Spring Equinox Celebration in Toronto

What a beautiful day it was. The sun shone brightly on March 30th, 2013. We had spent weeks in preparation for our first ever Spring Equinox celebration only to find there was more new life than usual this Spring! We were blessed with the arrival of our new Shambhala Princess, Jetsun Yudra Lhamo Yangchen Ziji Mukpo (aka Jetsun Yudra). What a blessing! Within the last few days before the event we had reworked our plans and were ready to celebrate the birth of Jetsun Yudra and the Equinox.

Members arrived at the Center at 3 pm, welcomed by the sounds of Baroque music, the sent of flowers in the air, and an Ikebana installation that greeted people as they entered the shrine room.

After a few moments of sitting practice we viewed an address from the Sakyong that included footage of the Sakyong Wongmo and Jetsun Yudra returning home from the hospital, and a message from the family. It was wonderful to have this intimate look into their lives.

 

We recited the Shambhala Lineage Supplication and the Homage and did a short lhasang chant while we circumambulated the lhasang. Following that we chanted the Shambhala Lineage Supplication as we all came forward to offer flowers by placing them in front of a photograph of the Sakyong and Sakyong Wangmo with their new child, Jetsun Yudra.

 

Following the offerings of flowers we enjoyed food and drinks together in the community room. Most of us hung around the center for an hour or more chatting and enjoying a sense of Shambhala Family.

Thank you to everyone who came out. I’m looking forward to seeing you again next year at our Spring Equinox celebration.