Year-end Update and Appeal
About 10 days ago, the Leadership Group of the Legacy Project met in Maine at the home of Martha Bonzi. We were hosted by Martha and Helen, longtime Shambhala community members who have done an enormous amount for the Shambhala world! I drove a van full of legacy people: Wendy Karr, Walter Fordham, Ben Moore and myself; while Judy Lief, Cheryl Campbell, and Julie Martin drove from various East Coast locales. Helen and Martha provided enormous hospitality and warmth, which gave us the space in which we could discuss the present and future of the project. Out of this came the letter below, which reviews briefly what has been done in the last year, and suggests how people can support the project at this time. This is offered on the eve of Thanksgiving in the U S of A. May all beings be happy and at their ease.
Letter going out this week:
Dear Friends of the Chogyam Trungpa Legacy Project,
I am writing to 108 of you in the week of American Thanksgiving. I know that all of us on the Legacy Project's Leadership Group feel a tremendous sense of gratitude for all of you who have shared your energy, generosity, and interest in the project.
This last year, which is now coming to an end, was set aside as a year of consultation and contemplation on the future of the project. During this period, we have held meetings with more than 500 members of Shambhala and senior students of the Vidyadhara to hear your views and aspirations for the project, as well as your concerns. In addition to group meetings in major centers in North America and Europe, we have had many one-on-one meetings and informal discussions.
Informal legacy committees in Boulder, New York, and Halifax have discussed the project in more depth and have helped to sponsor events such as the observation of the 20th anniversary of the Parinirvana of the Vidyadhara. We have also quietly been undertaking small pilot projects, involving a number of volunteers: We are helping to raise funds for the Root Text Project, to edit and publish books based on the Seminary Transcripts. We have helped to write the curriculum and provide the format for two DVD courses presenting Chogyam Trungpa teaching at Naropa. In the Spring of 2007, the Nalanda Translation Committee invited the Legacy Project to help promote and enrich the visit of Karma Senge Rinpoche, who was presenting terma teachings of the Vidyadhara to our community in Canada. Partnering with the Shambhala Archives, we have also been working on a feasibility study for an on-line archive of teachings of the Vidyadhara.
The Leadership Group has just completed a retreat in Maine. The meetings were inspiring for all of us, and we felt a sense of family, common purpose, and a renewed commitment to move forward. We have a draft of a mission statement and the beginnings of a mandate and other documents that will be the basis for our by-laws as a charity in Canada and a non-profit corporation in the United States. We had extensive discussions of governance, which we will continue in the coming weeks. I have been talking with members of the Mukpo family and with the President of Shambhala International, Richard Reoch, discussing the issues of governance and the appropriate relationship of the Legacy Project to these entities. Lady Diana Mukpo and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche have offered their blessings and support for the project.
We are now ready to move forward with the legal work and the negotiations that will allow us to file for our charitable status in Canada and nonprofit status in the United States. We would like to submit an application in at least one country before April 4th, 2008, the next anniversary of the Parinirvana.
To do so, as well as to maintain and expand our modest activities at this time, we need financial support. It is premature for us to undertake fundraising on a large scale; therefore, the support of those who already share our sense of mission is all the more important. Those of us on the Leadership Group are discussing our financial support, and now we are also turning to you.
A gift of any size will help at this time. This is what we need to fund now: 1) Our legal work and the costs of filing in the US and Canada ($5,000 estimated total) ; 2) minor support for our acting Director (yours truly) to the tune of $500/month; 3) modest support ($300 month) for an administrative assistant (Wendy Karr); and $100/month for office expenses. We would also like to fund work on our website and the completion of the on-line archive feasibility study. We hope that gifts over the next few months will yield around $10,000 to keep us going at this critical time. Even a gift of $25 goes a long way in such a small budget!
This past week, following the retreat in Maine, I was able to present the vision of a Chogyam Trungpa Library during a planning meeting for capitol projects of Shambhala International. A number of quasi-independent and forming organizations with links to Shambhala were invited to attend, along with the center representatives. I suggested that in the future, if the Halifax Shambhala community were to acquire another building (something under discussion), the current center on Tower Road would make a wonderful museum, archive and library. This is also the last shrine room and building consecrated by the Vidyadhara, and it has tremendous emotional and spiritual value for his students. There was quite a lot of enthusiasm expressed for a project of this sort, which was quite gratifying to see.
Who knows if, when, or where this will happen? Such a project would be a good step in the establishment of the Legacy Project. The first such center could inspire other ventures. Perhaps fanciful now, this may be a good vision to hold in mind as we take our first baby steps towards establishing the Legacy Project. At our retreat, we playfully suggested centers in Halifax, Boulder, New York, Bodhgaya, and Surmang. It could happen.
On that note, I wish you the best of the end of the year. If you are able to contribute to CTLP at this time, please do so! And please keep us in mind for the coming year. Your contributions will be gratefully received and put to good use.
Thank you so much for your support,
Carolyn Gimian, Acting Director
November 20, 2007
The Leadership Committee of the Chögyam Trungpa Legacy Project:
Acharya Judith Lief; Acharya Larry Mermelstein; Walter Fordham; Wendy Karr; Ben Moore; Tom Hast; Cheryl Campbell; Julie Martin; Maron Greenleaf (inactive); Carolyn Gimian.
DRAFT: The Mission of the Chogyam Trungpa Legacy Project is to support and enrich the view, practice, study and application of the teachings of the Vidyadhara the Venerable Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, in order to foster wisdom, compassion and sanity for individuals and society.
Thanks to Molly Nudell for the CTLP letterhead design, a work in progress.
If you would like to contribute, please send your donation: in Canada,to:
CT Legacy Project
PO Box 33035
Halifax, NS
Canada B3L 4T6
In the USA:
CT Legacy Project
c/o Ashoka Credit Union
525 Canyon Boulevard
Boulder, Colorado
80302 USA
Letter going out this week:
Dear Friends of the Chogyam Trungpa Legacy Project,
I am writing to 108 of you in the week of American Thanksgiving. I know that all of us on the Legacy Project's Leadership Group feel a tremendous sense of gratitude for all of you who have shared your energy, generosity, and interest in the project.
This last year, which is now coming to an end, was set aside as a year of consultation and contemplation on the future of the project. During this period, we have held meetings with more than 500 members of Shambhala and senior students of the Vidyadhara to hear your views and aspirations for the project, as well as your concerns. In addition to group meetings in major centers in North America and Europe, we have had many one-on-one meetings and informal discussions.
Informal legacy committees in Boulder, New York, and Halifax have discussed the project in more depth and have helped to sponsor events such as the observation of the 20th anniversary of the Parinirvana of the Vidyadhara. We have also quietly been undertaking small pilot projects, involving a number of volunteers: We are helping to raise funds for the Root Text Project, to edit and publish books based on the Seminary Transcripts. We have helped to write the curriculum and provide the format for two DVD courses presenting Chogyam Trungpa teaching at Naropa. In the Spring of 2007, the Nalanda Translation Committee invited the Legacy Project to help promote and enrich the visit of Karma Senge Rinpoche, who was presenting terma teachings of the Vidyadhara to our community in Canada. Partnering with the Shambhala Archives, we have also been working on a feasibility study for an on-line archive of teachings of the Vidyadhara.
The Leadership Group has just completed a retreat in Maine. The meetings were inspiring for all of us, and we felt a sense of family, common purpose, and a renewed commitment to move forward. We have a draft of a mission statement and the beginnings of a mandate and other documents that will be the basis for our by-laws as a charity in Canada and a non-profit corporation in the United States. We had extensive discussions of governance, which we will continue in the coming weeks. I have been talking with members of the Mukpo family and with the President of Shambhala International, Richard Reoch, discussing the issues of governance and the appropriate relationship of the Legacy Project to these entities. Lady Diana Mukpo and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche have offered their blessings and support for the project.
We are now ready to move forward with the legal work and the negotiations that will allow us to file for our charitable status in Canada and nonprofit status in the United States. We would like to submit an application in at least one country before April 4th, 2008, the next anniversary of the Parinirvana.
To do so, as well as to maintain and expand our modest activities at this time, we need financial support. It is premature for us to undertake fundraising on a large scale; therefore, the support of those who already share our sense of mission is all the more important. Those of us on the Leadership Group are discussing our financial support, and now we are also turning to you.
A gift of any size will help at this time. This is what we need to fund now: 1) Our legal work and the costs of filing in the US and Canada ($5,000 estimated total) ; 2) minor support for our acting Director (yours truly) to the tune of $500/month; 3) modest support ($300 month) for an administrative assistant (Wendy Karr); and $100/month for office expenses. We would also like to fund work on our website and the completion of the on-line archive feasibility study. We hope that gifts over the next few months will yield around $10,000 to keep us going at this critical time. Even a gift of $25 goes a long way in such a small budget!
This past week, following the retreat in Maine, I was able to present the vision of a Chogyam Trungpa Library during a planning meeting for capitol projects of Shambhala International. A number of quasi-independent and forming organizations with links to Shambhala were invited to attend, along with the center representatives. I suggested that in the future, if the Halifax Shambhala community were to acquire another building (something under discussion), the current center on Tower Road would make a wonderful museum, archive and library. This is also the last shrine room and building consecrated by the Vidyadhara, and it has tremendous emotional and spiritual value for his students. There was quite a lot of enthusiasm expressed for a project of this sort, which was quite gratifying to see.
Who knows if, when, or where this will happen? Such a project would be a good step in the establishment of the Legacy Project. The first such center could inspire other ventures. Perhaps fanciful now, this may be a good vision to hold in mind as we take our first baby steps towards establishing the Legacy Project. At our retreat, we playfully suggested centers in Halifax, Boulder, New York, Bodhgaya, and Surmang. It could happen.
On that note, I wish you the best of the end of the year. If you are able to contribute to CTLP at this time, please do so! And please keep us in mind for the coming year. Your contributions will be gratefully received and put to good use.
Thank you so much for your support,
Carolyn Gimian, Acting Director
November 20, 2007
The Leadership Committee of the Chögyam Trungpa Legacy Project:
Acharya Judith Lief; Acharya Larry Mermelstein; Walter Fordham; Wendy Karr; Ben Moore; Tom Hast; Cheryl Campbell; Julie Martin; Maron Greenleaf (inactive); Carolyn Gimian.
DRAFT: The Mission of the Chogyam Trungpa Legacy Project is to support and enrich the view, practice, study and application of the teachings of the Vidyadhara the Venerable Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, in order to foster wisdom, compassion and sanity for individuals and society.
Thanks to Molly Nudell for the CTLP letterhead design, a work in progress.
If you would like to contribute, please send your donation: in Canada,to:
CT Legacy Project
PO Box 33035
Halifax, NS
Canada B3L 4T6
In the USA:
CT Legacy Project
c/o Ashoka Credit Union
525 Canyon Boulevard
Boulder, Colorado
80302 USA
posted by Carolyn Gimian at 3:46 AM
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