Give a Day to Shambhala: A Generosity Practice

A couple years ago I participated in the sangha retreat in Halifax called Being Brave. It was an amazing week of practice and teachings and I felt happier and more inspired among a group of strangers there than I’d been in some time. Toward the end of the week organizers placed large bowls and baskets … Continue 

First Changes — News on Uplifting Our Space

Next time you’re in the Shambhala Centre, you’ll notice some small changes that are already making a big difference. In the community room, we’ve removed the Japanese paper ceiling treatment (which was maybe twenty years old and discoloured with years of dust) and the corner calligraphy display. The room already feels a bit more airy. … Continue 

Back to Basic Goodness: Beginner’s Mind and Butter Tarts on a First Weekthun

Group retreats are often described as “potent” ways to deepen one’s mediation practice. I finally had the opportunity to experience that potency for the first time in a weekthun at Juniper Hill 25 May–2 June. Patricia Hayward directed the retreat with teachings on the new Shambhala meditation approach to fully experiencing ourselves as being alive … Continue 

The Shambhala Principle: Sakyong Mipham’s New Book

Sakyong Mipham – the head of the Shambhala lineage – has just published a new book, The Shambhala Principle: Discovering Humanity’s Hidden Treasure.  This book is devoted to the principle of basic goodness and enlightened society. It was written, the Sakyong says, as a dialogue with his father, the legendary Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, who presented … Continue 

The Impact of Crazy Wisdom (by Pat Parisi)

For me, life as a Buddhist began with books, and lots of them. I didn’t understand a word that was written on the pages. It wasn’t only that the concepts were beyond me but the words described a landscape that I didn’t yet inhabit. It was as though I were visiting another country and nothing … Continue 

Spring Equinox Celebration in Toronto

What a beautiful day it was. The sun shone brightly on March 30th, 2013. We had spent weeks in preparation for our first ever Spring Equinox celebration only to find there was more new life than usual this Spring! We were blessed with the arrival of our new Shambhala Princess, Jetsun Yudra Lhamo Yangchen Ziji Mukpo (aka … Continue 

Community Practice Days

On the first Sunday of every month, the Shambhala Meditation Centre holds a community practice day. Everyone is welcome! On these days, we offer meditation practice in the main meditation hall from 10 am to 1 pm. You are welcome to come for all or part of this session, which consists of periods of sitting … Continue 

Wednesday evenings this season

The Shambhala centre is open every Wednesday evening at 7pm, offering meditation instruction, group sitting practice, as well as occasional short talks, videos, and discussion groups. If you are interested in learning how to meditate, it’s best to arrive a bit before 7pm. Meditation instruction is offered by an experienced meditation instructor at that time. … Continue 

Shambhala Day 2013 in Toronto

On Monday, February 11 the Shambhala community celebrated Shambhala Day, which marks the beginning of the New Year, and represents one of the most important traditions of Shambhala Buddhism. According to Chinese-Tibetan astrology, this year is the year of the Water Snake. Celebrated in over 150 Shambhala centres around the world, the day began in … Continue 

Welcome to our new website!

Welcome to our new website based on the new Shambhala centre template. Over the coming months we will be adding content and developing the site. If you have any suggestions for the site, please let us know by emailing us at [email protected] For examples of other Shambhala centre websites using the new template, visit Boston, … Continue