FEBRUARY 2026 NEWSLETTER
- Kaya Fruchtman
- 3 hours ago
- 10 min read
IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
According to this year’s Tibetan lunar cycle, the New Year falls in late February. Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche adapted this tradition in the west as Shambhala Day beginning in 1978. For both traditions it is a time of spiritual renewal, celebrating cultural traditions (like the delectable dumplings called momos!) & in the days leading up to the new year, clearing the accumulated karma of the prior year.
This 10-day period before the start of the New Year is called “don” (pronounced dun) season. Dons are negative forces swirling in the environment with the potential to wreak havoc and destruction within and around us, so obstacles are likely to arise, whether physically through sickness; mentally & emotionally w/heightened kleshas; &/or as we go about our day-to-day activities, in ways such as car or travel problems.
Not surprisingly, the best antidote for working with these negative energies is deepening in meditation practice & heightened awareness in our moment-to-moment activities. Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche emphasized don season as a time to reduce speed & aggression & find ways to transform chaos into positive action through the Shambhala warrior’s path of gentleness & fearlessness.
He connected Losar & Shambhala Day as an opportunity to reconnect with our inherent strength & basic goodness and the elements in the universe, to find joy & balance in so doing. Vajrayana Buddhist practitioners engage in recitation of what are called mamo chants to directly connect with these negative energies, allowing them to “speak to us” & transforming them into skillful action. At the end of don season is what Rinpoche called a “neutral day,” a day to clean up our living spaces as we prepare for a fresh start.
In Tibetan astrology we are entering the Year of the Fire Horse, representing a rare and powerful alignment of motion and illumination.The horse symbolizes freedom, endurance, and forward movement & is closely linked to the element of wind - in the Shambhala tradition often visualized as the wind horse, which carries prayers and blessings across the sky. In 2026, this symbolism takes on the intensity of fire — the element of transformation, purification, and illumination. Together, the Fire and Horse energies create a year of action, clarity, and karmic release. The Fire Horse also reminds us that movement without clear & positive intention can result in burn out, but motion guided by purpose can result in transformation. Either way it is said the year will be fast, fiery, and full of potential.
In the best of circumstances Fire Horse energy inspires global change — innovation, courage, and social awakening & an invitation to realign with the fundamental truths of our humanity: compassion, harmony, & fulfillment of Chogyam Trungpa’s vision of an enlightened society. With that vision in mind as practitioners, may the Year of the Fire Horse ignite our commitment to sanity & societal transformation in a world that is so desperately in need.
Alison Driscoll
Additional Newsletter Section: Wisdom's Melody
We invite you to take a look at an introduction to a new section in our monthly newsletter titled "Wisdom's Melody." A place for your inspired writing to be featured and shared with The Wisdom Seat Community.
The Wisdom of Mindfulness Meditation
Engaging the paradoxes of our modern world with insight, skill, and compassion with Andrew Safer and Michael Carroll
Thursday, February 5, 2026, 6:00 to 7:00 pm (EST); 7:30 to 8:30 pm (NST)
Zoom
In a world that offers untold resources and possibilities, we also face widespread tragedies of war, environmental crisis and geopolitical toxicity. How can we face such a profound paradox and how can we lend a hand to a world in need of so much help?
Proclaiming Basic Sanity: Living the Bodhisattva Path
August 10-18, 2026
Drala Mountain Center
How do we navigate with wisdom, compassion, and fierce courage in an age of spiritual crisis?
Please join Buddhist teachers Michael Carroll and Susan Piver for a week of meditation, community, and real talk about how to take our practice off the cushion and into the beauty and confusion of our world.
Wednesday Meditation
Ongoing offering: Online meditation every Wednesday evening
6:15 to 7:30 PM EST
Worldwide Wednesday evening online sitting meditation practice.
We, at The Wisdom Seat, invite you to meet on Wednesday evenings from 6:15 – 7:30 PM Eastern Time to practice the sitting meditation discipline as taught in the Buddhist & Shambhala tradition of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Nyinthun: Everyone is welcome!
Ongoing offering: Nyinthun (in-person and online)
The first Sunday of every month.
All day sitting interspersed with walking meditation. The word nyinthun*, is Tibetan for “day session.”
In understanding dharma, Trungpa Rinpoche placed a strong emphasis on mindfulness/awareness meditation practice. This community practice of Nyinthun - all day sitting interspersed with walking meditation - gives us the opportunity to experience the full spectrum of our mind, make friends with our immediate experience and rediscover our natural sanity.
Please take a look, and sign up to join us for some nyinthun retreat days. It is ok to join for as much of the day as you can.
Collaborative practice undertaking with The Wisdom Seat & The Profound Treasury Retreat
The Wisdom Seat encourages as many opportunities for practitioners to engage in the discipline of mindfulness/awareness (shamatha/vipashyana) as one can engage in. We are happy to invite the Profound Treasury Retreat (PTR) with their offering of Sunday sitting.
PTR community is hosting a 2-hour sitting session from 9:30am to 11:30 am EST
There will be meditation instruction every third Sunday of the month, given by a qualified meditation instructor.
Dates: February 8th, 15th, & 22nd
Here is the Zoom link for this session: Sunday Sitting Zoom Link
All are welcome to attend.
West Chester Meditation Center
Not Lost in Translation: From Words to Meaning and Beyond
Westchester Meditation Center Special Guest Speaker
Sunday, February 1, 2026, 10 AM - Noon ET
via Zoom
Larry Mermelstein in conversation with Derek Kolleeny
We are excited to have the opportunity to discuss the translation world of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche with the executive director of the Nalanda Translation Committee (NTC), Larry Mermelstein. The NTC is a unique aspect of Trungpa Rinpoche’s mandala in that it has remained virtually unchanged since its creation over 50 years ago. From important issues such as the impact of context upon translation to the importance of practicing in one’s native language and the balance between study and practice, we will then delve into Larry’s experiences in Trungpa Rinpoche’s world as he journeyed from the role of Translation Committee coordinator to a wide range of other activities as teacher, practice-center administrator, editor, publisher.
Registration Link: https://www.westchestermeditationcenter.org/register/p/special-guest-larry-mermelstein-jan26
WMC Annual Retreat The Three Pillars of Wakefulness: Stability, Openness and Kindness
March 6th - 13th
In-Person at the Garrison Institute
Led by Judy Lief, Derek and Jane Kolleeny, & Gene Bobker
A week-long immersive retreat is a powerful way to deepen our relationship to meditation and see its benefits. With a settled mind, we can tune into our innate wellbeing and our open heart. Mindfulness-awareness meditation, fully understood, can directly support overcoming our fixed, inflexible patterns, and allow the emergence of a more stable attitude of acceptance and kindness. We hope you can join us in exploring and fine-tuning these qualities that our world needs more than ever.
Registration Link: https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/event/the-three-pillars-of-wakefulness-wmc-2026/
Profound Treasury Retreat
Planting Seeds, Cutting Roots
June 12th -21st
In-Person at Saco, Maine
At the 2026 Profound Treasury Retreat, through a week of contemplation and practice, we’ll explore the Buddhist understanding of karma as the intricate chain of cause and effect that arises from ego’s attempt to secure its position in our world. By acknowledging the workings of cause and effect, we can begin to see our deep interconnectedness with all beings and recognize the reverberations of our actions through familial, cultural, and collective patterns. We will also explore the possibility of discovering freedom from karma in the present moment and how each future moment, therefore, could be completely open.
As Trungpa Rinpoche says, “But if, for a moment, you do something that is not based on a belief in separateness, if it’s not based on thoughts that have any kind of prerequisite or dependency, then your activity ceases to be karmic.” (The Karma Seminar - KCL September 1972)
The Profound Treasury Retreats are for everyone, whether you are new to meditation or a seasoned practitioner. Your presence and wisdom are welcome.
Apply soon - the first 20 participants to complete registration will win special PTR merchandise!
Registration Link: https://profoundtreasuryretreat.com/the-retreat/
Three Yana Retreats/Drala Mountain Center
The Third Entering the Vajra World Retreat
June 21st - July 21st
In-Person at Drala Mountain Center
The Three-Yana Retreat is designed for Buddhist practitioners with experience in study and meditation, who wish to establish a solid foundation for a life-long journey.
We are pleased to announce that an online information session with members of the faculty and staff of the 2026 Entering the Vajra World Retreat will take place on Zoom on January 25th, 2026 at noon Eastern Time. You must register to join the information session. The purpose of this session is to answer any question you may have and tell you more about the Entering the Vajra World Retreat that will be held at Drala Mountain Center between June 21st - July 21st 2026.
To register go to: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Vn2yP4rmR0OXdHuYeOdMAA
The Entering the Vajra World Retreat begins with a 13 week online study program on the Foundational Vehicle and the Mahayana. It is followed by a month-long, in-person retreat at Drala Mountain Center involving intensive practice and study of Mahayana and Vajrayana topics. During the third week of the retreat participants receive Vajrayana transmission and the opportunity to explore the ngöndro preliminary practices.
The Three-Yana Retreat is a contemporary version of the deep training that was the hallmark of Trungpa Rinpoche’s Vajradhatu Seminaries. It provides students with an introduction to Vajrayana practice in Trungpa Rinpoche’s tradition with a solid foundation in the three-yana principles.
Registration Link: https://www.3yanas.org/contact
Sopa Choling/Gampo Abbey
Attention: Vajrayogini Practitioners
Announcing a very rare opportunity to practice inner and secret Vajrayogini.
The retreat at Sopa Chöling has a few vacancies and we’re inviting you to apply.
A few details:
You must have completed the Vajrayogini mantras and attended an amending fire offering (see Dorje Denma Ling schedule, June 2026).
Optional:
Part 2 of this retreat is optional and includes outer, inner and secret Chakrasamvara. For this, Chakrasamvara empowerment is required.
Questions? Write to threeyearretreat@gampoabbey.org
Welcome to “Wisdom’s Melody,” our new series on the dharma in everyday life! We invite everyone in the The Wisdom Seat community to share how they bring meditation off the cushion and into the world.
How do the teachings show up in your ordinary days? What is your experience of mindfulness, awareness, compassion, skillful means? Does your meditation practice help you navigate difficult times?
Please submit your contribution of 800 words or less before the 20th of the month to kayafruchtman@thewisdomseat.org.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Elizabeth Brownrigg, Chief Editor
Elizabeth Brownrigg is an author of novels, essays, and feature articles. She teaches at the Durham Shambhala Center, where she has been a member since 2004. She writes about practicing the dharma and living in the difficult world in her Substack column, “Walking the Inspired Path” (https://inspiredpath.substack.com/)
It's an Honor to Be Here
Attention is prayer.
When I was eighteen, I spent a summer as a nurse’s aide at the local hospital. From eleven p.m. to seven a.m., I changed sheets, emptied bedpans and catheter bags, took temperatures, and assisted the nurses in tending to patients.
The night shift was a quiet time. I could simply be present if that was needed. In those days, my town was in a still rural county. An old farm woman whose braided hair reached her waist sat for a long time on the toilet while I waited outside the door and talked with her.
I saw so many people in their hardest days: the tough old guy who was allowed the occasional cigarette that he inhaled in one long pull, leaving an inch of glowing ember at the end; the baby who brought us running with her screaming. Next to her head was a parasitic worm that medication had driven out of her body.
Years after that summer, I sat by my dying mother’s bed in the same hospital. As she drew her last breaths, the nurses on the hall came into the room and gathered around us, offering their presence.
Later on in life, I was at a long meditation retreat in the Colorado mountains. It had been a difficult year. I felt betrayed and deeply wounded by some members of my sangha. At the same time, I loved the practice. I had close spiritual friends who supported me. I had considered leaving the community, but that felt just as painful as staying.
At the retreat, two hundred people had gathered under an enormous tent. We were on cushions close together, side by side. We sat in silence. We didn’t really know each other. Still, we shared a bond from being physically close for so many days. One morning, I began to sob. My breaking heart took over my body. The woman sitting next to me held me in her arms. She stroked my back as I wept and wept.
The next day, I ran into her outside the meditation tent. I thanked her for her comfort and apologized for making such a scene. “Oh,” she said. “It was an honor.”
I haven’t always had the courage to be present. I’ve left the room when someone announced their cancer diagnosis, tried to joke my way through unbearable sorrow over a friend’s suicide.
Evasion can become a habit, a way to grow a plastic skin so that we are guaranteed to feel only a little bit. But evasion suffocates us. Should we continue to hide or should we break through our fabricated covering? Which feels better? Which feels worse? Which brings us back into our life? Can we push against our own paralysis?
All that is ever asked of us is that we pay attention, and do whatever useful thing we can.
"Attention, taken to its highest degree, is the same thing as a prayer. It presupposes faith and love." - Simone Weill
Copyright © 2025 Elizabeth Brownrigg. All Rights Reserved.
This practice of crying to the gurus from afar is well known to everyone. The key to invoking blessings is devotion, which is aroused by sadness and renunciation. This is not a mere platitude, but is born in the center of one's heart and in the depths of one's bones.
– Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye.
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