Gregory Cuffey
The Baltimore Shambhala Meditation Center is an international community of urban meditation and rural retreat center that was founded by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Rinpoche was a meditation master of Tibetan Buddhism. The center in Baltimore offers public meditation daily, with special teachings of Shambhala Buddhist teachings, as well as in-depth teaching in contemplative arts. The Baltimore Shambhala Center wants inhabitants of Baltimore to discover “clarity, have gentleness, and to have humor while enjoying themselves”.
It is also stated by the Baltimore Shambhala Meditation Center:
“Meditation is a natural state of the human mind—at rest, open, alert. The practice of meditation has been taught for over 2,500 years as a vehicle for realizing the beauty and magic of the ordinary world without aggression or manipulation.
“The teachings of Shambhala Buddhism emphasize the potential for enlightenment inherent in every situation or state of mind. Through discipline, gentleness, and a sense of humor, the practitioner is invited to let go of conflicting emotions and wake up on the spot.
“Mindfulness/awareness meditation is the foundation of all that we do at the Shambhala Meditation Center. This ancient 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 to develop the compassion and insight necessary to care for oneself and the world genuinely.”
The Baltimore Meditation Center focuses on the Shambhala vision. This is to create enlightened society. “An enlightened society would be based upon the deepest, simple, and natural principle,” says Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, the living lineage holder of the Shambhala teachings and author of The Shambhala Principle. “That society would have an unequivocal and deep sense of confidence. This confidence would not be based upon competitiveness or arrogance, nor would it be tinged with paranoia. The society would be awake, and enriched by the most inexhaustible principle.” Shambhala Vision is that every human being has goodness within them. We live in a society where there is a lot of greed and aggression. That people harm one another, ourselves, and the planet. “From this deep, profoundly human foundation, it is possible to extend that out and create what the Shambhala tradition calls ‘enlightened society.’ This vision offers possibilities for a radical paradigm shift – not a utopia, but a culture in which life’s challenges are met with kindness, generosity, and courage.”
There is an important quote from the founder which states:
“Although the Shambhala tradition is founded on the sanity and gentleness of the Buddhist tradition, at the same time, it has its own independent basis, which is directly cultivating who and what we are as human beings. With the great problems facing human society, it seems increasingly important to find simple and non-sectarian ways to work with ourselves and to share our understanding with others. The Shambhala teachings or ‘Shambhala vision’ as this approach is more broadly called, is one such attempt to encourage a wholesome existence for ourselves and others.” – Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, author of Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior.
It is important to share understanding with others to improve how society is as a whole. Improving society is the Shambhala tradition goal. Shambhala was known for the compassion and wisdom of its leaders and citizens. That is why many people follow the tradition. Many other Buddhist communities were affiliated with the Shambhala tradition. Many communities followed the ideas of compassion and wisdom. Compassion and wisdom seem to be a trend in other Western Buddhist communities. That is why many communities developed and liked the Shambhala traditions. Compassion and wisdom were emphasized when:
“The ancient kingdom of Shambhala was renowned for the compassion and wisdom of its leaders and citizens. According to the legend of Shambhala, these qualities were the result of unique teachings on enlightened society that the Buddha gave personally to King Dawa Sangpo, the first sovereign of Shambhala. These instructions have been preserved over the centuries and are held by a hereditary lineage of teachers that hold the title ‘Sakyong.’ It is a royal title that means ‘Earth Protector.’ The current lineage holder is Sakyong, Jampal Trinley Dradül. Enthroned as Sakyong in 1995, he went through extensive training in both the East and West and holds a unique perspective on the universal values of the human spirit. Sakyong Mipham is recognized in the Tibetan tradition as the incarnation of Mipham the Great, one of the most revered meditation masters of Tibet. His books include Turning the Mind into an Ally, Ruling Your World and Running with the Mind of Meditation.The Sakyong’s teachings stress the widely held feeling that humanity is at a crossroads. He urges us to undergo a global self-reflection about our core principles, believing that how humanity feels about itself is critical for our future, and that of our planet. This vision of a society trusting and believing in its inherent worthiness is the basis of what the Shambhala lineage calls enlightened society” (Baltimore Shambhala Meditation Center)”.
The members of the Baltimore Shambhala Meditation Center represent Buddhism in the community because the members of the Shambhala Meditation Center are representing Buddhism in their weekly events and practice.
(Here are some examples of events that happen every week:)
The Everyday Life Series and the Shambhala Training Series
Course 1: Meditation in Everyday Life
The Meditation in Everyday Life course is designed to provide participants with the introductory tools and teachings for working with meditation in daily life. With simple instructions and support, mindfulness meditation practice can become part of our lives, bringing greater stability, strength, and clarity. Open to all
Weekend Retreat 1: Shambhala Training Level I
Through the practice of meditation, we begin to glimpse that goodness—rather than confusion—is the unconditional ground of our existence. Opening to ourselves with gentleness and appreciation, we begin to see our potential as genuine and compassionate human beings. Open to all
Weekend Retreat 2: Shambhala Training Level II
Having experienced a taste of basic goodness in Level I, we want to learn more. Meditation practice allows us to observe how we create a cocoon of habits to mask underlying fear. We begin to appreciate that there is no fundamental obstacle to experiencing basic goodness. Prerequisite: Shambhala Training Level I
Course 2: Contentment in Everyday Life
This course provides an exploration of genuine contentment, the foundational views of the Buddhist teachings, and meditation in action for daily life. With meditation practice, we can learn to appreciate ourselves and simple human experiences, free from self-aggression. Difficult emotions and the challenges of life can be met with gentleness, steadiness, and humor. Open to all
Weekend Retreat 3: Shambhala Training Level III
Examining our habitual tendencies, we begin to look at our willingness to experience our life without relying on the cocoon. We begin to engage the world directly and extend the attitude of fearlessness to our activities. Prerequisite: Shambhala Training Level II
There is not an exact number of members. The building in Baltimore can fit about 50 people, but it is usually smaller group sessions. Around 5-15 people were in attendance for meditation sessions. The demographics of this group consist of mainly American members but are open to all members and not specific to a particular demographic. All people are welcomed. Since there are 200 centers around the world, they try to collaborate with the community with generosity in sources or giving and outreach in the community. I think this is important because it shows that the community center in Baltimore is showing by their actions that they are true to following Shambhala traditions.
They also have social meditation in person. The practice of Social Meditation creates an environment where people can feel safe and supported while they are being their pure authentic selves with other people.
The meditation center is also aware of newcomers to meditation, so they offer classes to teach new people. The steps for novices involving meditation are broken down into several parts. These steps are introducing the practice of meditation, clarifying the view of meditation, instruction on working with obstacles to meditation, guidance on the path of practice, and study guidance on joining meditation and daily life. This clearly shows that the meditation center is detailed in the approach of teaching others and is considerate of them.
Also, since the meditation center is a non-profit organization, it offers many events free of charge. I think this is a good way to leave an impact on the community. I actually might visit there over the holidays because I have family 35 minutes from Baltimore, Maryland. Baltimore Shambhala Meditation Center receives funding from donations, monthly membership, program income, and other revenue. The “Shambhala is a not-for-profit organization funded by donations from its members and supporters, and by program fees. This community-based funding keeps Shambhala financially independent and healthy. It provides the resources we need to grow locally and funds the international leadership and training that supports this work”. Some of these programs could be done yearly but they work on a monthly basis from the website, so it is possible for them to do events annually.