Shambhala Buddhism is a recently developed school and expression of Tibetan Buddhism. Begun by Tibetan master Chogyam Trungpa (and currently helmed by his son, Sakyong Mipham), Shambhala is a secular path rooted in mindfulness meditation practice that aspires to realize a world informed by gentleness, fearlessness, and the basic sanity inherent to all. Shambhala centers, located all over the world, offer a varied path of study and practice: here is an introduction to that spiritual journey.
Weekend Meditation Retreats – Shambhala Training - The Heart of Warriorship
Shambhala Training is a series of twelve weekend meditation retreats consisting of mindfulness meditation instruction and practice, talks by senior Shambhala teachers, group discussion, and personal meditation interviews. Through meditation practice, habitual patterns obscuring one's fundamental wisdom are made transparent, and the community of fellow practitioners explore what it would mean to realize an enlightened society.
Offered in a sequential order, Shambhala Training levels have two classifications. The first five levels —The Art of Being Human, Birth of the Warrior, Warrior in the World, Awakened Heart, and Open Sky — are known as The Heart of Warriorship, and explore foundational concepts like basic goodness and the cocoon.
Weekend Meditation Retreats – Shambhala Training - The Sacred Path
The last seven levels, known as The Sacred Path, are informed by visionary texts received by Chogyam Trungpa known as terma, and explore advanced theories and practices. Principle among these teachings are the notions of the four dignities (totem animals), drala, and windhorse, which are all central ideas in Trungpa's classic tome, The Sacred Path of the Warrior.
The Shambhala Training path culminates with Warrior Assembly, a ten-day meditation retreat with a senior Shambhala teacher who confers Stroke practice, “a simple and powerful practice that enables one to transform confusion and hesitation into wisdom and authenticity” (see Shambhala Training).
The Monthlong Shambhala Meditation Retreat – Dathun
Dathun is a month-long meditation retreat generally held two to three times a year at each of the four Shambhala land centers (located in Vermont, Colorado, Nova Scotia, and France); however, participants can participate for one, two, or three weeks as they wish. Inspired by the Zen tradition of disciplined group retreat (sesshin), dathun has an immersive and even demanding schedule of meditation, study, and work.
While some may be intimated by such a program, participating in a dathun for any length of time is a powerful way to strengthen, or be introduced to, one's practice of Shambhala and Tibetan Buddhism. Dathuns can also have a special focus in terms of teaching (“the Buddhist teachings, the Shambhala teachings, the teachings of lojong ['mind training'], or the creative arts,” according to Dathun), and will vary somewhat based on the senior teacher leading the retreat.
The Spiritual Path of Chogyam Trungpa and Shambhala
Whether one feels inspired to commit to Shambhala or Tibetan Buddhism, or is simply looking to calm and clear the mind, the teachings of Chogyam Trungpa offer potent remedies for the anxiety pervasive today. The spiritual journey is ultimately for the individual to brave (see Meditation for Beginners for more on individual practice), yet the ancient tradition of sane society may have the power to transform the world.
Josefine Cole - Josefine is a BA graduate of Naropa University's Religious Studies program, which emphasizes self-transformation through practice of ...
