflicts that people are having. Getting core staff to come to the meetings has proved over the years to be rather difficult, as they can be somewhat confronting. However, usually people leave feeling that they have communicated with each other on a deeper level that normal.

The Key to Dechen Choling - contributor - Marta

The last week has been incredibly busy and full. With only a short three day gap, the Warriors Assembly participants left and the summer dathun participants arrived. Temperatures dropped to a chilly 5 degrees at night, and barely reached above 15 during the day, we celebrated the arrival of summer and the contributions of long-term DCL neighbours by hosting a community BBQ. Six people who have been deeply involved and committed to the development of DCL were honoured with the “Official Key” to DCL, and a certificate. We enjoyed a repast of unprecedented deliciousness, with hamburgers, sausage and fried potatoes. Food tastes better here in general, but this meal was exceptional. Afterwards there was a short lesson in blues dancing, and a small but committed group of staff members continued with a techno dance party until curfew.

Maggie receives her key and certificate

On Sunday and Monday the staff were treated to Shambhala Training Level 1, taught by Chris de Block and Tessa Racine. Some talks were in English and some in French. For many staff members it was their first time doing a Level. Though DCL is a practice container in itself, the addition of Level 1 facilitated a deeper experience of basic goodness. Even though this was my fourth time doing the level, I never escape unscathed. I always find myself simply on the earth, with my normal perceptions challenged; feeling whatever there is to feel.
Following the Level 1 the staff were invited to take part in the first Way of Shambhala course, Meditation in Everyday Life. Classes were offered in the mornings and evenings during regular practice times, with a normal workday in between. Non-DCL staff who were participating in the class spent the day meditating in between morning and evening talks. This was the first time the class has been presented in this format, and the response was mixed. Some felt there needed to be more meditation and less discussion, while others felt that the discussion time was cut short. We ended the class with an elegant yet casual banquet on the back porch of the chateau, sipping wine and Perrier in the evening breeze.

Summer at Dechen Choling is full of hellos and goodbyes as the summer volunteer staff come and go. This week we said goodbye to Tor Kemp, our charming and beautiful office assistant who came to DCL in April. Good luck with wherever you go next, and know that you will always be welcome here.

On Thursday the weather changed from cold to blistering hot and the staff went to the Night Market in Gorre. There are long tables set up, and many booths selling bread, cheese, pate, beer, wine, pastries and raw meat that you buy and then give to the barbecue man, who cooks your lamb or duck or sausage just the way you like it. The experience was so decadent, it was almost overwhelming. I ate and drank until the pain of my distended stomach made me stop. Previously, my only experience with French food had been the tangy, stinky, blue-black goat cheeses that many staff members are so fond of. But after tasting the fresh-grilled duck and pate on fresh baguette at the Night Market, I am a convert. Afterwards to celebrate the Rusung’s birthday, and life in general, all the staff were invited to continue partying at Michael LeBlanc’s house. Moonshine was sampled, but we all made it home in good enough shape to wake up for group meditation in the morning ;)

Contributor: Marta Vigerstad

June 14 2010
I arrived at Dechen Choling 20 days ago, and it already feels like I’ve been here for months.  On May 21^st I flew from Halifax, Nova Scotia to visit friends in  Amsterdam for a few days before taking a train  DCL for a 4 month stay as a summer volunteer.  I had never been to Europe before. Despite what I had heard about French people being cold to foreigners, especially those who don’t speak a lick of French and sound American (Je suis Canadienne, merci) I met many amazingly helpful people who helped me carry the 36 kilos of luggage I had brought and find my train when I was lost. I had my first genuine French pastry experience, a hastily-shovelled buttery chocolate affair, while standing in line to buy a ticket at the Paris train station. Even though my travels had been somewhat arduous, when I arrived at DCL I immediately felt comfortable—this place feels like Shambhala.

 The Great Bliss of DCL reveals itself slowly. There are many facets and layers to this intriguing, enticingly-named piece of land, but the most obvious is the green. I’m from Nova Scotia, and so am no stranger to plants, to wild landscapes and sky, but the blooming profusion of life here is completely new. In last May the patio entrance to the Chateau is framed by an abundance of roses in various shades of pink and red, filling the air with a subtle fragrance. In early June the blossoms wither with alarming suddenness. Sitting under the roses in the morning sipping coffee, eating supper in the evening amid the fallen blossoms. Framed by the empty rose trellis is a landscape graciously inhabited by enormous ancient trees (what kind of trees?). The sky here is soft and vast.  Blues from baby to brilliant mix with sunshine and puffy clouds.  In the mornings a mist rises between the hills, an ethereal wake-up call. Birds and frogs chatter and cry ceaselessly, mixing with the fractured whine of crickets and the patter of rain on tents. I open my eyes and see prayer flags.
It’s easy to not sleep much here. The energy of living here, the pace of life, changes depending on what program is happening. Right now its Warriors Assembly, a 10 day program which is the culmination of Shambhala Training, in which the participants are expected to actually manifest enlightened society.
The participants dress in elegant clothing. They wake up early for physical excercises and mediation, and stay up late into the night at formal banquets or simply  enjoying each  others company. While there’s usually a lot to do here, the energy of Warriors Assembly makes sleep difficult. Everyone is having such a good time.