In December of 2020, during the pandemic, the Philadelphia Shambhala Center hosted a virtual gathering with fourteen of the founding members of Shambhala in Philadelphia.  Coming together from coast to coast, some of them had not seen each other...

The Halifax Shambhala Centre: Who’s in Charge? The Mandala Governance System

In 1975, when Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche was asked how he saw his lineage continuing in America he replied that “the general plan, seemingly, or general intuitive plan, is that some kind of reign of sanghaship would take place for a while," and "this needs group spirit." The Halifax Shambhala Centre is implementing a new governance model. The...

Journey to Taktsang 57 Years Ago

The Sadhana of Mahamudra was completed at Taktsang in Bhutan on September 6, 1968. Here, in his own words, is the story of traveling to Taktsang and receiving the sadhana.

Lack of Credentials

Excerpted from The Way of Basic Sanity, A Brief Overview of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's Perspective on Sutric Buddhism

Why Now?

Tashi Colman's Review of The Sadhana of Mahamudra, a new title from Shambhala Publications

The Halifax Shambhala Centre Announces the Visit of Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche

The Halifax Shambhala Centre is pleased to announce that Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche—the grandson and spiritual heir of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, one of Trungpa Rinpoche’s principal teachers—will be visiting Halifax during the first week of August 2026.

Lady Diana’s Life Story

I’ve been asked by the family of Lady Diana Mukpo to make some remarks today about her life story: who she was, what she did and what her connection is to all of us! It’s difficult to do this for someone of her stature and also for someone who was such a beloved friend of many...

Ringu Tulku on the Sadhana of Mahamudra & the Four Dharma’s of Gampopa

Thank you to Ringu Tulku and his organization, Bodhicharya, for permission to post this talk.

The Passing of Lady Diana Mukpo

Dear Shambhala Sangha, Our community has experienced an incredible loss. We write with heavy hearts to share that Lady Diana Mukpo - wife and widow of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, mother, grandmother, accomplished equestrian, and steadfast protector of the Shambhala teachings and vision - passed away surrounded by family and close friends at her home in Florida on...

Jonathan Barbieri on Meeting our Kagyu and Nyingma relatives for the first time

Jonathan Barbieri has taught Buddhist and Shambhala trainings extensively throughout North America for over 40 years. He served as a Shastri, a senior teacher, in the Shambhala lineage for several years. Jon has been engaged in several livelihood pursuits including 10 years in educational non-profits, consulting with cities and counties on workforce development, creating contemplative co-housing...

Tim Olmsted on Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Pema Chödrön and Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

These Sons and Daughters of Noble Family lectures showcase the rich dharma heritage of our extended dharma family. They were originally presented live by Karme Choling and hosted by Julia Sagebien & Karme Choling Co-Directors JT Buck & Vegan Aharonian between April and October 2024. The Chronicles is now in the process of making all sixteen of these lectures available permanently here, adding a new episode to this page every few weeks.

It Was the Memory of His Kindness

I read something recently that recalled the evening I heard Chögyam Trungpa speak in Toronto in the autumn of 1971. My memories of that evening come back to me occasionally, and they surfaced again while I was reading Opening a Mountain: Koans of the Zen Masters. The book is a deeply contextualized collection of stories and...

Joni and Rinpoche

Here is Joni Mitchell in conversation with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden after receiving the Gershwin Prize. When asked what themes she might want to explore currently in her songwriting, Joni talked about her connection with Trungpa Rinpoche

Calligraphy Lesson

I loved Trungpa Rinpoche beyond words and admired him more than anyone I had ever met (I was also a little afraid of him).

Father Thomas Keating and Trungpa Rinpoche Talk About Egolessness

This conversation took place during Naropa’s 1983 Christian Buddhist Conference

THANK YOU


In just over two weeks, our Ocean and Chronicles communities donated *almost* $60,000 to support our year-end campaign. We do not take this lightly! With so much going on in the world, and so many organizations vying for our attention, we’re consistently floored by the generosity of our members, teachers, contributors, and friends.

Thank you. We’re looking forward to expanding our offerings in 2026! Stay tuned for updates.

If you missed our campaign, and would like to support this work, it's never too late to



Check out the donor comments

Walker Blaine Discusses ‘Highland Eyes’

Blaine talks about the origins of his music album

A Conversation with Judy Lief

Judy Lief is a prominent Buddhist teacher, writer, and editor with an emphasis on the teachings of Chögyam Trungpa, and on a contemplative approach to death and dying.

Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche was among the first Tibetan meditation masters to come to the West, and among the few to understand the western mind. The qualities he possessed, manifested,...

Qualities

My stories of the Vidyadhara are pretty uneventful. As a kasung, as personal guard, I got to be around him many times, and I lived in the Court in...

Meeting the Best Friend That You Will Ever Have

When I was around 13 years old I was very stubborn. One of my first real gestures of rebellion towards my parents was to refuse to go to church...

The Kiss and the Pimple

In 1981, even though we were not tantrikas yet, the Vidyadhara invited some members of the Nalanda Translation Committee French Section, which was established in Montreal three years before,...

Every Lifetime

I had not seen the Vidyadhara in a while. It was probably 1975 or 1976... and when he was visiting NY I had an interview with him. Among other...

First Teaching

It was around 1975 or 1976 and I was a student at the University of California at Santa Barbara. I had been very interested in Buddhism since my early...

Four Calligraphies from the 1973 Seminary

Many of Trungpa Rinpoche's students have original CTR calligraphies framed and displayed in their homes. Rinpoche often called for paper, ink and brush to mark birthdays or weddings, or to commemorate important events. Here is Abbie Halpern's story about four such works by the prolific Chögyam Trungpa.

Khandro Rinpoche Addresses the Ocean Community

During Ocean's Parinirvana Day feast practice on April 4, 2022, Her Eminence Khandro Rinpoche appeared among us. She arrived at the perfect moment and said what we needed to hear.

Dreamers and Their Shadows

In the bombed-out wreckage of post-war Tokyo, a safe is discovered that contains several scrolls within a gorgeous antique lacquer box. They chronicle the strange trajectory of the Prince...

Video Excerpt from When the Iron Bird Flies

This 5 minute clip from the feature documentary WHEN THE IRON BIRD FLIES: Tibetan Buddhism Arrives in the West follows Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche as he leaves England, lands in...

Introduction to The Art of Calligraphy: Part III

Gently, but with great conviction, the brush would descend to the paper and make its first dot. Often Rinpoche would pause the brush on this first mark, as if waiting for the calligraphy to be born from its seed.

The Earth is Our Witness

As I practiced the Vajrayogini sadhana in front of the sunlit shrine next to the porch, graceful deer bounded through the woods outside, finding a refuge from their fear...

Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche in NYC

by Barbara Elizabeth Stewart Thursday evening, August 12 The Yangsi has left New York, left Vermont and is now alighting in Boulder. His New York visit was short but the Pema...