In December of 2020, during the pandemic, the Philadelphia Shambhala Center hosted a virtual gathering with fourteen of the founding members of Shambhala in Philadelphia.  Coming together from coast to coast, some of them had not seen each other...

The Halifax Shambhala Centre: Who’s in Charge? The Mandala Governance System

In 1975, when Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche was asked how he saw his lineage continuing in America he replied that “the general plan, seemingly, or general intuitive plan, is that some kind of reign of sanghaship would take place for a while," and "this needs group spirit." The Halifax Shambhala Centre is implementing a new governance model. The...

Journey to Taktsang 57 Years Ago

The Sadhana of Mahamudra was completed at Taktsang in Bhutan on September 6, 1968. Here, in his own words, is the story of traveling to Taktsang and receiving the sadhana.

Lack of Credentials

Excerpted from The Way of Basic Sanity, A Brief Overview of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's Perspective on Sutric Buddhism

Why Now?

Tashi Colman's Review of The Sadhana of Mahamudra, a new title from Shambhala Publications

The Halifax Shambhala Centre Announces the Visit of Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche

The Halifax Shambhala Centre is pleased to announce that Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche—the grandson and spiritual heir of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, one of Trungpa Rinpoche’s principal teachers—will be visiting Halifax during the first week of August 2026.

Lady Diana’s Life Story

I’ve been asked by the family of Lady Diana Mukpo to make some remarks today about her life story: who she was, what she did and what her connection is to all of us! It’s difficult to do this for someone of her stature and also for someone who was such a beloved friend of many...

Ringu Tulku on the Sadhana of Mahamudra & the Four Dharma’s of Gampopa

Thank you to Ringu Tulku and his organization, Bodhicharya, for permission to post this talk.

The Passing of Lady Diana Mukpo

Dear Shambhala Sangha, Our community has experienced an incredible loss. We write with heavy hearts to share that Lady Diana Mukpo - wife and widow of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, mother, grandmother, accomplished equestrian, and steadfast protector of the Shambhala teachings and vision - passed away surrounded by family and close friends at her home in Florida on...

Jonathan Barbieri on Meeting our Kagyu and Nyingma relatives for the first time

Jonathan Barbieri has taught Buddhist and Shambhala trainings extensively throughout North America for over 40 years. He served as a Shastri, a senior teacher, in the Shambhala lineage for several years. Jon has been engaged in several livelihood pursuits including 10 years in educational non-profits, consulting with cities and counties on workforce development, creating contemplative co-housing...

Tim Olmsted on Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Pema Chödrön and Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

These Sons and Daughters of Noble Family lectures showcase the rich dharma heritage of our extended dharma family. They were originally presented live by Karme Choling and hosted by Julia Sagebien & Karme Choling Co-Directors JT Buck & Vegan Aharonian between April and October 2024. The Chronicles is now in the process of making all sixteen of these lectures available permanently here, adding a new episode to this page every few weeks.

It Was the Memory of His Kindness

I read something recently that recalled the evening I heard Chögyam Trungpa speak in Toronto in the autumn of 1971. My memories of that evening come back to me occasionally, and they surfaced again while I was reading Opening a Mountain: Koans of the Zen Masters. The book is a deeply contextualized collection of stories and...

Joni and Rinpoche

Here is Joni Mitchell in conversation with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden after receiving the Gershwin Prize. When asked what themes she might want to explore currently in her songwriting, Joni talked about her connection with Trungpa Rinpoche

Calligraphy Lesson

I loved Trungpa Rinpoche beyond words and admired him more than anyone I had ever met (I was also a little afraid of him).

Father Thomas Keating and Trungpa Rinpoche Talk About Egolessness

This conversation took place during Naropa’s 1983 Christian Buddhist Conference


Thanks to you, the Ocean/Chronicles community, our 2025 year end campaign was a great success.


In just 16 days, your donations totaled $53,617, ending just shy of our $60,000 goal

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Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche on Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche: His Lineage and Legacy

In fact all the great lamas consider Trungpa Rinpoche as a real vidyadhara. He is very special. He is a very authentic master and great scholar. What he wrote is mind-boggling.

Cynthia Moku

Cynthia talks about meeting her teacher, Kalu Rinpoche, how she began to study with SMR, the origins of the Rigden thangka, and the ongoing iconographic work that she has undertaken.

Sherab Chödzin Kohn

The exemplary story of the birth of a guru is that of Padmasambhava. He is born on the calyx of a huge lotus flower in the middle of a...

Birthmark

One day in the early 70s Rinpoche was sitting at his desk, and I pointed to his birthmark. He had a soft brown birthmark on his left forearm. I said something clueless like, “Is that a birthmark?”

At Suzuki Roshi’s Funeral

In this seven minute audio clip, Sam Bercholz describes the events surrounding Roshi's funeral, including Rinpoche's comments about appointing a dharma heir, and ...

The Karme Choling Rock Garden

“The Japanese would be very proud of this!” -CTR

First Drive / First Passenger

Unlike most young men of my generation I was not particularly focused on getting my driver's license when I turned 16. Just by chance and lack of money for...

Peony

I stopped talking. He was silent. We both looked at the peony.

Jackson Hole

In December of 1972 I was traveling east of the Cascades and the Rockies on an adventure. Just looking out the bus window at the endless snow and sporadic...

Parinirvana of Kyabje Trulshik Chokyi Lodro Rinpoche

Trulshik Rinpoche, one of the most venerated and revered masters in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, passed away on September 2, 2011 at the age of 88, at his monastery...

84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha

The Kangyur, or translated words of the Buddha, includes more than 500 sutras and 1,100 tantras. The Tengyur contains more than 4,000 treatises and commentaries by Indian and Tibetan masters...

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

by Meg FedericoRob and I had not been to a practice program together, (let alone on a vacation) since our first child was born and he's 28 years old...

We are now set up to accept Cyrpto and Stock Donations

Donorbox’s new integration with Rennaisance Charitable and The Giving Block has made it easy for Chronicles/Ocean to accept stock or crypto donations. For stock donations First go to the Donation...

What Made Him Tick

I'd been eagerly awaiting a chance to see Crazy Wisdom after it premiered in Santa Barbara in February, so when I heard it was playing at the Buddhist Film...

On the Mamos, the Dharmapala Principle and Mahakali Vetali

The feminine principle, functions as a force of creating harmony, friendship, and connectedness, in relationships and family, in community, between self and nature, and between mind and body.