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Dispatches
with Julia Sagebien

Stephen Seely Julia Sagebien

Stephen Seely, long time Shambhala sangha member and kusung (attendant) for Trungpa Rinpoche, is currently studying with The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and serves as one of three coordinators of the Nitartha Institute, under Ponlop Rinpoche's direction. In this conversation, Steve takes a look at his relationship to Ponlop Rinpoche and the Nalandabodhi community, in light of his ongoing connection to the Mukpos and the Shambhala mandala. Ponlop Rinpoche is widely respected as a prominent scholar, teacher, and practitioner of the Nyingma and Kagyu schools of Vajrayana Buddhism. Following Trungpa Rinpoche's lead, Ponlop Rinpoche guides his western students along a gradual path of study and practice, grounded in sitting meditation. His English is fluent, and he has a thorough grasp of western culture.

In the years since Trungpa Rinpoche's death in 1987, a number of his students have made a strong connection with Ponlop Rinpoche and continue their training as members of his Nalandabodhi community. For more information about The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Nalandabodhi and the Nitartha Institute, visit www.nalandabodhi.org and www.nitartha.org.

Please send your feedback to feedback@chroniclesradio.com.

Feedback from last week's dispatch

Dear Friends,

Thank you again for introducing Chronicles Radio. Since you asked what we like and dislike, I would like to very humbly ask that you keep in mind that not all of Trungpa Rinpoche's loyal and devoted students are into the fairy tale kingdom that has succeeded the Dorje Dradul's KOS.

Since your "mission is to expand the general knowledge and understanding of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche's life and teachings," and "stories, interviews, photos, and sound files on this site are expressions of love and gratitude from his students and others who knew him," I very much hope that dispatches that follow the one on the wedding planners will not be all about the wedding. Although it was interesting to hear about Wendy and Rick's first encounters with the Vidyadhara, and while we realize the wedding will be a big deal in Halifax and sympathize with the need to celebrate, we stopped listening before the interview was over. Personally, I look forward to more interviews with people like Janet and Hudson.

Many thanks again for the richness of the Chronicles site.

With love,
Suzanne [Duarte]

Hi

I just had to write to say how much we LOVED the dispatches. We just finished dinner, sitting listening to Chronicles Radio, dispatches of Wendy and Richard. Just amazing, delightful, GREAT.

Wendy is so perfect, genuinie, funny and direct, she is such a jewel. And sassafras, well, he’s perfect too of course. orange sassafras rootbeer?

Thank you so much for this living, breathing sharing!

Shambhala luv,
Pamela Gaines

Dear Friends,

I hope there are not too many Dispatches like this one. I felt overdosed in the saccharine quality oozing with materialism. I appreciated the personal reflections though of both Wendy and Rick. The rest was a fairy tale difficult to relate to. No edge like the KOS I remember.

Looking forward to the next Dispatch, thank you all for your generosity in presenting the Chronicles site.

With Love,
Hildy Maze

Send your feedback to feedback@chroniclesradio.com.

Thank you to:

Peter Lieberson for permission to play his
orchestral arrangement of the Shambhala Anthem at the end of each show,

Howard Harawitz for technical advice, CyberMusic.ca,

Marguerite Sands, for design consulting, Marguerite Sands Design,

Edzard de Ranitz, for the original web design, kikker.com.

© 2006 The Chronicles of CTR