Shambhala Studies
Shambhala Studies
Shambhala Studies
Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche created a process by which one could become ordained and
endorsed for the purposes of requirements like the Association of Professional Chaplains. In
addition to completing the course work and seminaries mentioned below a Master of Divinity is
also required.
Please note that this degree can be obtained from Naropa University which Chogyam Trungpa
Rinpoche found.
These five workshops include meditation training and practice, talks by senior instructors,
personal interviews and group discussions.
The Sacred Path program introduces further warriorship practices, that extend the basic
meditation training. These practices are based on a societal vision and aspiration to help the
world. This level of training cultivates one's dignity and natural gifts that are able to widen one's
sphere of compassionate and practical influence. During a series of visionary experiences that
took place between 1976 and 1980, Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche wrote down what became
known as the Shambhala texts. The Sacred Path of the Warrior is based on these texts and on the
extensive commentaries Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche gave on these teachings and on how to
practice them in modern times.
Drala
Through exploring the depth of perception, one engages the elemental and magical strength
inherent in the world. The principle of drala refers to the sacred energy and power that exists
when we step beyond aggression.
Windhorse
One studies the text that gives the instruction for “raising windhorse,” which opens the heart and
refreshes one's confidence. The practice is a way to bring about skillful and heartfelt social
engagement, enabling the warrior to go forward in the midst of whatever challenges occur.
Meek
“The four dignities” are introduced as a path and a process, which describe a warrior's maturing
and widening sphere of benevolent engagement in the world. The training in the dignities allows
one to maintain awareness and delight at each stage. Meek is a study of the grounded, humble
and gentle beginning stages of a warrior's journey. Here one trains to overcome arrogance—the
primary obstacle to learning.
Perky
As the second of the four dignities, this level focuses on cultivating sharp, vibrant and uplifted
energy through natural discipline. Overcoming the trap of doubt, the warrior of perky is able to
accomplish his or her activities with a sense of nobility and ease.
Outrageous and Inscrutable
These fruitional dignities refer to the extraordinary skill of a practiced warrior. No longer afraid of
making mistakes, the unconventional and visionary perspective of the outrageous warrior
combines with the skill of spontaneous inscrutability to create benefit for others on a large scale.
Golden Key
This program is based on a Shambhala text that works with our relationship to the “material
world” and our sense perceptions. It teaches the practice of enriching presence—the ability to
instantly sense the inner wealth within oneself, phenomena, and the natural world.
Warrior Assembly
Kalapa Assembly
Kalapa Assembly is a fruition program for both the Shambhala Training as well of the Shambhala
Buddhist Path. Participation in this program is through an application process, and represents a
level of deep commitment to Shambhala and the work of creating enlightened society. It is in this
context that participants pledge with the Sakyong to work in any way that they are capable, in any
location in which they may be living, to bring pragmatic and compassionate ideals of enlightened
society down to earth.
The two-part Shambhala Seminary is The Warrior Assembly is the fruition of the
designed to deepen students' practice and Shambhala Training Sacred Path program.
understanding of the buddhist and During Warrior Assembly, students study
Shambhala teachings and to enter them the Shambhala terma text, The Golden Sun of
into the vajrayana practices of the the Great East, and receive the ashe practices
Shambhala Buddhist mandala. Part 1, of stroke and lungta. Warrior Assembly is a
Sutrayana Seminary, is led by a Shambhala pre-requisite for attending Shambhala
acharya and provides in-depth training and Vajrayana Seminary.
study of the hinayana, mahayana, and
Shambhala teachings. Part 2, Vajrayana • Warrior Assembly information
Seminary, is led by Sakyong Mipham and application
Rinpoche and authorizes students to begin o Karme Choling
their Shambhala ngöndro--the preliminary June 30 - July 12, 2006
practices for receiving the Rigden
Abhisheka. V AJRAYOGINI A BHISHEKA
"It's very helpful to realize that being here, sitting in meditation, doing simple
everyday things like working, walking outside, talking with people, bathing,
using the toilet, and eating, is actually all that we need to be fully awake, fully
alive, fully human. While we are sitting in meditation, we are simply exploring
humanity and all of creation in the form of ourselves. We can become the
world's greatest experts on anger, jealousy, and self-deprecation, as well as on
joyfulness, clarity, and insight, Everything that human beings feel, we feel. We
can become extremely wise and sensitive to all of humanity and the whole
universe simply by knowing ourselves, just as we are."
- Pema Chödrön, teaching on day two of a dathün
Dathün (Tibetan for "month session") is a one-month group meditation retreat lead by a senior teacher. It is
open to anyone and is a very powerful introduction and deepening of mindfulness-awareness meditation.
Each day consists of alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation with time for talks, study, and a
short work period. Silence and functional talking are observed throughout the day. Meals are served in the
shrine room oryoki-style, a practice of mindful eating taken from the Zen tradition. There is regular
individual instruction with trained meditation instructors.
An example of a day in the dathün:
6:30 am Wake up
4:00 pm Tea
5:30 pm Talk
Evening chants
Closing chants
In general, the daily schedule is quite full, and there is not much time for personal activities. One day in the
middle of the dathün is open with no scheduled practice.
Although there is a shrine with Buddhist and Shambhala symbols as well as chants at certain points of the
day, one does not need to be a Buddhist nor even be interested in becoming a Buddhist to take part. All the
symbols and chants are oriented toward arousing our natural wakefulness and compassion and are
provided as methods for realizing the nature of our minds.
In the Shambhala Buddhist tradition, dathün is one of our most important training programs. There is a real
power and depth to practicing with a group for a month, and for many people, it is a big step on their path
of meditation. In terms of the teachings, there are different kinds of dathüns, with some of them
emphasizing the Buddhist teachings, the Shambhala teachings, the teachings of lojong ("mind training"), or
the creative arts. Yet all dathüns are alike in being grounded in intensive sitting practice of mindfulness and
awareness.
Anyone is welcome to come to a dathün. If possible, it is good if you have already had meditation
instruction and some experience and understanding of meditation beforehand. There are 165 Shambhala
Centers worldwide, where you can receive free meditation instruction and can take part in meditation
classes and programs for reasonable fees. Please see our Shambhala Center guide for the center closest to
you.
Since dathün is such a central part of our training, it is a requirement for those people planning to take
Sutrayana and Vajrayana Seminary, as well as for becoming a meditation instructor. It is also required to do
at least a weekthün before doing a solitary retreat. For more information on retreats, click on retreats.
Recommended Readings
Pema Chödrön:
The Wisdom of No Escape
Start Where You Are
(These books are teachings she gave during two particular dathüns.)
Chögyam Trungpa:
The Heart of the Buddha
The Path is the Goal
There are four practice centers in the Shambhala mandala that offer dathüns at different times of the year.
Sutrayana Seminary deepens and expands the For additional information or to submit an
practice and study students undertook in the application for a particular program, follow the
Shambhala School of Buddhist Studies, dathün, and relevant link below:
the Shambhala Training Heart of Warriorship
D i thi th l db J 2006 Sh bh l S t
Shambhala Acharya, students live in a Shambhala Seminary
environment, alternating periods of intensive June 9 - July 9, 2006
meditation practice with classes in Buddhist and at Shambhala Mountain Center
Shambhala view and practice. led by Acharya Judith Simmer-Brown
Still accepting applications.
PREPARATION View program information
Submit an application online
Students applying to Sutrayana Seminary should Submit a recommendation
have completed the following before the program : Access additional resources
• July 2006 Shambhala Sutrayana
• A dathün. Seminary
• The Shambhala School of Buddhist July 1 - July 30, 2006
Studies, or an equivalent, intermediate at Dorje Denma Ling
level of Buddhist study, including study of led by Acharya Moh Hardin
the 1999 and 2000 Shambhala Sutrayana Still accepting applications.
Seminary Transcripts. View program information
• The Shambhala Training Heart of Submit an application online
Warriorship program. This is a new Submit a recommendation
requirement. In this transition year, if you Access additional resources
were planning to attend Sutrayana
Seminary but will not be able to complete SUBMITTING RECOMMENDATIONS
the Heart of Warriorship before the
program, please talk to your Shambhala To submit a recommendation for a program
Training Resident Director to discuss ways applicant, select the program they are applying for
of covering this material before the above and follow the instructions under
program. Recommenders.
Application
Registration
Registration http://www.shambhalamountain.org/program_detail.php?retreat=507
forms can be
found here:
Travel
Accommodations
Payment
Financial Assistance
The Shambhala Vajrayana Seminary introduces the For additional information or to submit an
student into the vajrayana teachings and practices of application for a particular program, follow the
our Shambhala and Buddhist lineages. During this relevant link below:
program, students will receive authorization and
training in the Shambhala ngöndro practices under • 2006 Shambhala Vajrayana Seminary
Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche's personal guidance. In August 4 - September 2, 2006
applying for Vajrayana Seminary, students are at Dechen Choling
requesting to be accepted as his vajrayana students. led by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, Acharya
Thus, attendance in this program requires a personal Simon Luna, Acharya Fenja Heupers
connection and commitment to Sakyong Mipham Still accepting applications.
Rinpoche, the teachings of the Vidyadhara, View program information
Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and the Shambhala Submit an application online
Buddhist mandala. Submit a recommendation
Access additional resources
Please note: If you have already attended Vajrayana
Seminary and want to attend the Rigden abhisheka, SUBMITTING RECOMMENDATIONS
please refer to the Rigden abhisheka page for
information on attending the abhisheka and group To submit a recommendation for a program
ngöndro retreat. applicant, select the program they are applying for
above and follow the instructions under
PREPARATION Recommenders.
HOW TO APPLY
SOLITARY RETREAT
Historically, retreat practice has been central in the practice lineages of the Kagyü and Nyingma. As
Milarepa has sung:
The kindness of the father guru is repaid by practice.
Lord guru, please keep me in your kind heart.
Grant your blessings so that this lowly one may keep to retreat.
In his early days of teaching in North American, the Vidyadhara placed considerable emphasis on
individual shamatha retreats. This was often a student's first exposure to extended shamatha practice.
Retreat cabins were built at all the practice centers, and regular retreat practice was encouraged. This was
before the establishment of the dathün and weekthün (month and week long group retreats) and the
introduction of vajrayana practices.
Over time, the dathün and weekthün replaced retreat practice as most students' first introduction to
intensive practice. However, the dathün was not designed to replace the solitary retreat, but to provide a
powerful and supportive group situation to enter new students into intensive practice. At this point, dathün
is required before doing a retreat.
Solitary retreats are still highly encouraged for shamatha students, as well as for ngöndro and sadhana
practitioners. In the new Buddhist curriculum, a 7 day solitary retreat is one of the requirements for
Vajrayana Seminary, and for some vajrayana practices, extensive retreat is necessary. It is also extremely
important that teachers and meditation instructors have a regular retreat practice to deepen their
understanding. Though retreat is not required on the Shambhala Training path, many students have found
it very powerful to do Shambhala practices such as stroke and Werma in retreat. In any case, whether
required or not, retreat can be one of the most powerful and inspiring experiences that practitioners can
have.
It is best to do a retreat at a practice center offering guidance as well as dedicated retreat cabins in beautiful
locations. Visits by an experienced retreat master are included. In-house retreats at major practice centers are
another option.
EXTENDED RETREATS
Some centers can accommodate experienced retreatants who would like to do a longer solitary retreat of
several months or longer. Other centers have a limit of one month or so for retreats.
The retreat practices are based on the Karma Kagyu (Kamtsang) tradition, and all participants take
temporary ordination for the duration of each segment. The segments are one year in, one year out. In this
way two groups of 16 people alternate in participating in the retreat which takes a total of six years.
To enter the retreat one must complete the vajrayana preparatory (ngöndro) and deity practices.