International Dzogchen Community progress report
The new International Gakyil is now operative.
Enrico dell’Angelo has been joined on Red by Roberto Zamparo and Scott Townell, and Ricardo Kogel and Keng Leck have joined Mark Farrington on Yellow. Libor Maly and Julian King-Salter are on Blue. We met at Merigar West in April (in person or by Skype) to establish a base for working together and to prioritise and allocate the tasks to be done. We adopted this as our statement of purpose:
“In spirit of service to Master and Community, and in collaboration with all members of the Sangha, we endeavour to bring into practice Rinpoche’s vision for the organisation of the International Dzogchen Community.”
Therefore, in the first three years of its work, the IG will strive to establish a functional and dynamic international organizational structure for the Dzogchen Community, operational to an effective level and able to provide relevant services.
The IG will attempt to put in place the systems that would enable the DC to flourish as an organization founded on the principles of knowledge and awareness rather than on hierarchy and rules. We will try to enhance communication, participation, transparency and accountability.
International Coordination Committee:
We are a substantial Global Community, with local organisations in place. The role of this ICC is to establish clear channels of communication in both directions between the International Gakyil and the Gakyils of the Gars and Lings. Of course we can communicate by email with each other, but most important is to meet together, especially in the context of Practice and Teaching retreats with Rinpoche, so this (European) summer some members of the IG will participate in meetings at Merigar’s East and West, and Kunsangar South (including then representatives from Kunsangar North) with representatives of the Gars and all their related Lings. In this way we can present in person, answer questions and discuss what needs to be done to bring the IDC into concrete existence. Julian in Australia, Keng Leck in Asia, and Scott and Ricardo in the Americas can also arrange to meet with the Gakyils and interested members in those areas in the same time frame, according to the possibilities.
Renewals of Gakyils of Gars and Lings:
We are in an exciting time for our Community, with the purchase and development of the Global Gar, and with the creation of a legal and organisational structure for the International Dzogchen Community which aims to fully embody Rinpoche’s image of the Mandala of the Community. Exciting times also to join a Gakyil, whether of Gar or Ling. As well as the usual range of skills needed- for communicators, retreat organisers, project and financial managers- this time of bringing the IDC into being needs Gakyil members with particular interests and capacity,
the capacity to find enjoyment in understanding, adapting and registering legal statutes and documents, and in working with a greater level of organisational interaction amongst all the Gars and Lings,
and the capacity to understand that this legal structure and organisational framework is what will give our Community the freedom to grow and flourish as the Master wishes.
If you have the professional skills and life experience to deal with and enjoy this work, of establishing the bone structure and base of our Community, in collaboration with the International Gakyil, then please consider whether now may be the time to step forward!
As well as offering service through the Gakyil, it is always also possible to support in other ways, as so many already do!
Membership:
One key element of the transition to a fully global Community is the way in which we become members; so the plan is that in future we will become members and maintain our membership through the International Community itself, and through that will follow our membership of a particular Gar, and maybe also a particular Ling. The International Database, which is currently being brought up to date in collaboration with membership coordinators around the world, plays a fundamental role in this, and there is a separate article giving more detail on this. For example, it will be possible for all members to log in and access their membership details online. The timeline and the details of precisely how this will work in practice will need to be worked out in consultation with the Gars and Lings through the ICC.
Statutes and protocols:
It has been a monumental task to create the Statute of the International Comunity in a way that fits the law of the land and is compatible with the Principles of the Dzogchen Community which Rinpoche has given us. Also the precise protocols for becoming a member, and for the Gars and Lings to be established as branches or affiliates of the IDC, these are quite complicated documents, which can be quite daunting. But the essence can be more simple and straightforward, and alongside the documents themselves (which need to be in that format to comply with legislation) we intend to put the meaning in more essential form for ease of understanding. This should all be ready very soon.
Communication:
We are very close to having the IDC website up and running. This will then become the main place where members can access up to date information on progress with the transition to a global organisation. All the documents will be accessible there, as well as the simpler explanations. In the meantime, we have already the Mirror, the Mirror online and norbunet for communicating directly with all members. The Database already contains a shared file with ICC contacts for each Gar and Ling and the structure of Lings and Gars world-wide (if you are aware that your Ling is not yet registered, please contact Roberto as soon as possible!) and this is the main channel for communications with the Gakyils of Gars and Lings. Your comments, feedback and input are always very welcome. Email addresses have been set up for direct communication with IG members, as follows:
Also the IG Secretary can be contacted on secretary@dzogchencommunity.org
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