by Steve Roth
Reprinted with permission from The Miraculous 16th Karmapa: Incredible Encounters with the Black Crown Buddha.
In eighth century Tibet, Padmasambhava made a prophecy: "When the iron bird flies, when horses run on wheels, the king will come to...
Remembering Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche
Our beloved guide, Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, left his physical body behind on June 22, 2024. As with all great teachers, his passing has magnified his presence in the hearts and minds of his students, making this a moment of profound sadness and inspiration.
When the sun of dharma, the Vidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, disappeared from view,...
Suffering as Blessing
By Ken Bowles
In the early 1970s at age 29, I was diagnosed with an incurable medical condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa that would result in progressive deterioration of my eyesight and blindness. In 1972, I attended a weekend seminar with Chogyam Trungpa on The Mandala of the Five Buddha Families held in a gymnasium in Barnet, Vermont....
What to expect at the Visit of Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche
In this nine-minute talk, the Loppon explains the significance of this visit for Trungpa Rinpoche’s vajrayana students, those who encountered him during this lifetime, and those who have come along since then.
The Passing of Bernie Flynn
Bernie first came to our Sangha after college and roaming around the country in the usual hippy pursuits of the early 70's. The "VT back to the land" movement was in full swing and he was going to write the "Great American Novel". He found a house in Barnet and as it turned out, it was not...
The Passing of John Baker
The family of John Joseph Baker, 81, of Boulder, Colorado share the news of his passing on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at his beautiful mountain home in Boulder, Colorado with his family by his side. He experienced a gentle “fading of my life” over a period of many months. John was born on September 13, 1944,...
Interview with Khenpo Karma Tenkyong
Drala Mountain Center is looking forward to hosting Khenpo Karma Tenkyong, the resident teacher at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, for Open, Spacious, and Free: A Mahamudra Meditation Retreat, August 26th-29th.
Harsh Splendour First Screening
In 1959 Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche led 300 refugees on a nine-month journey across Tibet to India – a journey now seen to rank among the greatest of history’s great escapes. Among those following him was the Washutsong family and their daughter Palya, aged 15. With music composed and performed by India Gailey and Jeff Reilly, narration by Grant MacLean, Harsh Splendour tells Palya’s story. Through HD satellite images and a flight simulator, we follow the route the refugees took, see the towering mountain terrain they crossed, the fearsome weather they faced. It is a journey to inspire us all.
You Are The Masterpiece
Exploring unconditional sacredness: the display of innate goodness, the worthwhileness of everyday life
21 Years of Tributes from the Mahasangha
Contribute your poems, stories and tributes to this ongoing collection
Four Artists Reflect on CTR’s Visual Dharma Teachings
Photo by George Holmes, used by permission
A reminiscence from Jack Niland
Here's the story. In 1974 at the start of Naropa, Trungpa told me I had to teach a class..."Just tell them everything I've told you" were his only instructions. The first year I assisted others to learn the ropes. Then, starting in 1975, he had me...
Datun Study Program
Buddhism: View and Path: A 7-month study program from Siddhartha's Intent: January - July 2026. The course is being taught by senior instructors and students of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, along with several excellent guest teachers.
The Passing of Lama Yonten
Lama Yonten passed away in Nepal on February 7. Yonten was Trungpa Rinpoche's attendant during their escape from Tibet, 1959-1960. He also attended Trungpa Rinpoche's root guru, Shechen Kongtrul Rinpoche. Years later in India, he attended Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.
Here is a recent passage from Rabjam Rinpoche's Facebook page
In Loving Memory of Lama Yonten, Personal Assistant to...
50 Years of Dharma at the Philadelphia Shambhala Center
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 for decades.
They talked about the early days of practice, the sangha house in West Philly, the visits...
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
I would like to talk a little bit about Trungpa Rinpoche. Even when he was very young, he was extremely knowledgeable. He gave the Rinchen Terdzö empowerment when he...
Richard Reoch
Richard talks about issues of trust, devotion and loyalty, exploring the balance between practice with working in the world, and more.
Lack of Credentials
Excerpted from The Way of Basic Sanity, A Brief Overview of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's Perspective on Sutric Buddhism
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...
Banana Leaves, Butlers, and a Miracle on Mapleton Avenue
The household was a whirlwind of activity, packed at all hours of the day and night with family, guests, Kasung, and household staff. It was chaos wrapped in a pervasive atmosphere of precision, joy and humor ...
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
Tea Offering
In 1982, I was encouraged to join the Dorje Kasung, partly, I was told, because it provided good context, structure, and occasions for direct encounters with the Vidyadhara. In...
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...
On the Porch at Charlemont
Jean Claude's recollections of Trungpa Rinpoche
Charlemont is a town in northwestern Massachusetts. Rinpoche spent a lot of time in a farmhouse near Charlemont, mostly during a long retreat in...
Transcript of HH the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa’s Saga Dawa (Vishaka Day) talk
Since 2500 yrs. ago Buddha's teachings still exist; tonight I'll be speaking about dharma as taught by the buddha
Not only the buddha dharma but all the great religions of...
Some Moments in Vancouver
In his humble way, he listed the many wonderful qualities of the previous Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche while declaring he himself had none of those qualities.
Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche at Shambhala Mountain Center
I just spent a magical afternoon with Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche. He came to Shambhala Mountain Center to see the Great Stupa and we hosted him in classic Vajradhatu...
Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche Retreat in Massachusetts
Between 20,000 and 75,000 years ago, the Laurentide Ice Sheet covered what is now eastern Massachusetts in thousands of feet of ice and carved hills that remain today. In...
Riding on the Wind: The Culture of Windhorse
by Clarke Warren
As we enter the year of the wood horse, it seems appropriate to delve into the qualities and significance of the horse in Tibetan culture. Students of...
It’s Up To You
A Review of Chögyam Trungpa's Latest Title
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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
We were very pleased to welcome Gerardo Abboud to the Halifax Shambhala Centre and back again to Ocean. In 2022 Gerardo led an […]
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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 […]
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The Interconnectedness of The Mandalas of Taktsang and of the Sadhana of Mahamudraby Lodro Sangpo
In the first class has a slideshow and videos of the walk up to the temple complex, as well as the other important temples in the […]