By: Tyler Larson
History:
The center was founded in 1979 in South Austin Texas. The Shambhala tradition was first established in North America and Europe by Vidyadhara Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, a Vajra master trained in the Kagyu and Nyingma Buddhist Traditions which are part of Vajrayana Buddhism.[1] Rinpoche is known as a “Sakyong,” meaning “earth protector,” in the Shambhala tradition.[2] Sakyongs are a series of teachers who are responsible for preserving the Shambhala lineage. The Kingdom of Shambhala, as the story goes, was renowned for the compassion and wisdom of its leaders and citizens. Legend states that these qualities were obtained from a teaching of the Buddha on enlightened society that he gave to the first ruler of Shambhala, King Dawasangpo. The Sakyong, therefore, preserves these qualities and lineage that were instilled by the Buddha himself.[3] The current Sakyong is Mipham Rinpoche, pictured below.
Meditation master Chogyam Rinpoche was responsible for spreading the Shambhala tradition throughout North America and Europe during the 1970’s. He was a Tibetan Buddhist and during this time he began to see the demise of his own Tibetan culture so he escaped Tibet and entered a period of self-reflection and intense meditation. He realized that Shambhala teachings were more necessary to the world than ever before. Therefore, he began to spread Shambhala principles throughout the world which proclaimed the inherent goodness of humanity. His core message, and the core message of the Shambhala community today, is that if humanity wishes to create a better world, it would need to base its approach on a global respect for fundamental human dignity.[4]
Pictured above is Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, the man responsible for spreading the Shambhala tradition to North America and Europe.[5]
Currently, the Austin Shambhala Center does not have a live-in teacher. Instead, a senior teacher travels to Austin in the spring and fall of each year to offer teachings to the members. The center is registered as a Buddhist Church and is a non-profit educational organization. The Austin Center also has three sister centers in Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas. Many buildings at the Austin Center serve different purposes to the community. The center consists of one large building and one small building. In the large building are two meditation halls, two meeting rooms, and a kitchen. In the small building, there is just one meditation hall, a children’s classroom, the office, and another kitchen. The largest meditation hall can hold up to 80 people to accommodate the community’s large membership.
Membership:
The Austin Shambhala Center has a “commitment to inclusivity” in which they accept members of all nationalities, cultures, languages, ethnicities, races, spiritual or religious backgrounds and traditions, ages, genders, sexualities, and members with any physical, perceptual, or mental disabilities.
A strong community is central to the Austin Center and several community celebrations take place each year. One of these is Shambhala Day which is the celebration of the new year based on the Tibetan Lunar Calendar. It is seen as a “fresh start,” and a “letting go of the habitual tendencies and patterns of the past.”[6] Another community holiday celebrated at the center are Nyida Days. These are seasonal holidays that are celebrated on each solstice and equinox. The goals of these celebrations are to connect with the earth and experience the changes in one’s surroundings. Below is a picture of a community celebration taking place[7]:
Members also meet throughout the week to practice meditation. They meet on Sundays from 9am to 12pm and Monday through Thursday from 7pm to 8pm. Due to the community’s policy on inclusivity, visitors are welcome on Wednesdays where they are given a tour of the community by the director and they are taught about the various meditation practices that take place in the community.[8]
The Shambhala Global Community:
The Shambhala tradition seeks to include people from all around the world and from all aspects of life, faith, and backgrounds. The global community consists of more than 200 Shambhala centers and groups in over 50 different countries. The central organizing principle behind the global community is the Shambhala lineage and teachings. Meditation instructors, local teachers and leaders are appointed by the Shambhala lineage holder, the Sakyong. Each local community offers the same body of teachings and practices, and “share the common, global aspiration for good human society.”[9]
The Shambhala Vision:
The Shambhala tradition is rooted in the principle that every human being has a fundamental nature of goodness. This nature of goodness, they believe, can be developed so that it “radiates out to family, friends, community, and society” in daily life. The Shambhala tradition believes that we live in an age of greed and aggression. We harm ourselves, each other, and the planet. Shambhala teachings claim that they can fix these problems. They believe that we can experience a “natural source of radiance and brilliance in the world, which is the innate wakefulness of human beings.” It is possible to extend this wakefulness and create an “enlightened society,” or “a culture in which life’s challenges are met with kindness generosity, and courage.” Shambhala says that it is a spiritual path of study and meditation that helps us work with our minds, and helps us serve others, and engage in the world.[10]
Meditation and Other Practices:
The Shambhala tradition as stated previously has roots in Tibetan Buddhism. The Austin Shambhala center offers four major programs derived from the Tibetan tradition. The first is called “Shambhala Buddhism.” This involves focusing on traditional, Tibetan Buddhist practices. The second is “Shambhala Training,” which involves focusing on meditation techniques. Shambhala training is for beginners as well as experienced meditators. It involves a series of contemplative practices that focus on Shambhala Warriorship, or the “tradition of human bravery and leadership.” It teaches meditators how to take the challenges of daily life as “opportunities for contemplative practice and social action.” Shambhala training is divided into five workshops which involve meditation training, talks by senior instructors, personal interviews, and group discussions. Levels I-V of these workshops provide the foundations of the mindfulness-awareness meditation practice and emphasize the development of “genuineness, confidence, humor, and dignity within the complexity of daily life.” The first stage of Shambhala training is called the Art of Being Human in which meditators realize goodness as the basis for existence and where we see ourselves as gentle and compassionate. The second stage is Birth of the Warrior where we realize that there are no obstacles to experiencing goodness. Warrior in the World is the third stage and involves developing fearlessness to the point where we engage the world directly and are fearless in our undertakings. The fourth stage, Awakened Heart, is where meditators focus on moving forward, trusting in goodness, with gentleness, increased awareness, and inquisitiveness about the world. The last stage, Open Sky, is where we find open, clearness of mind. After these five stages one can transition to the Sacred Path program which is further warriorship training.[11] The third program offered at the Austin Shambhala Center is called “Shambhala Art” which is led by an interdisciplinary artist. Other categories of art include dance, led by a dancer of course, and even choreography. The last program offered, the “Nalanda” program, involves tea art, art of Japanese flower arranging, calligraphy, and the way of bow.[12]
Shambhala Buddhism is another popular practice at the Austin Center. It encourages people to face reality, head-on, and not to back away from it. Shambhala, in general, focuses heavily on lived Buddhism and the Austin Center is no different. The center believes that Buddhism should be adapted to fit western life if it is to succeed in this culture. Shambhala Buddhist practice at the Austin Center seeks to apply the traditional Tibetan teachings in a more modern context to bring them into mainstream culture so they can be applied to society today.[13]
Meditation practices are an essential part of the Shambhala tradition and especially at the Austin Center. The main practice taught at the center is Mindfulness or Awareness meditation. Their idea behind this practice is that every human has the ability to cultivate the mind’s stability, clarity, and strength with the goal to become more awake, develop compassion and insight, and to care for oneself and the world. The belief behind meditation is that wisdom and compassion are inherent aspects of all human beings and by learning to relax we allow these aspects to take over our being. Below is a picture of people meditating at the Austin Shambhala Center.[14]
[1] “Austin Shambhala Center.” The Pluralism Project, 2005, pluralism.org/profile/austin-shambhala-center/.
[2] “Home.” Austin Shambhala Center, austin.shambhala.org/.
[3] “Home.” Austin Shambhala Center, austin.shambhala.org/.
[4] “Home.” Austin Shambhala Center, austin.shambhala.org/.
[5] “Home.” Austin Shambhala Center, austin.shambhala.org/.
[6] “Home.” Austin Shambhala Center, austin.shambhala.org/.
[7] “Home.” Austin Shambhala Center, austin.shambhala.org/.
[8] “Home.” Austin Shambhala Center, austin.shambhala.org/.
[9] “Home.” Austin Shambhala Center, austin.shambhala.org/.
[10] “Home.” Austin Shambhala Center, austin.shambhala.org/.
[11] “Shambhala Training.” Shambhala, shambhala.org/about-shambhala-path/shambhala-training/.
[12] “Austin Shambhala Center.” The Pluralism Project, 2005, pluralism.org/profile/austin-shambhala-center/.
[13] “Austin Shambhala Center.” The Pluralism Project, 2005, pluralism.org/profile/austin-shambhala-center/.
[14] “Home.” Austin Shambhala Center, austin.shambhala.org/.