Sangha Chair Announcements
Samayasri Stepping Down as Our Sangha Chair
Dear Friends,
After nearly 7 years of serving our Sangha as Chair, I will be stepping down at the end of 2023. It has been an honor and an amazing privilege to be entrusted with the task of serving and leading our Sangha, but there are other practice adventures and initiatives that I want to lean into. I am also reaching my 20 years in the Order next year and feel a strong need to lean back for a while into strengthening my personal practice through a (slightly more) simple life.
It also feels as if we are in pretty good shape at the moment — I feel heartened about our community when I see the integrity, love, and mindfulness that you all bring to our collective :)
This role has been an intense practice. Triratna encourages us to lean into responsibility when we can. This is not just for the obvious reasons — clearly, we need people who are willing to take on responsibility in order to function as a Sangha and as a charity. But in addition, responsibility is a cremation ground — it calls on us to step beyond our own needs, perspectives, and views and try to hold the bigger context with an open creative mind: to be in empathy with the wider range of feelings and ideas and perceptions of those around us, without the limiting baggage of our own egos and self serving preferences. At its best and most beautiful, this is a path of the Bodhisattva.
In addition, responsibility holds up a mirror to who we are, without fear or favor! As Chair, I have done some things well and I have also done other things badly. I have had to face that, lean on the support of my friends, and keep moving in humility; drawing on my faith, my love for our community and the joy of service. One thing I truly believe is that service does not fail us. When we authentically step beyond ourselves in the care of others (when applied with a heavy dose of wisdom), we have already won, whatever the outcome, whatever the praise or blame that others respond with.
I am truly grateful to all of you for trusting me in this work. I know some parts of the past few years have not been easy — we have had significant change to wrestle with and absorb, as well as losses and challenges for many of us as individuals. It has been my honor to walk with you.
What next? I am delighted and incredibly grateful that my dear friend Ananta has offered to step into the role of Chair: I have been so grateful to him for his support, incredible hard work on our behalf, and commitment to our beloved Sangha.
We on the Council want to offer all of you a voice in the decision about our next Chair, so we are inviting any of you to get in touch with Ananta, me, or anyone else on the Council with any reflections or feedback on the proposal of Ananta becoming our next Chair (you can see the job description here).
We will keep that space open for any of you to get in touch through June, and then in the summer, the Council will meet and make a decision. After that, there would be a handover period to the end of 2023. Also, it may be helpful to know that all local OMs were invited to put themselves forward for this role, but only Ananta has done so.
Other Council members are Tamojyoti, Mark, and Ange (as well as Ananta). You may wish to send any reflections or feedback you have to Ananta and copy one of us, or you can contact any of us in confidence if you prefer.
With love & huge appreciation to you all,
Samayasri
Ananta Offering to Become Our Next Chair
Dear Friends,
When I first landed in NYC seven years ago, I had no idea I would stay this long! I had been pretty itinerant in the years prior, and I saw NYC as a fun pit stop along the way to…somewhere. Two things happened. I met my lovely husband and I found you all. Without either of these, I would have found it very difficult to stay here for this long.
And what a delight it has been! I have had the opportunity to develop close friendships and help build a practice community here. There has been a lot of growth on my part in coming to understand US culture, at least in this part of the country, and how the dharma manifests here. I’ve also gotten to live in one of the most vibrant cities in the world!!
I have been in the fortunate position too of being able to offer time to various Triratna projects, including our situation, as well as starting Karuna USA and supporting the Men’s Ordination Training team. In offering to become Chair, I hope to build on my connections and friendships with you and support our spiritual growth and development as we deepen our experience of the Dharma as interpreted by Triratna’s founder, Urgyen Sangharakshita. I am sure it will be many things: joyful, uplifting, inspiring and at times challenging (just look at that JD!). And I know that I am not alone and that I have good friends among you who will stand with me shoulder-to-shoulder, have my back, and lead the way too!
As Samayasri mentions in her message, if you have anything you’d like to comment on, please let me or any of us on the Council know.
With metta,
Ananta