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
Thanks to you, the Ocean/Chronicles community, our 2025 year end campaign was a great success.
In just 16 days, your donations totaled $53,617, ending just shy of our $60,000 goal
Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Inconceivable Love
It has been twenty years since Chögyam Trungpa left this world.
As an artist, he taught us all to be artists in every moment of our lives, and to give...
Stephen Seely
Steve takes a look at his relationship to Ponlop Rinpoche and the Nalandabodhi community, in light of his ongoing connection to the Mukpos and the Shambhala mandala.
Bill Douglas’ “I Shall Not Live in Vain”
Long-time sangha member Bill Douglas started the Naropa music program in 1977 where celebrated thirty years of teaching. Bill has toured extensively as a a bassoonist, pianist, and composer,...
Peony
I stopped talking. He was silent. We both looked at the peony.
Four Moments of Truth
I was living in Boston at the time of the Vidyadhara's 1986-87 illness, and we in the sangha there had been doing intense practice because of this on and...
Interview with Chris Levy: Audio Recovery Technician
Shambhala Archives audio technician, Chris Levy, talks about the audio recovery project, and his ten-year experience of working with Chogyam Trungpa's audio library.
A Lover Not a Fighter
It was 1976 and I was attending a public seminar at Karme Choling conducted by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. A close friend and I first met Rinpoche in 1971 and my...
Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in Quick Charcoal
I met Rinpoche in 1971, becoming a student of his soon after, and for life. During the course of it, he assigned to me an eclectic array of different tasks and challenges. One of these was to make portrait sketches of him as he ...
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.
Celebrating 900 Years of the Kagyu Lineage
Photograph by James Gritz
James Gritz reports, December 11, 2010:
We are here in Bodhgaya working from dawn to late at night on the film of the Karmapa and the Kagyu...
Karma Pakshi and Two Mongol Emperors: Genesis of the Reincarnate Lamas Tradition
Charles Manson, the Librarian at the Bodleian Library at Oxford, talks about his new book "The Second Karmapa Karma Pakshi.
Gold Lake Oil
In this article, Tom Bell tells the story of the seeming rise and apparent fall of Gold Lake Oil.
A Brief History of Tassajara
From Native American Sweat Lodges to Pioneering Zen Monastery
Walk Slowly, Arrive Now
Gradual and/or Instantaneous:
A Review of Two Very Different Books That Converge on a Vital Topic
A Review of Two Very Different Books That Converge on a Vital Topic
Grief on the Path of Dharma
Presented by the Foundation for Enlightened Society
With Miriam Tarcov, Jon Barbieri, Bryan Welch, & Colin Stubbert
Moderated by Judy Lief
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Mahamudra Elixir II: Identifying & Sustaining the Nature of the Dynamic Mindby Elizabeth Callahan
LISTEN TO THE EIGHT RECORDED SESSIONS OF ELIXIR PART I Mahamudra Elixir II Starts October 1 This five-part series will focus on […]
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Buddhist Rebirth III: Modern Takesby Roger Jackson
Rebirth, or reincarnation, was assumed by most premodern Buddhists – and is believed by many modern Buddhists – to be “the […]
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The Key Points of Trekchö with Gerardo Abboudby Gerardo Abboud
In person at the Halifax Shambhala Centre, and here on Ocean We are very pleased to welcome Gerardo Abboud to the Halifax […]
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Samsara, Nirvana, and the Pathby Jakob Leschly
Samsara represents the painful cycle of dysfunction and suffering, whereas nirvana epitomizes the liberation inherent in our true […]
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The Kagyu Lineageby Jonathan Barbieri
Lineage is the unbroken transmission of wisdom and skillful means that is passed down directly from teacher to student – from […]