Humanity is experiencing a challenging time: we are living in a democracy, economic, and environmental crisis – which is actually a climatic emergency. Still, we tend to postpone solutions, to pretend the problem is not there, and to negate reality. It is difficult to conceive the effects of our actions if they might manifest only in a somewhat remote future. At the time of his enlightenment, the Buddha experienced a full view of karma, action and effects, and the sitting practice of meditation enables us to increase our awareness in terms of time and space. But why do we resist a clear perception of reality? This talk will explore the Buddhist notion of avidya, basic ignorance, that is deeply rooted in our mind stream. This kind of resistance is exactly what meditation works with, in order to increase the level of awareness, both individually and collectively, and to create a good human society which is respectful of the planet we live in and all its inhabitants.
Acharya Daniele Bollini, born in 1965 in Bellinzona (Switzerland), started to study and practice the teachings of the Vidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1981 with the Lugano Dharma Study Group. In 1987 he attended the first Level 1 of Shambhala Training in Switzerland. After his first Dathün in 1989, he attended the first European Warrior Assembly and Vajradhatu seminary both in 1990. In 1994 he received the Warma sadhana lung from Lady Kunchok at Kalapa Assembly. In 1996 he received Vajrayogini Abhisheka with Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche and graduated from Ngedön School of Higher Learning. Between 1991 and 1996 he received Mahamudra and Ati teachings from Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche at Shambhala Mountain Center (SMC) and Karme Choling. In 2005, he attended the first Rigden Abhisheka in SMC and received Chakrasamvara Abhisheka. He has been a Scorpion Seal practitioner since 2009. He was Director of the Ticino Shambhala Center from 1990 until 2005 and for some years now he has been a Co-Mentor for the Shambhala communities in Italy. A Meditation Instructor since 1989, and teacher since 1990, he has been teaching, mainly in the Swiss Italian and Italian area. In 2011 he was appointed Shastri for the Milano, Lucca and Ticino Shambhala Centers. He has been working as translator of Shambhala liturgies, practices and texts into Italian for many years and attended several interreligious meetings in Rome representing the Shambhala lineage. In the last years he has been teaching Shambhala Training to teachers in the secondary schools of Cantone Ticino, in South Switzerland. He is married and has a 21-year-old daughter. After finishing his studies in classical archaeology in Fribourg in 1989, in 1990 he began to teach history, geography and Italian in the secondary school in Ticino. He is now active as an expert and consultant in history didactic in the public school of Cantone Ticino and teaches History didactic at the local teacher’s university. He is co-author of a two volumes book on Swiss history for secondary schools.
