More ramblings from Tony,

I've been attending some board of directors meetings, as well as some fund raiser committee meetings, not to mention your standard staff meetings. Wow! Just the meetings alone take a lot of time and dedication on the part of the participants and that's before actually getting to the work and projects being discussed.

The Times Have Changed and The New Day has Dawned. Tashi Coling and Rinpoche's vision of creating a place to preserve the Dharma in a traditional an authentic context is just emerging from its 20 yers of preliminary practice and preparatory construction and is launching into actualizing its destiny. It looks like our yearly budget needs to increase about ten (10!) fold, not counting what it will take to finish the East Wing and other details.

In spring, classes will begin in our new educational program. Julie, our Educational Administrator, is already putting in about 25 hours per week setting this up. However, she is also the Communications Coordinator in charge of producing the monthly news mailing and phone tree updates, plus numerous necessary details to run the Center. Trish, the Events Coordinator, is also involved in many of the activities we enjoy here day to day. They need your help. Another example of the many areas requiring attention is that our mailing list and contact data base really need a dedicated parent to feed, cloth and provide its ongoing care.

We had a meeting with Bill Eckart recently; he is a local fund raisers and has worked both for Southern Oregon University and other worthy causes. He generously gave us his time and advice. This distillation of what he offered was that fund raising is both necessary for Tashi choling and of real personal value to the donors. BUT, it is a lot of work. He assessed us as having both the abilities and people power in the Sangha to raise funds necessary to fulfill the Visioin here, although it would take all of us working together to pull it off.

So you can see, we have a staff designed to run a low budget, three or four retreat per year, backwoods temple, but we are initiating a quantum leap beyond our past self definition into something larger and unknown, both as individuals and as "Tashi Choling". The leap part is happening regardless. It's the quantum part that we have to rise to. There are not enough staff members to accomplish all that is aksing to be done. But we each have vast inner resources. Instead of feeling overwhelmed and isolated, or not really a valid member of the Sangha or just too busy with personal concerns, see that Tashi Choling is a magical event in time and space. Rinpoche is a miraculous presence in our lives and each one of us is a necessary and integral member of this amazing process. This is the most important thing happening for each one of us.

We need to all pull together. Not the same old dedicated mules trying to pull more, but every one of us simply pulling a little. As part of your practice, you could give up just 2 hours a week of something you do for yourself now, in order to contribute to the myriad tasks needing to be done for all of us and this place we love. You don't have to abandon your whole lifestyle or identity for the sake of Tashi Choling, just stretch it a little. There are activities which could be done from your home on computer or by phone or for an hour or two before one of the four monthly Tsogs when you may be up at Tashi Choling already. There are also occasional or one time jobs that could use several volunteers; you could join the list of those who can be called when needed. We are a Sangha family with a vast array of skills and abilities. Let's all make Tashi Choling our family business.