Shambhala Social

Question 1

Katherine

Answer 1

Aaron Hagen’s wife
Works summer at a preschool, & at a paired adult & kid school.
Was sad to leave Philippines.

Question 2

Mags

Answer 2

Short for Margaret.
She is Scottish.
Married.

Question 3

What is Luke’s career background?

Answer 3

Computer software engineer

Question 4

Lan

Answer 4

Acupuncture guy
From Sacramento

Question 5

Aaron helped refurbish cabinets at Katherine’s school

Question 6

Aaron’s classes 24-25

Answer 6

Env Sci
IB Bio 2
Bio 9th

Question 7

Jon

Answer 7

Was married in his early twenties.
He worked on electronics of elevators.
Double Ding Down.

Question 8

Pat Grishop
Her husband is…

Answer 8

Jim who studied Central American native languages like Nahuatl

Question 9

Xena

Answer 9

Marathoner

Question 10

Gail

Answer 10

Her husband taught Conceptual Physics near Palo Alto

Question 11

Rachel’s husband

Answer 11

Craig

Question 12

Rachel & Craig after retiring

Answer 12

Traveling around the world living in places

Question 13

Aaron Hagen - what is his degree? What has he taught?

Answer 13

Degree in Forestry from UC Berkeley.
Taught everything except US History

Question 14

Manny & Pat Medeiros careers

Answer 14

Manny lawyer
Pat taught 3rd grade in Davis

Question 15

Mike Ratener’s dog

Answer 15

Dodger

Question 16

Mike Ratener’s brother’s job was

Answer 16

Teacher. He’s retired.

Question 17

Mike Ratener grew up in

Answer 17

Brooklyn and Long Island.

Question 18

Mike Ratener went to college where?

Answer 18

Wisconsin

Question 19

Mike Ratener went to medical school and residency where?

Answer 19

medical school and residency in San Francisco

Question 20

Where did Mike Ratener know Pema a lot?

Answer 20

knew Pema a lot when Pema was at SF Dharmadatu.

Question 21

Mike Ratener’s wife used to do what job?

Answer 21

Technical writing

Question 22

Difference between Chenresig and Vajrayana

Answer 22

Chenresig as a Mahayana practice where you just visualize the deity in front of you (above your head in front of you) as opposed to vajrayana practice where you visualize that you are the deity.

Question 23

Mike Ratener & Kalapa Assemblies

Answer 23

He got to go to them.

Question 24

Is Mike Ratener a student of the Sakyong?

Answer 24

He is not a student of the Sakyong because the Sakyong didn’t want any other teachers to teach at the Shambhala Center

Question 25

Chen Resig is also which Buddha?

Answer 25

Avalokiteśvara (often associated with Amitabha Buddha)

Question 26

Mike Ratener once told me that one of the things that’s so great about Chögyam Trungpa is

Answer 26

genuine heart of sadness

Question 27

Best thing about meditation according to Mike Ratener

Answer 27

meditation for me is just noticing the breath, the mind’s quietness of the breath, lack of discursiveness of the breath. That noticing produces a feeling that’s a good feeling. And that even if you meditate for an hour and you have the experience just once of stopping discursiveness by noticing the breath… having had that experience just once is worth spending an hour.

Question 28

Who organized Thanksgiving in 2023?

Answer 28

Brooke

Question 29

Who on YouTube tells how to do the practice of Chenreszig combined with Tonglen Love on Every Breath

Answer 29

Llama Palden on YouTube

Question 30

Megan Murphy

Answer 30

- long-time Chogyam Trungpa student with authentic presence who led the book club when Mike wasn’t there

Question 31

Fran Koehler

Answer 31

Joins Shambhala Thursday book club from Zoom from Seattle. Likes nature & insects in nature.

Question 32

Jeanie Kerins

Answer 32

Long time meditator - leader of our small group on Summer 2024 Pema Zoom class

Question 33

Rachel childhood

Answer 33

Abused as a child

Question 34

Ash

Answer 34

Probably was 12 step? His sister is in a physically abusive relationship. He feels retributional about it

Question 35

Rachel’s jobs

Answer 35

She used to be a chaplain. And she used to work for the state in education department.

Question 36

Jeremy at morning sit

Answer 36

Going for English Lit PhD. Much more grounded in person.

Question 37

Marcus

Answer 37

Brooke’s husband

Question 38

Name of Aaron & Katherine’s son

Answer 38

Jack

Question 39

People following Sakyong but not with Shambhala Davis center anymore:

Answer 39

Marshall Laura Livingston Junko Zenna

Question 40

People not with Sakyong anymore:

Answer 40

Joel Sarah Patti

Question 41

People doing both Davis Shambhala & Sakyong:

Answer 41

Elvia Lyle Henry Helen Gene

Question 42

People doing Davis center and Pema but not Sakyong:

Answer 42

Bill Fell Patti Larson

Question 43

A lot of people join a weekly zoom call with the Sakyong from where at 5:30am each week

Answer 43

Nepal

Question 44

Why did they rename it Drala Mountain Center.

Answer 44

The board voted that the Sakyong cannot visit Shambhala Mountain Center. He said OK, but you’ll have to change the name.

Question 45

Mark

Answer 45

Tall guy who is often umze, has atrial fibrillation. Very athletically active on his bike.

Question 46

Lois has a PhD in

Answer 46

Physical Therapy

Question 47

How long has Gail lived in Davis?

Answer 47

Since 1998, about 25 years. She lives near Pat Grishop and Jim.

Question 48

Jon can answer questions about what?

Answer 48

iPhones if Chandra or I call him or text him

Question 49

Who pioneered / set up the technology for COVID zoom calls for M-F morning sits, and was Umze for 2 years during that time?

Answer 49

Jon

Question 50

Sarah Mandel’s kids

Answer 50

2 daughters - 1 from Berkeley and one from Chicago. One of them is an artist and got something published on front page of NY Times

Question 51

Name of Indian woman sometimes at Shambhala

Answer 51

Sandia

Question 52

Gail used to live where?

Answer 52

St Louis, Missouri ??

Question 53

Mags went to museums on vacation where?

Answer 53

Washington DC

Question 54

Gail’s last name

Answer 54

Kennedy

Question 55

Where is Jan Banjee from?

Answer 55

New Zealand

Question 56

What is Mark’s last name?

Answer 56

Bilowitz (sp?)

Question 57

Mark B hearing loss?

Answer 57

High noises, and sometimes has tinnitus