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Acharya Simon Luna dies in Chile

Aug 14, 2007

Acharya Simon Luna died instantly this morning of a heart attack in the Santiago, Chile airport. He had just returned home from Boulder, Colorado, after having assisted the Sakyong in his teachings at Shambhala Mountain Center. Acharya Luna is survived by his daughter, Sarah. Sukhavatis will be announced locally in many Shambhala Centres.

This afternoon in Halifax, during the Kalapa Festival, the Sakyong, Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche led practices for Acharya Luna and offered the following:

"It's shocking and very sad. I just saw Simon recently at the Dzogchen Retreat. I asked him to go to Latin America to lead the sangha and he did a wonderful job. He left everything and he only had the practice of dharma in his mind. We prepare for this kind of event, but nonetheless when it happens, it's very destabilizing and still very emotional. Being a leading acharya and teacher makes it poignant. This is an important time for the sangha to assist him in his journey.

When an individual passes away suddenly, they aren't aware of their passing. So the sangha and the lama (offer support). His Eminence Namkha Drimed Rinpoche has already conducted a phowa ceremony today and my thoughts have been with him too. As a community, we put our minds together to be clear and fearless. Our worrying thoughts should be muted at least for the moment, so that we put our best mind forward.

Once it leaves the body, consciousness is more clear so you have more clairvoyance. Distance doesn't matter. Someone can detect clearly what our intention is, especially those of us who were close to the individual. They can feel our thoughts very clearly. So in your mind you should clearly tell him that he has passed away and that he should rely on the guru and the lineage, and that all the teachings he has received are maturing and ripening very quickly. This period of the next few days is very important in his journey."

Acharya Luna's biography, adapted from one he wrote, follows.

In November of 1973, a young Tibetan lama passed through San Antonio, Texas, and gave a talk to a few people on Buddhism. Although Simon Luna missed the talk, he was immediately intrigued to hear of a high spiritual teacher who smoked Marlboros and drank Johnny Walker Red. He picked up a copy of "Meditation in Action" at the local spiritual bookstore and his hippie-length hair "stood on end" as he read the words of Chogyam Trungpa. Trungpa Rinpoche returned to San Antonio in January of 1974, and Simon's lifelong journey with Rinpoche had begun.

Later that year Simon attended the first summer of Naropa University, then dathun and retreats; and for several years held down the fort for a small study group in San Antonio, Texas. During this time, Simon worked as a journalist and editor for the San Antonio Express-News. After Seminary in 1979, Simon moved with his daughter Sarah to Austin and over the next ten years served in numerous Dharmadhatu administrative capacities and taught many Shambhala levels and Buddhist classes. For livelihood, Simon owned a small business in graphics and typesetting.

In 1989 Simon went to a fire puja at Shambhala Mountain Center, and stayed on staff for two years as Co-Director of Practice and Study. Then came four years at Naropa as Director of Publications. For nine years he was Director of Practice & Study at the Boulder Shambhala Center, again at Shambhala Mountain Center, and worked on a retrospective of Naropa University for its 25th anniversary. Beginning in 1997, Simon also completed the three-year retreat at Gampo Abbey.

In December of 2003 the Sakyong appointed Simon an acharya. In late 2002, the Sakyong, Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche had asked Simon to go to South America to teach and advise the many lively dharma students there, and to prepare the ground for the first South American Seminary, which occurred in February 2006. He lived in Santiago, Chile, practicing, teaching, and finally learning the Spanish of his Mexican ancestors. He also made periodic visits to Brazil, and assisted Argentina, Peru, and Colombia.

Of his first year in South America, Simon reported, "These are beautiful countries with people who have deep roots in their families and cultures. They are so earthy, kind, and connected to the local dralas. Based on that, their connection to the teachings is very intuitive and strong. There is a veritable fiesta of dharma beginning to happen in South America!"

(This announcement was from the Shambhala News Service)