Shambhala Center Membership

Becoming a member of the Shambhala Meditation Center of Los Angeles is a commitment to meditation practice, dharma study, and to becoming involved in the activities at the Shambhala Meditation Center of Los Angeles. It means participating in a community of practitioners who aspire to relate to each other with honesty, warmth, and openness.

Why does membership matter?

Members are a crucial part of the financial and volunteer support of the center without whom the Shambhala Center could not offer all of the wonderful programs and events that it does. Membership helps to ensure that the profound tradition of meditation is able to survive and flourish. Connection with the sangha (community) helps you with your practice in many supportive ways.

What are the benefits of membership?

Receive ongoing meditation instruction with a personal meditation instructor
Members are invited to community events, programs, and classes, and receive discounts for some programs
Membership pin
Automatic membership in Shambhala's world-wide network
Access to member resources at www.shambhala.org
Inclusion in membership directory

How do I become a member?

Download the PDF Form and fill it out. Mail it to the center, to the attention of SMCLA Membership or Patsy Brown
Determine what you can afford. Although the membership contribution is currently set at $75/month, some people pay less and some pay more. It is up to you to decide what your level of contribution will be and it can be changed at any time. Please talk with our membership director (Allison Conant) if you have any questions or concerns.
Think about volunteering. How can you contribute your time, energy, and/or financial resources to help the activities of Shambhala? Please contact Valerie Landsburg at findval@valerielandsburg.com for volunteer opportunities.
Questions? Concerns? Please contact Allison Conant at alcla@sbcglobal.net

"Those who are in the sangha are warriors, because they are trying to overcome samsara. Members of the sangha support one another and care for one another. They are not perfect, but they inspire us because they are people who want to deepen their practice of mindfulness, awareness and compassion. The sangha is also a container. When we practice together, the sangha helps our discipline. We realize that there are other people around who are going through the same thing. That gives us a feeling of encouragement."

– Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

This is really a time of sangha, of community. In terms of what we are as a community, as practitioners of Shambhala buddhadharma , and how we can help the world, I think that one of the important elements is that we can be inspiring to others. Obviously, we have many inspiring teachers. But what might be most effective is if individuals in the community can get together and live cohesively and enjoy each other's company. Obviously, the world is getting smaller. Shambhala vision is how we can work together. The community should have a sense of pride about being who we are. We should be able not only to get along, but also to be able to flourish.

The Tibetan word for sangha, gendun, means "those who are engaged in virtue." At the basis, virtue really means always being concerned about others. A community is people who are engaged in virtue together.

The point of practicing as a group is we are orienting ourselves. If we enter the world in this way, we have a sense of who we are, an orientation in our life. I think that the power lies in having certain times of the year when the sangha practices together, when we do things together. There are many activities and we have many projects happening, but the fundamental ongoing project is for all of us to build our community and show that we can live in a decent way. The principle is that enlightened society is at least people trying to bring out the goodness.

– Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

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Shambhala Meditation Center of Los Angeles
963 Colorado Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90041
Tel. 323 255 5472 Email:

Shambhala, Shambhala Meditation Center, Shambhala Training and Shambhala Center are registered service marks of Shambhala International (Vajradhatu). Way of Shambhala is a service mark of Shambhala International (Vajradhatu). Website by Blue Mandala Shambhala Training® and Shambhala Art® are registered service marks of Shambhala/Nalanda Foundation.