Snow Lion Service Corps
Why the Snow Lion?
The Tibetan snow lion leaps from peak to peak, conquering its world through simply being open to every part of it. The joy of the snow lion arises from discipline. The action of the snow lion is a delight, a practical way to uplift the mind of “me” into the highlands of a bigger view. The perkiness of the snow lion shows us how to change our attitude on the spot; underneath all the daily drama, we possess the enlightened mind of bodhichitta, the wish-fulfilling jewel of wisdom and compassion.
But, what about Me?
The lion flips that contemplation inside out by asking, “How can I help?”
With this simple question, we increase our potential to enrich the world, and ultimately to find our own joy. Using discipline to generate compassion, we leap beyond the fickleness of mood into the confidence of delight in helping others.
Why Snow Lion Corps?
We wish to give all the members of the sangha the opportunity to deepen their practice through joyful exertion and discipline, and we offer a way to respond to our Sakyong’s request – to “embody basic goodness” and to bravely and generously “manifest no retirement”.
What does Snow Lion Corps require?
We are asking each of our members and friends to engage in at least 20 hours of service work to the sangha a year.
What if I don’t know what to do?
Snow Lion Corps will hold monthly trainings for hosting duties – a great way to start your service. Throughout the year there will opportunities for umdze training, Shambhala Guide training, and staff and coordinator training for Shambhala Weekends
How can I help?
- Start with hosting a Thursday night program or an Open House on Sunday – open the center, set out some tea and some refreshments. Be a welcoming face to our guests!
- Staff a Shambhala Training Level – staff can volunteer a night, a day, or the whole weekend (Requirements: complete Level III and you can staff levels 1-3)
- Coordinate a Shambhala Weekend- (requirements – staff at least two levels and complete Coordinator Training)
- Coordinate a Sacred Path Level
- Coordinate or Staff a Way of Shambhala Weekly class
- Be on call for special events and surprise visits!
- Be an umdze and/or a meditation instructor for our public sittings on Wednesday and Sunday
- Be a Shrine Keeper
- Support our Families and Children Program – help provide child care on Family Sunday or help with Tiger Cubs once a month
- Help to staff our annual community-building events:
Shambhala Day – February or March
Milarepa Day – February or March
The Parinirvana of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche – April
Midsummer Day – June
Harvest of Peace
Children’s Day
Shambhala Party – February or March
Shambhala Arts Festival
Help! I want to do something, but I don’t know what to do.
Contact the Snow Lion Corps, coordinators, Karen Schwartzman or Allison Conant, if you want to help but don’t know where to start. They can point you in the right direction and get you started or restarted!
One of the great things about offering and generosity is that once we begin doing it, we begin to enjoy it. We need to actually give from the heart and mind in a delightful way.
- Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche- We are all here on earth to see what we can offer, as opposed to what we can take. A life based upon what we can take leads to promoting a society where the only barometer of success is materialism. Mindfulness leads to an attitude of wanting to serve the world, rather than expecting to be served. Only through the development of mindfulness—which leads to virtues like kindness and generosity—will we become truly peaceful.
– Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche
