On Wednesday, February 25, the Austin Shambhala Center joined the rest of the mandala in celebrating Shambhala Day. Several of our sangha members made offerings to celebrate the new year:

• Patrick Larson offered a series of contemplative photographs posted outside on the center patio. You can view Patrick’s photos of our Shambhala Day celebrations at Shambhala Day 2009.
• Miriam Klotz provided an inspiring and encouraging I ching reading for the coming year.
• JoAnne Trubitt read a poem written by Cindy Huyser:
  

  Year of the Earth Ox
  by Cindy Huyser 
  
  She strides in
  with steady, slow hooves.
  Earth element, the ground of Dharma –
  ready to bring
  great harvests from rich soil. 
  
  Patience yoked,
  pulling forward,
  sunlight playing on hide
  over sinew, clavicle
  and scapula. 
  
  Bull-headed, stubborn.
  Not to be stopped
  by stones in the way
  of the plow’s blade.
  Can we match her diligence? 
  
  Abundant land,
  watered with springs
  of tradition –
  green shoots rise
  again and again. 
  
  Flowers of emptiness
  growing
  for the harvest of Earth Ox –
  fragrant petals shining
  in the Great Eastern Sun. 
  
  © Cindy Huyser 2009

• Melinda Rothouse and Rita Ricardo sang two songs acapella in honor of departed San Antonio sangha member Kevin Finnegan: “In This Heart” by Sinead O’Connor and “MLK” by U2/Bono.
• Wendy Leiva presented a poem inspired by the Female Earth Ox:
  

  2136 Warriors
  by Wendy Leiva
  
  Hitting a snag
  as she toils at the till,
  Ox pauses
  ...
  gathers closer to the ground and
  	p u l l s  through
  		with focused effort and intention.
  
  So shall we too,
  when we hit clods
  and rocks
  and roots of old trees
  all long dead but still looming,
  hard and tricky and rough,
  beneath the soft, loose, easy topstuff.
  
  When we stumble
  and catch
  and the plow refuses to move,
  so shall we pause
  ...
  straighten our shoulders to the warrior's work and
  	p u l l  through
  		with focused effort and intention.
  
  © Wendy Leiva 2009

• Maya Bernal (age 10) presented a poem inspired by a crane:
  

  The Crane
  by Maya Bernal
  
  Oh Crane, with your long and graceful wings,
  will you teach me how to soar
  above the people
  next to the Great Eastern Sun?
  
  Oh Crane,
  will you be my good friend
  forever and for always?
  
  © Maya Bernal 2009

• Lou Faiel-Datillo provided an educational and highly hilarious presentation on the Aspidistra plant (also known as the Cast-Iron Plant). There is no way to faithfully reproduce or describe the elation and joy this performance brought all in attendance. You really just had to be there!

Cheerful Shambhala Day and Happy Year of the Female Earth Ox to all!

Sangha member Craig Thompson will be giving a Kyudo demonstration on Monday, March 2 at 7:00pm, at Casa De Luz (1701 Toomey Rd) in the Japonica Salon, upstairs.

For more details and information about Craig, see the JASGA announcement.

For more information about Kyudo, see http://www.zenko.org

Austin sangha member Brennan McDonald recently spearheaded an effort to gather blankets, coats, and other warm clothing to donate to the estimated 4000 homeless persons who sleep outside on our cold winter streets. Her efforts were extremely successful, with coats and blankets piling up quickly at the Austin Shambhala Center in a matter of days.

On January 12, Brennan delivered 21 blankets, 11 coats/jackets and several stocking caps to ARCH, the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless. ARCH is a downtown facility that provides an overnight shelter, day resource center, and health clinic for homeless persons. ARCH is operated by Front Steps, an Austin organization dedicated to the belief “that all people deserve the dignity of a safe place to call home”. (http://www.frontsteps.org/)