About Shambhala

Shambhala is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect and propagate the Shambhala and Buddhist teachings — both of which seek to help humanity wake up to our innate wisdom and compassion.

The founder of our community, the Venerable Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche, was an accomplished Tibetan meditation master and lineage holder in the Kagyu and Nyingma Buddhist traditions. He was also revered as a powerful visionary who received many special “hidden treasure teachings” (terma) which are revealed only at a time when people need and are able to hear them. Thus the Shambhala teachings were hidden by ancient Tibetan Bön and Buddhist visionaries to be revealed for our times by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

How are the teachings of Shambhala different from traditional Buddhist teachings?

Shambhala — the name, was taken from a mythical kingdom in Central Asia where the people enjoyed harmony, good health, and well-being. As explained by our current leader, Sakyong Mipham, Rinpoche,

“The history and legend of Shambhala is based upon a great community that was able to reach a higher level of consciousness. This community could occur because its individual members participated fully in creating a culture of kindness, generosity, and courage.”

Although the Shambhala teachings have their roots in ancient Tibetan Buddhism, they have a broader vision which embraces all peoples, cultures and religions that share the Shambhala vision of creating kind and sane societies. Whereas the Buddhist teachings focus on the awakening and development of the individual, the Shambhala teachings seek to provide a culture and environment in which the individual and society can blossom.

“The Shambhala teachings are founded on the premise that there is basic human wisdom that can help to solve the world’s problems. The wisdom does not belong to any one culture or religion, nor does it come from the West or the East. Rather, it is a tradition of human warriorship that has existed in many cultures at many times throughout history.”

— Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior

In action, Shambhala is both a spiritual path of study and meditation that helps us work with our minds, as well as a path of serving others and engaging with our world, regardless of whether we are Buddhist or not. These vital and timely teachings open the door to the compassionate care for ourselves and others.