We have just received word that a true friend and an important figure in the dharma has died. Arbie Thalacker was a big man, with a big heart, with many big accomplishments to his credit. I knew him and his wife, Deborah Garrett, herself a powerhouse for the dharma, for twenty years. We worked together in the Shambhala organization, and I enjoyed their generous hospitality many times when I was in New York. I loved and admired them both.
Arbie’s combination of devotion, ability, and connections made him a unique and powerful force on behalf of the dharma.
He was an important figure in the Shambhala mandala as a long-standing and influential member of its board. He was deeply devoted to His Holiness the Karmapa, and used his skills as a key behind-the-scenes advocate during negotiations with the federal government preceding the Karmapa’s two trips to the US. Later he became chairman of the board of the Karmapa Foundation and was long an important supporter of Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, the Karmapa’s North American seat. And his good work was not limited to the dharma; he was an important supporter of the arts, contemplative education, and historical preservation as well.
Arbie was the very definition of a “high-powered lawyer.” I don’t know precisely what he did, but it involved things like arranging bond issues with the government of China. He not only knew people like the late Richard Holbrooke—he had a long-standing feud with him. That’s big league. These are the skills this warm, big-hearted, devoted, powerful man brought to the service of the dharma. I will miss him. We all will miss him. The dharma will miss him.
There will be a small sukhavati for Arbie’s family and close friends at the Shambhala Center of New York on Thursday. A public celebration of his life is planned for March in New York, which will undoubtedly bring together people from the many spheres Arbie touched. Here are the first two of what I’m sure will be many tributes to this man with such a big heart, who accomplished so much.
—Melvin McLeod, Editor-in-chief, the Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Quarterly
Great Gathering of Merit
One of the names bestowed on Arbie by his Buddhist teachers was “Complete Gathering of Merit.” I would often refer to him by this name when we served together on the Sakyong’s Council, established by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche in 2005 as the governing body of Shambhala during the period of reconstruction of the mandala initiated with the first Shambhala Congress. He was an endearing, enduring, and unshakeable reservoir of insight and guidance to us all. Arbie, on hearing his “lineage name,” would smile bashfully. Everyone else’s eyes would light up.
But it did not take that for us to understand, both intuitively and in a very practical way, how perfectly this breathtaking name matched the inner character of this great dharma warrior.
I hold him with profound respect in my heart and practice as he makes his way into the great expanse.
—Richard Reoch, President of Shambhala
I had the pleasure to serve with Arbie Thalacker for several years on the board of Shambhala International. When you think of Arbie, the very first thought that springs to mind is kindness. That’s striking, because it’s not the very first trait one expects to see in top-flight, high-powered, midtown Manhattan lawyers. But Arbie showed himself to be so much more than a lawyer. He was, for one thing, a delightful companion. After long sessions wrangling with the intractable challenges involved in running a far-flung dharma organization, I enjoyed sitting on the porch of a cabin in the mountains and just hanging out. Arbie displayed not only a great sense of humor and the ability to tell a good story, but also the ability to listen and pay attention and offer honest, helpful counsel.
Arbie was gifted with wisdom indeed, but also with great merit. He did not seek it, but he earned it. An extraordinary lover and devotee of the dharma, he did a great service to the lineage of teachers who have brought dharma to the West. His assistance and support were invaluable. He was a true son of noble family.
—Barry Boyce, Senior Editor, the Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Quarterly
