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

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Following the Chinese take-over of Tibet in 1959 and the flight of many Tibetans into exile, Tibetan Lamas began to be invited to visit other parts of the world....

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.

Ato Rinpoche

"It is now twenty years since Trungpa Rinpoche died. If, in this time, you have remembered his teachings, persevered in the practices that he gave you, and still continue...

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 ...

Meeting the Best Friend That You Will Ever Have

When I was around 13 years old I was very stubborn. One of my first real gestures of rebellion towards my parents was to refuse to go to church...

The Court

Then, seemingly out of the blue and certainly not to my liking, Rinpoche announced on Christmas Day that he would like to invite my mother to dinner ...

No Place To Go

Setting: Karme Chöling 1972 Trungpa Rinpoche and I are sitting side by side. There's a long period of silence. Out of the blue, he looks over at me and says:...

Lying To My Guru

"Did you understand anything?"

Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche Talks About Our Connections

Recorded for the Ocean Feast Practice on the Anniversary of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche's Parinirvana

Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche in NYC

by Barbara Elizabeth Stewart Thursday evening, August 12 The Yangsi has left New York, left Vermont and is now alighting in Boulder. His New York visit was short but the Pema...

The Four Noble Truths Of Wealth

Layth Matthews is a long-time student of Shambhala and Buddhist dharma, living in Victoria, BC where he served as the Shambhala Centre Director from 2010 - 2013, and works...

Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche Retreat in Massachusetts

Between 20,000 and 75,000 years ago, the Laurentide Ice Sheet covered what is now eastern Massachusetts in thousands of feet of ice and carved hills that remain today. In...

Creating a Drala Culture

The Vidyadhara set about designing a world, not by introducing something foreign, but by literally turning our conventional world inside out, revealing essence.

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...