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...
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...
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...
The Essence of What He Invoked
I watched a video of Rinpoche for the first time in a long time recently. When I saw him and heard his first words, his presence was so vivid...
The Court
Then, seemingly out of the blue and certainly not to my liking, Rinpoche announced on Christmas Day that he would like to invite my mother to dinner ...
Trungpa Rinpoche and Alan Watts
Here is Sam's account of Trungpa Rinpoche's friendship with Alan Watts.
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...
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...
You Knocked Over the Musician!
The 16th Karmapa's second visit to the San Francisco Bay Area occurred during the Chinese and (that year) Tibetan new year's celebrations. On the big day the Karmapa hosted...
How Naropa Got Its Name
In the summer of 1973, Trungpa Rinpoche gathered a few of his more academically minded students to discuss the creation of a new college
Enter the Dragon
During his lifetime, we celebrated Chögyam Trungpa's birthday in February. I don't think we ever had an exact date, probably because Tibetans use a lunar calendar. In Born in...
Where in Montreal?
Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's and Lady Diana Mukpo's first address in North America.
Heaven and Earth Rock Gardens
In the mid-1980s two meditation masters from different countries and traditions came together to create a beautiful and inspired work of art
Grief On The Path Of Dharma: A Panel Discussion
This panel discussion took place on September 26, 2024 at the Boulder Shambhala Center, with panelists: Miriam Tarcov, Jon Barbieri, Bryan Welch, and Colin Stubbert; moderated by Judy Lief.
Presented...
Surmang Diary
Encounter with Damchu Rinpoche
We got a call from Surmang Foundation Regional Director Tsondru Tsering inviting us to his house for lunch I've known Tsondru and his family since 1992,...
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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 […]