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| Home Meditation Programs Buddhist Study Shambhala Training Arts About Us Community |
Community "Sangha" is the Sanskrit term for "community of practitioners" - one of the three jewels of Buddhism. The Philadelphia Shambhala Meditation Center is home to a wonderfully diverse community who share a genuine connection to contemplative practice and the aspiration to realize a more wakeful, sane society. Friends and members of the Shambhala Center are welcome to attend celebrations, practice events, meetings and gatherings of special interest groups. The Center is part of an international community of 165 meditation centers founded by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and led by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. The Shambhala Buddhist path, unique in the world of Western Buddhism, combines the teachings of the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions of Tibetan Buddhism with the Shambhala view of living an uplifted life, fully engaged with the world. The Philadelphia Shambhala Sangha is a group of people united by a commitment to the recognition of human goodness and the practice of meditation. We are in the process of initiating a number of ways we can better help each other, get to know each other, and offer the Philadelphia area service and support. Apart from meditation sessions and programs, we also gather in a variety of social contexts and celebrations. The descriptions below provide a picture of what we have to offer, and the directions in which we are going.
Care and CommunityThe Philadelphia Shambhala Center is in the process of setting up a team devoted to care and community. This group will create networks and systems that will help us to: Help community members in need. Whether cooking a meal, offering a ride, or simply taking time to chat, there are very tangible ways we can help each other in times of crisis.
Create a way for spontaneous socializing to take placeWe are looking into a list-serve to encourage people to keep in touch, and share ideas about events and outings that may be happening in and around Philadelphia.
Develop directory of servicesSome people in our community paint houses, others are therapists, others teach singing, others trouble-shoot computers. We are going to create a directory of services to help link community members to each other. If you are interested in helping in any of these areas, please contact Harriet Zilber or Ricky Moreau. Some community activities that are already in place:Children’s ProgramOne Sunday a month we offer a time when children can play in a supervised and structured environment so their parents can sit part of the meditation session from 9 to 12. Diversity CircleIn our aspiration to create enlightened society, we are challenged to recognize and dissolve barriers that separate us from others. We strive to foster a welcoming atmosphere, free of prejudice. The Shambhala center regularly schedules events related to diversity. In these gatherings we gently look into our individual and shared experience of race and ethnicity, in order to nurture healing where there is suffering and celebration where there is joy. We also share information on how we can contribute to this manifestation, and provide resources to learn more about dharma and diversity. For more information on the Diversity Circle, please contact Ivette Guillermo. Social ActionThe center is also committed to working towards benefiting the greater Philadelphia community. Below are examples of work in this area.
If you have a particular inspiration in the arena of social action, please contact Michael-Andrew Carrington
CelebrationsThe Shambhala community comes together in many ways – to practice, learn, serve others... and to celebrate! By joining spiritual practice with the practicalities, challenges and joys of everyday life, we aspire to create a society that expresses the dignity of human experience. Shambhala DayShambhala Day marks the beginning of the New Year, and is the most important holiday of the Shambhala Mandala. Based on the traditional Tibetan new year's celebration of Losar, the day is calculated astrologically according to the Tibetan lunar calendar, and changes every year to coincide with the annual lunar cycles. Shambhala Day is a time for us to express the wealth and richness of our spiritual and cultural heritage through feasting, conviviality, and elegance. Many local Shambhala Centers plan activities throughout the week following the New Year's Day. Each year, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche addresses the worldwide Shambhala Community through a phone hook-up with centres and groups in more than 25 countries around the world. Milarepa DayMilarepa Day celebrates the enlightenment and life example of Milarepa. The celebration involves a full day of practice, which includes chanting the Milarepa sadhana and reading the songs of the lineage teachers in The Rain of Wisdom (Tib: Kagyü Gurtso). Seasonal CelebrationsOver the years our community has adopted a tradition of celebrating the changes of the seasons. These are called "nyida" days from the Tibetan words nyima (sun) and dawa (moon), and they occur on or near the days of the equinoxes and solstices. Nyida days are family-oriented celebrations and occasions for local Shambhala communities to gather socially. Midsummer Day observes the summer solstice; the Harvest of Peace the autumn equinox; Children's Day, the winter solstice. Shambhala Day is our annual celebration of "losar" or the new year according to the Tibetan calendar. Since it typically falls in February or March, it takes the place of observing the spring equinox. Midsummer DayMidsummer Day is an opportunity for families and friends in Shambhala to enjoy summer fun together. The day might include picnics, swimming and boating, outdoor sports, and music and dance performances. It begins with a lhasang (a traditional offering of juniper smoke) that purifies the environment and empowers the space, the objects, and the beings within it by invoking awakened energy. Everyone is welcome to join in. Harvest of PeaceHarvest of Peace, held around the time of the autumn equinox, is an opportunity for local communities to gather, hear teachings by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, and celebrate the riches of our local cultures and heritage. The Sakyong addresses the international community through a live broadcast delivered through a telephone link with Shambhala Centers around the world. Children's DayCelebration of the winter solstice has its roots in many different cultures. The Shambhala community has drawn on traditional images associated with this time of year to create a distinctive and rich festival of our own. December 21st provides a special opportunity to express appreciation for and with our children. At a time when the weather begins to bear down upon us, we turn to family for celebration, creativity, and generosity. Because the solstice marks the time of year when the daylight has waned and the night is longest, light is a special characteristic of this holiday. |
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