Northern California Shambhala is a community of meditation centers and study groups located in Berkeley, Davis, San Francisco, San Rafael, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Sonora, Silicon Valley and Grass Valley. To locate a center near you, click here.
We are part of Shambhala International, a community of meditation centers founded in 1973 by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist meditation master, artist, author, and poet. Today, the Shambhala tradition is led by Trungpa Rinpoche's son, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. Along with a number of senior dharma teachers such as Acharya Pema Chodron, these timely teachings are being offered at Shambhala Centers worldwide.
It is the Shambhala view that every human being has a fundamental nature of goodness, warmth and intelligence. This nature can be cultivated through meditation, following ancient principles, and it can be further developed in daily life, so that it radiates out to family, friends, community and society. Shambhala vision is rooted in the contemplative teachings of Buddhism, yet is a fresh expression of the spiritual journey for our time.
The Sakyong Addresses 1200 People at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco
Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche made a historic visit to Northern California recently, giving an evening address to a standing room only crowd of 1200 people at the majestic Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Bishop Marc Andrus warmly welcomed the Sakyong and gave an introduction to his work. Both the Bishop and His Majesty reflected on the Sakyong's father, Chogyam Trungpa, and the deep challenges he faced in bringing the message of Shambhala to the West after Tibet's takeover by China. "This is bravery," the Sakyong observed. "It was his decision that life was worth living."
For over an hour-and-a-half, the Sakyong spoke eloquently about "that sense of bravery and self-reflection that everybody shares" and the nature of our collective work towards creating a global mood where basic goodness is acknowledged as inherent in human nature.
He described the importance of meditation, and wryly noted, "My new book, Running with the Mind of Meditation, is not to be confused with meditation while the mind is running!" In encouraging us to practice in the face of obstacles, he observed "even the great meditators weren't necessarily in the mood. But they continued."
He closed by saying that "Society is no more than all the thoughts and feelings we have right now, expressed in a myriad of ways." Describing basic goodness, he summarized, "The notion that we don't have to transcend earth, but we can bring that goodness here, is what we're talking about tonight."
Photographs by Andrea Roth
The Sakyong went on to Craneway Pavilion where 400 people who came from all over the mandala to hear him teach the Rigden Weekend, in which he was assisted by Acharya Eve Rosenthal and Acharya Emily Bower. It was a wonderful opportunity for many newer students to meet and practice with Rinpoche at an early point in their path. Many of them commented afterwards that up until then the idea of "Sakyong" had been just that – an idea. Now that they had met him they understood at a heart level what Shambhala is trying to do in the world.
While in Northern California, the Sakyong visited Sharchen Dzong in San Francisco for the first time, blessing the space and leading a gathering of regional representatives from the three pillars.
The whole of the Sakyong's teachings seemed to create a momentous shift that could be felt throughout the mandala; the event was literally felt in the San Francisco area, where it was punctuated the morning after his teachings by a 4.0 earthquake!
The combined efforts of over 130 sangha members contributed to the success of the Sakyong's visit.The coordinators' group developed this aspiration which infused the visit: "With warmth, openness and cheerful discipline, we manifest Shambhala together."
Yes, we did.
As the spiritual leader of Shambhala, the Sakyong, or "Earth Protector," directs a community of meditation practitioners committed to realizing the inherent goodness in humanity. His work benefits an array of causes and institutions worldwide, and the global network of Shambhala meditation and retreat centers is dedicated to promoting the vision of an enlightened world.
You'll find a more detailed biography of the Sakyong by clicking here, and on his website here. Videos of the Sakyong teaching can be found here. Watch the trailer for the upcoming film about Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche entitled "An Uncommon King" by clicking on this video link:
Acharya Pema Chodron is a well-known teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition. Her root teacher was the Sakyong's father, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. The Sakyong and Pema recently taught a program together called Being Brave,Transforming Our World. A DVD of that presentation is available by clicking here.
Photo by Alan Goldstein
Pema Chodron teaches us to Smile at Fear
Recently, Acharya Pema Chodron taught a program with Mrs. Carolyn Gimian called Smile at Fear that was attended by 3,000 people at Craneway Pavilion in Richmond, California, across the bay from San Francisco. An additional 2,000 people from thirty different countries participated in the program via live video stream. This tremendously powerful event brought together individuals from many different walks of life and wisdom traditions, all committed to working with fear and anxiety through the practice of meditation. With the spirit of gentleness and inquisitiveness, Ani Pema Chodron taught us how to befriend our fear to help us find peace in our lives.
Meditation
Mindfulness meditation is the foundation of all that we do at the Shambhala Meditation Center. Originating from Shakyamuni Buddha, this 2,500 year-old practice of self-discovery is rooted in the simple, but revolutionary premise that every human being has the ability to cultivate the mind's inherent stability, clarity and strength in order to be more awake and compassionate in everyday life.
All Northern California Shambhala meditation centers offer free meditation instruction, classes, a comprehensive curriculum in Buddhist studies, and Shambhala Training - a progressive series of weekend secular workshops that help students establish a personal meditation practice in order to engage more fully and compassionately in the world. Check with your local center for its schedule of events. Northern California Shambhala welcomes people of any spiritual tradition or none at all who would like to learn more about the everyday benefits of meditation. Learn more about meditation by clicking here.
