The Way of Shambhala

The Way of Shambhala program is a complete training in authentic meditation practices and teachings. This series of workshops, courses and weekend retreats (Shambhala Training) is an experiential overview of meditation practices, wisdom teachings, contemplative arts, and physical disciplines rooted in the ancient traditions of Shambhala and Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism.

The full program is comprised of two cycles of study:  Way of Shambhala I and Way of Shambhala II.  Each year-long cycle includes a series of five week evening classes, five weekend retreats, and a culminating weekend.  Additionally, participants are encouraged to visit Shambhala’s contemplative centers (located in Vermont, Colorado, Nova Scotia and France) for longer periods of meditation practice and deeper experience of study.

All are welcome to participate. Way of Shambhala is open to people of all religious backgrounds or no religious background. It is recommended for new and experienced meditators, as well as those looking to enrich their personal spiritual path.

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Way of Shambhala I

Way of Shambhala I is organized into five series. Each series includes a weekend retreat (level) and a companion five-week class. While students may take either the sequence of weekend retreats or the sequence of weekly classes exclusively, we encourage participation in both, as the combination can profoundly deepen and extend meditation. There is no need to commit to more than one weekend program or weeknight course at a time. However, to progress onto the second year curriculum – Way of Shambhala II – the entire Way of Shambhala I cycle including the Rigden weekend must be completed.

Series 1 – Meditation in Everyday Life

Shambhala Training Level I: The Art of Being Human

Through the practice of meditation, we glimpse unconditional goodness as the ground of our existence. Opening to ourselves with gentleness and appreciation, we begin to see our potential as genuine and compassionate human beings.

Open to the Public

“Meditation in Everyday Life” Course

The Meditation in Everyday Life module is designed to provide students with the introductory tools and teachings for working with meditation in everyday life. With simple instructions and support, mindfulness meditation practice can become part of our lives, bringing greater stability, strength, and clarity.

Open to the Public

Series 2 – Contentment in Everyday Life

Shambhala Training Level II: Birth of the Warrior

Having experienced a taste of basic goodness, we want to go forward. Meditation practice allows us to observe how we create a cocoon of habits to mask our fear. We begin to appreciate that there is no fundamental obstacle to experiencing basic goodness.

Prerequisite: Level I

“Contentment in Everyday Life” Course

This course provides an exploration of mindfulness meditation, the foundational views of the hinayana Buddhist teachings, and meditation in action for daily life. With meditation practice, we learn to appreciate ourselves and simple human experiences. Difficult emotions and the challenges of life can be met with gentleness, steadiness, and humor.

Open to the Public

Series 3 – Joy in Everyday Life

Shambhala Training Level III: Warrior in the World

Developing fearlessness by examining our habitual tendencies, we are willing to experience our life without relying on the cocoon. We begin to engage the world directly and extend the attitude of fearlessness to our activities.

Prerequisite: Level II

“Joy in Everyday Life” Course

As meditation practice expands and we develop trust in basic goodness, we begin to discover the confidence and personal energy to go forward on the journey. This leads to a sense of joy and bravery. The mahayana teachings on compassion become the inspiration for a life of cheerful discipline and freedom from doubt.

Prerequisite: Contentment in Everyday Life

Series 4 – Fearlessness in Everyday Life

Shambhala Training Level IV: Awakened Heart

With trust in basic goodness and daring to experience the sharp edge of reality, we move forward with gentleness, increased awareness, and inquisitiveness about the world, as it is. We can extend ourselves to others fully and with kindness.

Prerequisite: Level III

“Fearlessness in Everyday Life” Course

Learning to work with our anxiety, we are not blocked by fear. Through an exploration of the Buddhist teachings of mind and the nature of reality, we learn to see clearly. We dare to face life and death as they are. The meditator, open to uncertainty, goes beyond the emotions of hope and fear to experience equanimity.

Prerequisite: Joy in Everyday Life

Series 5 – Wisdom in Everyday Life

Shambhala Training Level V: Open Sky

Communicating with the world gently and fearlessly, our awareness is sharpened and we find the open clear sky of mind—a delightful source of wisdom and uplifted energy. We trust our nature enough to let go into the present moment

Prerequisite: Level IV

“Wisdom in Everyday Life” Course

Meditation sharpens our intelligence and uncovers our wisdom. Students will receive practical instructions for transforming confused emotions and situations into effective actions as they arise. No longer deterred or depressed by obstacles, we can include everything as part of the path. The challenges of daily life become opportunities for both contemplative practice and social action.

Prerequisite: Fearlessness in Everyday Life

Rigden

The Way of Shambhala will culminate in the “Rigden Weekend”. The Rigden is a representation of our basic enlightened nature and embodies the principle of unconditional bravery. Historically, rigdens were enlightened rulers —those who could “rule their world” based on their unwavering experience of basic goodness.

This weekend includes a formal transmission of windhorse practice, and study of the Six Ways of Ruling.

Prerequisite: Wisdom in Everyday Life and Level V, or completion of the Sacred Path program and some introductory Buddhist classes.

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Way of Shambhala II

Way of Shambhala II currently includes a curriculum of five Shambhala Training Sacred Path weekends and five weeknight classes. Participants may choose to proceed through the entire program, or participate in either the Sacred Path weekends or the weeknight classes – each sequentially. However, in order to qualify for Enlightened Society Assembly (formerly Sutrayana Seminary), the entire Way of Shambhala II program must be completed.

Shambhala Training: Sacred Path

Great Eastern Sun

This weekend program teaches us how to see the Great Eastern Sun, the primordial energy and brilliance that is the basis of all that exists, and includes an introduction to membership in Shambhala – a living context for building a sane society.

Prerequisite: Way of Shambhala I

Windhorse

Introduction and instruction for the practice of “raising windhorse” is given, which opens the heart and refreshes one’s confidence. The practice is a way to bring about skillful and heartfelt social engagement, enabling the warrior to go forward in the midst of whatever challenges occur.

Prerequisite: Great Eastern Sun

Drala

Through exploring the depth of perception, one engages the elemental and magical strength inherent in the world. The principle of drala refers to the sacred energy and power that exists when we step beyond aggression.

Prerequisite: Windhorse

Meek and Perky

“The four dignities” are introduced as a path and a process, which describe a warrior’s maturing and widening sphere of benevolent engagement in the world. The training in the dignities allows one to maintain awareness and delight at each stage.Meek is a study of the grounded, humble and gentle beginning stages of a warrior’s journey. Here one trains to overcome arrogance—the primary obstacle to learning.  Perky is the second of the four dignities and focuses on cultivating sharp, vibrant and uplifted energy through natural discipline. Overcoming the trap of doubt, the warrior of perky is able to accomplish his or her activities with a sense of nobility and ease.

Prerequisite: Drala

Outrageous and Inscrutable

The third and fourth dignities, Outrageous and Inscrutable, emphasize fruition and refer to the extraordinary skill of a practiced warrior. No longer afraid of making mistakes, the unconventional and visionary perspective of the outrageous warrior combines with the skill of spontaneous inscrutability to create benefit for others on a large scale.

Prerequisite: Meek and Perky

Way of Shambhala II Weeknight Classes

Note that the weekly courses of Way of Shambhala II are not scheduled to follow the weekend courses as in Way of Shambhala I.  These courses can be taken separate from the weekends as prerequisites are met.

Karma and The Twelve Nidana’s

The complex workings of karma are examined through the teachings on the “Twelve Links of Interdependent Origination”.  These twelve links, or nidanas, are one of the best known Buddhist explanations of the causal chain-reaction of confusion, which creates the perpetual cycle of suffering called samsara.By looking directly at the experience of mind, we begin to understand our apparent confusion about ourselves and the phenomena of our world, and how it could be interrupted thus allowing wakeful wisdom to manifest.

Lojong

Coupling practical advice with penetrating wisdom, the teachings on lojong offer a workable way to develop genuine compassion in our daily lives.Based on Atisha’s original Seven Points of Mind Training, this course introduces two essential practices of the bodhisattva warrior: Tonglen (Exchanging Self For Other), and contemplation of the Lojong slogans.  Through these two Mahayana practices, we find ourselves developing openness naturally and gaining greater skills in helping others.

Lineage and Devotion

The principles of transmission and the student/teacher relationship are introduced as a central component to advancing on the Shambhala Buddhist Path.Included is an overview of the path of devotion according to the three yanas, or vehicles, of Tibetan Buddhism; and an introduction to the central lineage figures of the Shambhala Buddhist tradition and the living, up-to-date nature of their life examples.

Journey Without Goal

The Shambhala Buddhist tradition includes the special practices and path of tantra, or the Vajrayana, which are the pinnacle of view and skillful means that leads to ultimate wisdom and compassion.This course provides a glimpse of the tantric world and it’s requisites: the tantric student/teacher relationship, transmission of the teachings from teacher to student, “abhisheka” or empowerment, and the principles of vajra nature, mandala, the five Buddha families, and “sacred world”.

Emptiness

This course offers an in-depth exploration of the meaning of one of the most famous and yet difficult teachings of the Buddha –The Heart Sutra.  When the Heart Sutra was first taught, it is said that this proclamation of emptiness was so powerful that several highly realized disciples died of heart attacks on the spot. Yet today we can read it without missing a beat!By studying and contemplating the sutra line by line, mixing view with practice, and reflecting on experiences of emptiness in our everyday experience, this course brings these esoteric teachings to life.

For an illustration of the path of study, click here.