What is Shambhala?

Shambhala is a global social movement whose aim is to bring compassion, insight and sacredness to society.

It sees inherent wisdom and intelligent as the fundamental nature of all beings. Through meditation we discover this basic goodness within ourselves, and by developing confidence in it we are able to acknowledge and respect the dignity and goodness of others. It is upon this foundation that enlightened society is based and made possible.

The Shambhala teachings are founded on the premise that there is basic human wisdom that can help to solve the world’s problems. The wisdom does not belong to any one culture or religion, nor does it come from the West or the East. Rather, it is a tradition of human warriorship that has existed in many cultures at many times throughout history.
Chögyam Trungpa from Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior

This is the path of spiritual warriorship. It is grounded in mindfulness-awareness meditation and the wisdom teachings that have been handed down through generations of practitioners. Our lineage draws primarily from the Nyingma and Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

The Shambhala teachings emphasize being in the world. Everyday life, work, family, and social action are brought along with the path of meditation. At its essence is the focus on how to live a full human life and help this world even in the midst of turmoil and challenge.

In essence, the emphasis of the Buddhist path is to help us attain enlightenment, and the emphasis of the Shambhala path is to help us create and maintain a good society. When we put these two together, we have the Shambhalian Buddhist view of enlightened society.
Sakyong Mipham

Find out more about Shambhala:

Shambhala Vision: Creating Enlightened Society
Shambhala Lineage: Rediscovering Our Wisdom & Compassion
The Shambhala Principle: Discovering Humanity’s Hidden Treasure
Shambhala in the World: A global network of people dedicated to the principle of basic goodness.