Buddhism Guides
The Treasury of Knowledge Learn More A guide to ten volumes of the Sheja Kun La Khyabpé Dzö, or Treasury of Knowledge, one of Jamgon Kongtrul's masterpieces covering the entire path of Vajrayana. Image: Tsadra Rinchen Drak, where Kongtrul spent many years in retreat Explore the Treasury of Knowledge Home Page of the Work Kalu Rinpoche on "The Treasury of Knowledge" Translation > Praise for The Treasury of Knowledge Excerpt from Myriad Worlds An Excerpt from Systems of Buddhist Tantra...
Continue Reading >> The Treasury of Knowledge Learn More A guide to ten volumes of the Sheja Kun La Khyabpé Dzö, or Treasury of Knowledge, one of Jamgon Kongtrul's masterpieces covering the entire path of Vajrayana. Image: Tsadra Rinchen Drak, where Kongtrul spent many years in retreat Explore the Treasury of Knowledge > Home Page of the Work Kalu Rinpoche on "The Treasury of Knowledge" Translation Praise for The Treasury of Knowledge Excerpt from Myriad Worlds An Excerpt from Systems of Buddhist Tantra...
Continue Reading >> The Complete Nyingma Tradition Learn More In 1838, Choying Tobden Dorje, a Buddhist yogi-scholar of eastern Tibet, completed a multivolume masterwork that traces the entire path of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism from beginning to end. Explore the Complete Nyingma Tradition Home Page of The Complete Nyingma Tradition >The Books of The Complete Nyingma Tradition Choying Tobden Dorje and the Story Behind the Complete Nyingma Tradition In Memorium: Alak Zenkar Rinpoche reflects on Lama Tharchin Rinpoche and the Complete...
Continue Reading >> The Complete Nyingma Tradition Learn More In 1838, Choying Tobden Dorje, a Buddhist yogi-scholar of eastern Tibet, completed a multivolume masterwork that traces the entire path of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism from beginning to end. Explore the Complete Nyingma Tradition Home Page of The Complete Nyingma Tradition The Books of The Complete Nyingma Tradition Choying Tobden Dorje and the Story Behind the Complete Nyingma Tradition In Memorium: Alak Zenkar Rinpoche reflects on Lama Tharchin Rinpoche and the Complete...
Continue Reading >> The Complete Nyingma Tradition Learn More In 1838, Choying Tobden Dorje, a Buddhist yogi-scholar of eastern Tibet, completed a multivolume masterwork that traces the entire path of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism from beginning to end. Explore the Complete Nyingma Tradition >Home Page of The Complete Nyingma Tradition The Books of The Complete Nyingma Tradition Choying Tobden Dorje and the Story Behind the Complete Nyingma Tradition In Memorium: Alak Zenkar Rinpoche reflects on Lama Tharchin Rinpoche and the Complete...
Continue Reading >> Some Nyingma Lineages: Dudjom Tersar | Longchen Nyingtig | Payul & Namchö Other Contemporary Nyingma Figures: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche | Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse | Thinley Norbu | Phakchok Rinpoche | Khandro Rinpoche Tulku Thondup Tulku Thondup Rinpoche was born in Golok, Eastern Tibet, and was recognized as the reincarnation of Khenpo Konchog Dronme, a renowned Nyingma scholar from Dodrupchen Monastery. In 1958 after being forced to flee Tibet, he settled in India where he taught Tibetan and Tibetan literature at Lucknow...
Continue Reading >> Tibetan Buddhism in 2021 Read More We published many books of interest from the Vajrayana traditions of Tibet, Bhutan, and the Indian Himalayas See our other Year in Review Guides: Theravada/Pali/Insight | Chan, Zen, Mahayana | Tibetan Buddhism Receive a 30% discount on these titles through January 2nd using code 2021YE at checkout We are very happy to share with you a look back at our 2021 books for those who practice in the Tibetan tradition. Jump to: Reader Guides...
Continue Reading >> Theravada: A Reader's Guide Learn More Traditional Theravada Buddhism is the set of traditions and practices that form the basis of most of the Buddhism in Southeast Asia. We have many books that uncover the richness of this tradition, and are full of surprises. View of Drikung Lamayuru Monastery (Wikipedia) Related to Theravada Buddhism: Insight Meditation | Southeast Asian Buddhism | Thai Forest Traditions | Theravada Buddhism More in Buddhism: All Buddhism | Zen & Chan | Tibetan Buddhism | Taoism | Explore...
Continue Reading >> About Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche Dzigar Kongtrul was born in the Northern Indian province of Himachal to his parents Neten Chokling Rinpoche and Mayum Tsewang Palden. During his monastic education, he was trained in the Nyingma school's Longchen Nyingtik lineage under his root guru, the renowned Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Additionally, he studied extensively under Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche. In 1989, he moved to the United States with his family where he began a five-year tenure as professor of...
Continue Reading >> Thomas Cleary (1949—2021) was one of the twentieth century’s greatest translators of Asian classics. He was extremely prolific, translating and authoring countless works. Shambhala Publications has published over sixty. His books have sold millions of copies and his translations have in turn been translated into over twenty languages worldwide. His first published project, in collaboration with his brother J.C. Cleary, was the classic Blue Cliff Record, that great collection of koans. Cleary explored the I Ching in many dimensions including...
Continue Reading >> Last week we received the very sad news that Thomas Cleary, one of the greatest translators of our time, passed away on June 20, 2021. Thomas Cleary (1949–2021) was the twentieth century's most prolific translator of Asian classics to English, translating and introducing over eighty works from Chinese, Japanese, Sanskrit, Pali, Bengali, Arabic, and Old Irish. Shambhala Publications publishes over sixty of his works. He was a very private person, shunning the limelight and preferring to work quietly, producing some...
Continue Reading >> The great nineteenth-century master Patrul Rinpoche, author of The Words of My Perfect Teacher and revered by all Tibetan Buddhists, was known for his wandering ascetic lifestyle, eschewing fame, generous offerings, and all but the most meager possessions. However, wherever he went throughout his peripatetic life, he carried with him a copy of Shantideva's Bodhicharyavatara, which we know now as The Way of the Bodhisattva or A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life. Renowned for his encyclopedic knowledge and ability to transmit the wisdom of Prajnaparamita and...
Continue Reading >> This is part of a series of articles on the arc of Zen thought, practice, and history, as presented in The Circle of the Way: A Concise History of Zen from the Buddha to the Modern World. You can start at the beginning of this series or simply explore from here. Dogen: A Guide to His Work Dogen, from the cover of Essential Dogen. Explore Zen Buddhism: A Reader's Guide to the Great Works Overview Zen Buddhism: A...
Continue Reading >> This is part of a series of articles on the arc of Zen thought, practice, and history, as presented in The Circle of the Way: A Concise History of Zen from the Buddha to the Modern World. You can start at the beginning of this series or simply explore from here. The Tang Dynasty (618–907) is considered the zenith of Chinese history and culture, often referred to as a "Golden Age." And Chan was woven very deeply into...
Continue Reading >> This is part of a series of articles on the arc of Zen thought, practice, and history, as presented in The Circle of the Way: A Concise History of Zen from the Buddha to the Modern World. You can start at the beginning of this series or simply explore from here. The Seon Tradition of Zen in Korea Portrait of the Great Master Seosan From the Met Explore Zen Buddhism: A Reader's Guide to the Great Works Overview...
Continue Reading >> There have been surprisingly few clear introductions to the full range of the East Asian tradition of what is popularly commonly referred to, in its Japanese variant, as Zen Buddhism but also known as Chan, Soen, and Tien in original Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. All these names stem from the Sanskrit word jhana or dhyana which was rendered as Chan, but all share a fundamental set of practices and views, though with a stunning variety of creativity and approaches. In...
Continue Reading >> Cuong Lu, author of Wait, discusses his new book, how we can bring happiness and love into every moment of our lives, and shares some words of encouragement for when times get tough. 1. Why was it important to you to write Wait? I was alarmed seeing so many shootings in the US on the news—homicides, accidents, suicides, and killings by police officers. It seems we’ve forgotten how precious life is. We’re killing each other and we’re killing ourselves. I wrote...
Continue Reading >> Thich Nhat Hanh on Dying...and Living For more from Thich Nhat Hanh, who passed away on January 22, 2022, see his author page with books, audiobooks, cards, as well as anthologies where his teachings are included. Becoming Truly Alive What would you do if your doctor told you that you only had three months to live? Would you waste this time bemoaning your fate? Would you give yourself over to pain and despair? Or would you resolve to live each...
Continue Reading >> Patrul Rinpoche See Our Reader's Guide Patrul Rinpoche (1808–1887) was one of the greatest Tibetan teachers of the nineteenth century. Famous for his precise and direct style, he shunned high monastic office and lived the life of a homeless wanderer, writing his book in a rustic hermitage under an overhanging rock. Praise to Patrul Rinpoche Outwardly, you are the Son of the Victorious Ones, Shantideva. Inwardly, you are the saint, the conqueror Shavaripa. Secretly, you are the supreme sublime being...
Continue Reading >> What follows is the entire chapter on meditation from Anam Thubten's No Self, No Problem It is very good to ask from time to time, “What am I searching for?” This is a very powerful question. We may be surprised and shocked when we figure out what we have been up to. Often we discover that we have been chasing illusions. Sometimes they are beautiful illusions like the illusion of enlightenment and spiritual transformation. Nevertheless, as long as we allow...
Continue Reading >> We know your lives have been profoundly changed by the impact of the ongoing global health crisis. We know you are concerned for yourselves, for your loved ones, for your communities. We know so many people are suffering right now, and are afraid. And we want to help. We want you to know that though we may be physically isolated, we are all connected, and we’re in this together. Below you will find lots of great ideas for weathering this storm:...
Continue Reading >> Khyentse Foundation Second Children’s Book Prize Winner Announced
Khyentse Foundation and Bala Kids are delighted to announce that Carol Dodd is the winner of this year’s Children’s Book Prize. Carol Dodd is a first-time author based in Hawai’i. She wrote a magical, lyrical children’s book on impermanence for ages 4–8, which will be published through Bala Kids in 2021. The central theme that runs through this sweet, accessible telling is that, “Everything changes, day to night. Everything changes, and that’s all right.” Ivan Bercholz, publisher of Bala Kids,...Stephanie Kaza, author of GREEN BUDDHISM: Practice and Compassionate Action in Uncertain Times, in conversation about her life as a UC Santa Cruz biologist, a writer, a professor, and a Buddhist. Books by Stephanie Kaza See All Books
Continue Reading >> The paragraphs below come from the foreword of Mipham Rinpoche's White Lotus: An Explanation of the Seven-Line Prayer to Guru Padmasambhava. These words were penned by Wulstan Fletcher of the Padmakara Translation Group and we suspect many will resonate with his articulate and constructive advice on how to deal with our own tendencies to be cynical, reinterpret, or even doubt some of what we hear in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. For more on Wulstan Fletcher whose introductions to his translations form some...
Continue Reading >> [Note: This article on Buddhist publishing was originally written by Nikko Odiseos, president of Shambhala Publications for the blog Vajrayanaworld.com as requested by Lama Dechen Yeshe Wangmo. As the blog is no longer, we are hosting it here with a few small updates.] My longtime friend Lama Wangmo asked if I would pen a few words on the state of Buddhist publishing, wearing my hat as the president of Shambhala Publications since 2010 and Snow Lion Publications since we acquired...
Continue Reading >> Sign Up for 5 Free Videos and a Meditation Practice from Pema Chödrön! ENTER YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO RECEIVE A SERIES OF 5 VIDEOS AND A MEDITATION PRACTICE. In her first new book of spiritual teachings in over seven years, Pema Chödrön offers fresh wisdom, heartfelt reflections, and the signature humor and insight that have made her a beloved guide during turbulent times. Count down to the release of Welcoming the Unwelcome with five short videos from Pema on how...
Continue Reading >> In the eleventh century, the great Tibetan scholar-practitioner Gampopa (1079–1153) began his composition known as The Jewel Ornament of Liberation with an exposition on the cause for awakening. What is the cause for awakening? In the Vajrayana and third turning traditions of Buddhism it is buddha nature. Buddha nature is our innate potential for awakening and the root of many Buddhist paths. Zen, Yogacara, and all Tibetan traditions of Buddhism teach that the goal of enlightenment is not some distant...
Continue Reading >> Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche & Pema Chödrön in Conversation | Free Video Offering
Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche and Pema Chödrön Discuss the Innate Tenderness of Our Hearts ENTER YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO ACCESS THE COMPLETE VIDEO INTERVIEW. In this interview, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche sits down with Pema Chödrön to discuss his book, Training in Tenderness, cultivating compassion, and the innate tenderness of our hearts known as tsewa. After entering your email address, you will receive access to the full 73 minute interview between Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche and Pema Chödrön and 6 short clips highlighting...Harmonies with Enlightenment An excerpt from Our Human Potential Thirty-Seven Harmonies with Enlightenment Four establishments in mindfulness The thirty-seven harmonies with enlightenment are essential ingredients of the path. They are divided into seven sets, the first of which is comprised of the four establishments in mindfulness. These are the establishments in mindfulness of body, feeling, mind, and phenomena. One observes body, feeling, mind, and phenomena and investigates their specific and general characters. For a practitioner, there is much to think...
Continue Reading >> The following talk is from Anyen Rinpoche and Allison Choying Zangmo’s Course: Living the Dharma: How to Practice Buddhism and Make It Count. We have made this final talk available here as a podcast as we think this is one of the most important, powerful, and clear presentations on the importance of Sangha, or spiritual community, we have ever heard. For many in the West, taking refuge in the Buddha and the Dharma is really easy, but the third jewel,...
Continue Reading >> Practicing Patience During Times of Difficulty An Excerpt from The World Could Be Otherwise THE PERFECTION OF PATIENCE is kshanti paramita in Sanskrit. Kshanti can be translated as “patience,” “forbearance,” or “tolerance,” but these words don’t capture the fullness of what kshanti connotes because they all imply a kind of quietism or passivity. To be patient can be understood to mean to suffer silently, like a patient in a hospital who can’t affect her own cure and so must wait for...
Continue Reading >> Announcing the Second Khyentse Foundation Children’s Book Prize
Theme: Stories that Teach Foundational Buddhist Topics After a successful competition in 2017, Khyentse Foundation and Bala Kids are once again teaming up to offer the Khyentse Foundation Children’s Book Prize for best Buddhist children’s manuscript. Khyentse Foundation and Bala Kids have the shared vision to inspire and educate future generations about Buddhism and to encourage the development of Buddhist resources for parents and children. This year, the prize will be offered to the best children's book about one or...The Role of the Teacher in Tibetan Buddhism: A Reader’s Guide to the Teacher-Student Relationship
The Teacher-Student Relationship Learn More To truly understand Tibetan Buddhism, one must come to grips with the unique role of the teacher, the dynamics of the teacher-student relationship, and the possibilities that having a teacher can open up. To truly understand Tibetan Buddhism, one must come to grips with the unique role of the teacher, the dynamics of the teacher-student relationship, and the possibilities that having a teacher can open up. Tibetan Buddhism is composed of the Vajrayana or Tantric...Following the Green Practice Path An Excerpt from Green Buddhism Understanding Our Impact Withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, cancelling clean-water regulations, stalling on clean-energy projects—the recent years under a climate-change-denying political administration have been very discouraging, indeed. Day after day, we seem to hear only about backward steps and policy losses on environmental issues. The more we know about the impacts of climate change and global economic disparities, the more we fear things are going in a terribly wrong direction....
Continue Reading >> A Letter from Tāre Lhamo An Excerpt from Inseparable across Lifetimes The tenth letter Tāre Lhamo sent to Namtrul Rinpoche during their correspondence. This is a duet that Tāre Lhamo composed between Devī and Pema. Devī means “goddess” in Sanskrit and translates the second part of her name, Lhamo, and Pema refers to Namtrul Rinpoche’s name in youth, Pema Drime Lodrö. This duet was performed in 1979 for a small group of her followers during Sagadawa, the month-long celebration of...
Continue Reading >> Milarepa: A Reader's Guide Learn More There are few figures more beloved in the Buddhist Himalayas than the 11th century yogi-hero Milarepa. Namkading Cave area where Milarepa spent many years in retreat There are few figures more beloved in the Buddhist Himalayas than the 11th century yogi-hero Milarepa. His story of hardship, errant paths, disciplined training, heartbreak, devotion, and ultimate liberation have been told in many places. Stories of his life, as well as teachings on his songs, abound—dozens of...
Continue Reading >> The Breath as a Resource An Excerpt from The Monkey Is the Messenger "There is no need to struggle to be free; the absence of struggle is in itself freedom." —Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche The breath is a most precious resource that we routinely ignore. Simply put: no breath, no body, no you. Although the body can go for days without food and water, if you deprive your body of breath for longer than one minute, you will begin to live...
Continue Reading >> Learning to Stay | An Excerpt from The Places that Scare You
Practicing Meditation As a species, we should never underestimate our low tolerance for discomfort. To be encouraged to stay with our vulnerability is news that we can use. Sitting meditation is our support for learning how to do this. Sitting meditation, also known as mindfulness-awareness practice, is the foundation of bodhichitta training. It is the natural seat, the home ground of the warrior-bodhisattva. Sitting meditation cultivates loving-kindness and compassion, the relative qualities of bodhichitta. It gives us a way to...Radically Happy: A User’s Guide to the Mind ENTER YOUR EMAIL TO RECEIVE TWO PLANS FOR HAPPINESS AND THE FIRST CHAPTER OF RADICALLY HAPPY AS A PRINTABLE PDF. Spending time with someone you love, laughing at a funny story, eating your favorite food—we experience happiness in many different ways, but maintaining that feeling can often be difficult amidst our busy lives. With this in mind, the authors of Radically Happy have created two plans for basic and interconnected happiness that you...
Continue Reading >> Using Every Activity to Support the Present Moment We are excited to share two bonus meditation and mindfulness exercises with you created by Phakchok Rinpoche and Erric Solomon, the authors of Radically Happy. Exercise 1 Walking Meditation Begin by standing in a natural position, eyes open, facing whichever direction you are about to travel in. Keep your arms naturally by your side and legs about shoulder length apart. The key point is to stand comfortably and naturally. Now bring your attention...
Continue Reading >> The Secret Is Nonattachment Getting Hooked In Tibetan there is a word that points to the root cause of aggression, the root cause also of craving. It points to a familiar experience that is at the root of all conflict, all cruelty, oppression, and greed. This word is shenpa. The usual translation is “attachment,” but this doesn’t adequately express the full meaning. I think of shenpa as “getting hooked.” Another definition, used by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, is the “charge”—the charge...
Continue Reading >> This is part of a series of articles on the arc of Zen thought, practice, and history, as presented in The Circle of the Way: A Concise History of Zen from the Buddha to the Modern World. You can start at the beginning of this series or simply explore from here. The Heart Sutra The Heart Sutra stands among the classic Buddhist scriptures. Akin in importance to the “Shema Yisrael” for Jews or the “Lord’s Prayer” for Christians,...
Continue Reading >> Remembering the Good within You | An Excerpt from Lovingkindness
Two Exercises for Your Practice Remembering the Good within You Sit comfortably, in a relaxed way, and close your eyes. As much as possible, let go of analysis and expectation. For ten to fifteen minutes, call to mind something you have done or said that you feel was a kind or good action—a time you were generous, or caring, or contributed to someone’s well-being. If something comes to mind, allow the happiness that may come with the remembrance. If nothing comes...The Gift of Sadness | An Excerpt from Sadness, Love, Openness
Sadness Is Not the End Meditating While Thinking There is, however, one particular method that benefits everyone alike: acknowledging that nothing lasts. We instinctively feel that things are going to stay more or less the same and that the people around us will remain, but that’s not the case. If we can, we should try our best to understand that things really aren’t the way they seem at all. But if that seems a bit far off at first, it’s...Temple Boy and Spitting Cobra | An Excerpt from In the Cool Shade of Compassion
A Lesson on Revenge Ajan Ngoen was born in 1890 in the Village of Grandma Hom’s Knoll in Nakhon Pathom, a province about sixty kilometers west of Bangkok. Ngoen’s father was a farmer and herbal doctor who taught him mantras and medicine from palm-leaf texts. In 1910 Ngoen (which means “silver”) was ordained as a monk at the Monastery of Grandma Hom’s Knoll (Wat Don Yai Hom). Not long after his ordination he took up the thudong practice and left...A Healing Power by Radhule Weininger, author of Heartwork A Surprising Discovery Recently, during a one-year mindfulness facilitator training, our team of teachers made a surprising discovery. As part of an exercise, students were taught how to guide each other through mindfulness and compassion meditations. Afterwards, students shared their experiences of how this had been for them. One of those who shared was Anne. She told us that this exercise had helped her to understand the depth and subtlety of...
Continue Reading >> Yunmen in Context Setting the Stage for Chan Long before Buddhism arrived in China around the beginning of the Common Era, Chinese thinkers taught ideas whose orientation was of striking similarity to some central tenets of that foreign religion that had yet to arrive. These teachings, ascribed to the ancient sages Laozi (Lao-tzu) and Zhuangzi (Chuangtzu), are often called “philosophical Daoism,” and originated in China between the fourth and second centuries before the Common Era. They not only contain a...
Continue Reading >> The Lotus of Mutual Belonging by Radhule Weininger, author of Heartwork “If the world is to be healed through human effort, I am convinced it will be by ordinary people, people whose love for life is even greater than their fear. People who can open to the web that called us into being.”—Joanna Macy The Flames of the California Fires From the top of our roofs we could see the fires crawling over the hills closer and closer towards us....
Continue Reading >> Buddhist Poetry: A Reader Guide Navigating the vast world of spiritual verse can be disorienting. With so many anthologies and translations to choose from, finding what speaks to you can be a real challenge. Shambhala Publications publishes numerous books of Buddhist poetry, and we’ve gathered some of our favorites here. Ranging from classical Tibetan songs of devotion to contemporary American reflections on navigating the path, our collection of Buddhist poetry offers a little something for everyone, Buddhist or otherwise. Chan...
Continue Reading >> The World Is Round or Spherical | An Excerpt from Gendun Chopel
from Melong Gendun Chopel contributed both poetry and essays to Melong (“Mirror”), the Tibetan-language newspaper published in Kalimpong by the Tibetan Christian from Khunnu, Dorje Tharchin, also known as Tharchin Babu. Its full title in Tibetan was Mirror of the News from Various Regions. In the June 28, 1938, issue, Gendun Chopel published an essay entitled “The World Is Round or Spherical” under the pseudonym Honest Dharma (Drangpo Dharma). Above the essay was a map of the world drawn by...The Approach and Intent of Zen | An Excerpt from The Rinzai Zen Way
Understanding the Rinzai Zen Way Studying Zen, one rides all vehicles of Buddhism; practicing Zen, one attains awakening in a single lifetime. —Eisai [From a teisho given in February 2012] In speaking with many beginning Zen students, it seems apparent that although they may be familiar with some of the methods of Zen practice, what is often lacking is an understanding of the overall approach and intent of the Zen way. Without this understanding it will be difficult to...In the world of religion, some things stay the same, while many are constantly adapting to meet our new world of the internet and cell phones, scientific discovery, increasing awareness of gender and race dynamics, multiculturalism, the numbers of people identifying their religion as “none” or “spiritual but not religious,” and so much more. We have chosen a few books below that address these issues, each in its own way. “Rita Gross offers readers an amazing example of a lifelong,...
Continue Reading >> The Practice of Loving-Kindness | An Excerpt from Comfortable with Uncertainty
Seven-Step Practice To move from aggression to unconditional loving-kindness can seem like a daunting task. But we start with what’s familiar. The instruction for cultivating limitless maitri is to first find the tenderness that we already have. We touch in with our gratitude or appreciation—our current ability to feel goodwill. In a very nontheoretical way we contact the soft spot of bodhichitta. Whether we find it in the tenderness of feeling love or the vulnerability of feeling lonely is immaterial....Visitation-Land Dog Nature | An Excerpt from No-Gate Gateway
A Dog Too Has Buddha-Nature A monk asked Master Visitation-Land: “A dog too has Buddha-nature, no?” “Absence,” Land replied. No-Gate’s Comment To penetrate the depths of Ch’an, you must pass through the gateway of our ancestral patriarchs. And to fathom the mysteries of enlightenment, you must cut off the mind-road completely. If you don’t pass through the ancestral gateway, if you don’t cut off the mind-road, you live a ghost’s life, clinging to weeds and trees. What is this gateway...A Commentary on The Way of the Bodhisattva by H. H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama Many Kinds of Wisdom 1. All these branches of the Doctrine The Enlightened Sage expounded for the sake of wisdom. Therefore they must cultivate this wisdom Who wish to have an end of suffering. There are many kinds of wisdom. There is, for example, the relative type of wisdom gained through the study of the five major traditional sciences. There is also the...
Continue Reading >> Why Buddhism for Black America Now? | An Excerpt from Taming the Ox
The Buddhist, Black Experience Originally published in 2014 What I propose is a spiritual revolution. —His Holiness the Dalai Lama The State of Black America In his 1970 work, Buddhist Ethics, Hammalawa Saddhatissa writes in the preface, “Strictly speaking, Buddhism is not a religion in the generally accepted sense of the word, and it would be more accurate to describe it as an ethico-philosophy to be practiced by each follower. And it is only by practice, by an uphill spiritual...
Chögyam Trungpa's legacy is nearly impossible to measure, but one gauge is his literary output. Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche’s impact on the transmission of Buddhism to the West cannot be overstated. In the quarter century he spent in the West, he taught tens of thousands of students, in many cases introducing them to Buddhism for the first time. His legacy is nearly impossible to measure, but one gauge is his literary output. Shambhala has published about three dozen unique books by,...
Continue Reading >> Sacred Are the Trees: A Retelling of Ancient Stories from Biographies of the Buddha by Wendy Garling, author of Stars at Dawn Why Trees? Those familiar with the Buddha’s biography know that all major events in his life took place under trees. He was born under a shala tree (shorea robusta), for example, as his mother Maya stood upright and grasped a branch with her right hand. Young prince Siddhartha experienced his first deep meditation under a rose-apple tree. Years...
Continue Reading >> Kalu Rinpoche and the Translation of The Treasury of Knowledge Below Sarah Harding shares the story of how Kalu Rinpoche came to take on the task of translating Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye's The Treasury of Knowledge, an immense feat that took the skills and dedication of many that will be treasured by all who are able to benefit from its work for years to come. From Sarah Harding's preface to Book 8, Part 4. Khyabjé Kalu Rinpoché visited Santa...
Continue Reading >> Chogyal Phagpa Drogon Chogyal Phagpa, better known to the world as Chogyal Phagpa (or Phakpa) is one of the five great founding masters from the Sakya tradition in Tibet. This 13th century master was the nephew of Sakya Pandita. Before going into the various resources in print and online, included below is his biography of Lama Migmar Tseten's Treasures of the Sakya Lineage. "Drogon Chogyal Phagpa was born amid excellent signs to Sakya Pandita’s younger brother, Zangtsa Sonam Gyaltsen (1184‒1239),...
Continue Reading >> The Boy without a Name or The Boy Who Lives by Himself is an unfinished story written by Chögyam Trungpa at an unknown date. We would like to invite you to read what Chögyam Trungpa wrote and write your own ending to the story. You can post your writing in the comments below. I am the boy who lives by himself. I don’t do anything in particular, I just live—that’s the way I am. I spend my life playing and I make up...
Continue Reading >> The Buddha Walks into the Office seemed a particularly apt choice for our Shambhala office book club. After all, if anyone should aspire to an awake, uplifted workplace, it should be us. We dove in to see if Lodro Rinzler, teacher in the Shambhala tradition and founder of MNDFL meditation studios in New York, had any tips for us. If you’re reading along, please comment at the bottom of this guide and let us know if The Buddha Walks into...
Continue Reading >> by Rebecca Hazell The Buddha is well known in popular culture. He is seen as wise, benign, friendly, and peaceful. You can find commercialized representations of him in images ranging from good luck Ho Tai figures to garden statues of him sitting and typing on a laptop. Imagine what a ruckus would ensue if Jesus or Muhammad were depicted like that. It’s taken for granted that the Buddha would laugh at the laptop or smile gently, maybe sadly, and move...
Continue Reading >> Each month, the Shambhala employees gather to discuss a new book as part of our Shambhala Publications Book Club. After each meeting, we will be sharing the notes from our discussion with you to spark your own thoughts and conversations. Our October pick was Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice by Shunryu Suzuki. Book Description In the forty years since its original publication, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind has become one of the great modern spiritual classics,...
Continue Reading >> Introduction to The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa, Vol. 8
CLICK HERE to read the complete introduction from The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa, Volume Eight. See more about the Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa here.Book Club Discussion | Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior by Chögyam Trungpa
by Kate White Kate, our Production Coordinator/Designer, sums up our August meeting of the new Shambhala Publications Book Club! August’s book selection was Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. We invite you to take part by sharing your comments below. There are a lot of different kinds of people who work at Shambhala Publications. We come from a wide array of backgrounds, and each of us has a unique story about how we found our way into our...The Nyingma Summer Seminar: Reflections on a Buddhist Retreat
By Sanje Phillips This July, I attended the Nyingma Summer Seminar at the Mangala Shri Bhuti retreat land in Ward, Colorado, with Dzigar Kongtrül Rinpoche, Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel (wife), and Dungse Jampal Norbu (son). Over one hundred attendees with varied demographics sat daily meditation sessions, participated in the teachings, endured periods of silence and the usual “plain but healthy” retreat food. My experience was resoundingly positive, as we had an opportunity to explore the depths of many traditional and profound Buddhist teachings. All...Tim Drugan-Eppich shares his thoughts on his meditation practice and the five adversaries that his mind frequently uses to discourage him from continuing his practice. Tim, along with his girlfriend, run a blog for anyone looking for advice on topics ranging from finances and cooking, to health and dating, or for those just curious about how others tackle adulthood. Visit their website at TriedbyTwo.com. “Change yourself—you are in control.” —Mahatma Gandhi The mind doesn’t take kindly to requests for silence. It prides...
Continue Reading >> by Brett Campbell Nobody asks for the chaplain in the good moments. This is an unspoken rule I realized early in my career. Nobody thinks of the chaplain after they’ve delivered a healthy child or they take their first steps following an accident that left them bedbound for weeks. These are the times when life makes sense. We don’t question these experiences. We simply bask in the joy they bring to our hearts. It is in the moments of pain...
Continue Reading >> One of the commonalities of the many traditions within Buddhism is the centrality of the messages in the Buddha’s very first teaching in Sarnath, shortly after attaining enlightenment in Bodhgaya. He held back from actually teaching the first people he met including the Burmese traders (who tradition tells us brought back some of his hair, which is encased in the incredible Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon) and the naked ascetic Upaka, all of whom were overwhelmed by his presence. The Tibetan...
Continue Reading >> Steve Buscemi and Sam Bercholz Discuss A Guided Tour of Hell
Steve Buscemi and Sam Bercholz on the new book A Guided Tour of Hell: A Graphic Memoirby Kate, Production Coordinator/Designer I have a confession to make: I judge books by their covers. And I’m not even sorry about it. I’m baffled by how many amazing books there are in the world that I’ll never have time to read. And there are more being released all the time! It can be so overwhelming to have to choose which books I’m going to make time for and which books I’m just going to have to pass over. There are...
Continue Reading >> A Lecture Series on Asanga’s Bodhisattvabhumi with Translator Artemus Engle
In conjunction with the Tsadra Foundation, premier translator and scholar Artemus Engle brings Asanga's masterpiece, the Bodhisattvabhumi, to life, unlocking what can be an intimidating text and making its important and power to light. Part 1: Part 2: See also an excerpt from the introduction Art Engle has a Ph.D. in Buddhist studies from the University of Wisconsin; adjunct professor, interpreter, and translator; active in the development of a program for teaching Buddhist classics that integrates a study of the...For a full reader's guide to Dogen's works, visit our Reader Guide. Peter Levitt's introduction to The Essential Dogen In 1954 poet Allen Ginsberg wrote a poem called "Song" that acknowledges the weight of our human circumstance and suffering in a particular and somewhat unusual way. I believe it may also provide a gateway to the following writings by Zen master Eihei Dogen, who addressed the nature of reality as he came to understand the world of people and things...
Continue Reading >> One of the greatest joys for me as an editor at Shambhala Publications is when I work on books by people I have long admired. This was most definitely the case when Shambhala had the good fortune to become William Scott Wilson’s publisher several years ago. I first encountered his work when I was a young martial arts student; his translation of Takuan Soho’s The Unfettered Mind was a revelation. When, many years later, I began to correspond with him...
Continue Reading >> Khenpo Shenga (1871–1927) There are thirteen classics of Indian Mahayana philosophy, still used in Tibetan centers of education throughout Asia and beyond, particularly the Nyngma tradition, with overlap with the others. They cover the subjects of vinaya, abhidharma, Yogacara, Madhyamika, and the path of the Bodhisattva. They are some of the most frequently quoted texts found in works written from centuries ago to today. Below is a reader's guide to these works. Khenpo Shenga, who penned influential commentaries on all...
Continue Reading >> We join our palms and say goodbye to a teacher who had an immense impact on the world. S.N. Goenka was a pioneer in making Vipassana meditation widely available to a secular audience. Over 170 meditation centers have been established around the globe under his auspices. His legacy will resound indefinitely. By learning to remain balanced in the face of everything experienced inside, one develops detachment towards all that one encounters in external situations as well. However, this detachment is...
Continue Reading >> The Nalanda Tradition This entry to the Great Masters series kicks off a series within a series that looks at the great Buddhist center of learning at Nalanda in India and what are known as the Seventeen Panditas of Nalanda, a grouping conceived by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as they are the core group of masters whose works further articulate the teachings of the Buddha and which form the basis of Buddhist philosophy we have today. This group begins...
Continue Reading >> Mahayana Buddhist philosophy This article for the Great Masters Series focuses on Aryadeva, the second of what His Holiness the Dalai Lama refers to as the Seventeen Pandits of Nalanda, whose works form the foundation for Mahayana Buddhist philosophy. Birth and Training While early biographies vary in detail and timing, traditional accounts such as those by Taranatha, Butön in his History of Buddhism, and Chandrakirti identify Aryadeva as being born in Sri Lanka in a royal family in the late...
Continue Reading >> An Interview with Rodney Smith, author of Awakening: A Paradigm Shift of the Heart Shambhala: In your new book you take on the possibly daunting task of describing what enlightenment is and how it happens. To what extent can it even be described? Rodney Smith: I think the words used to describe awakening can intimate something that we all feel is true though we may not have had the actual experience. When this book speaks of the paradigm shift toward...
Continue Reading >> Translating the Maitreya Treatises: An Interview with Thomas Doctor
We recently interviewed Thomas Doctor, a translator on the Dharmachakra Translation Committee, about the importance of their recent translations of the Maitreya texts and commentaries. Shambhala Publications: The Dharmachakra Translation Committee has now published two of the five Maitreya texts, with a third on the way soon. Can you give a brief overview of why you chose to translate these? Thomas Doctor: There is a set of thirteen classic Indian texts that make up the core curriculum of sutra studies...What would you like to accomplish this year? Have you made New Year's resolutions to start meditating or pick up your practice again? To be more mindful with your children or adolescents? To mend a broken heart or learn to cook? To finally figure out your dosha, prioritize, or simply to relax? We at Shambhala have books covering all these topics and more to help you have your most satisfying, healthy, and mindful year yet. From favorite authors like Pema...
Continue Reading >> The Way of the Bodhisattva: An Immersive Workshop in Boulder May 18-22, 2016
[Note, this event occurred in the past and the videos are all available on this site for free.] Few texts are more frequently taught and quoted, have as colorful a history, and as much relevance to Buddhists today more than the eighth-century Indian Buddhist monk Shantideva's The Way of the Bodhisattva. The Dalai Lama has said that "if I have any understanding of compassion and the bodhisattva path, it all comes from studying this text. " The living tradition of this...2016 was certainly a year of high emotions and global challenges-a confusing and contentious U.S. election, civil wars in Syria and Iraq, Olympic scandals, Brexit, the spread of the Zika virus, continuing international acts of terrorism, and so much more. But as we open the New Year, we also have the opportunity to reflect on where we've been and how we can approach our lives with new energy and clarity. It's a natural reaction for us to become disoriented and...
Continue Reading >> Intermediate States: Bardos and Living and Dying from Ancient India to 21st Century New York Walter Yeeling Evans-Wentz (02/02/1878 – 07/17/1965): American anthropologist and writer who was a pioneer in the study of Tibetan Buddhism. The term bardo, often translated as "intermediate state" is a term that entered the popular imagination in the West with the publication of W.Y. Evans-Wentz's 1927 translation of The Great Liberation by Hearing in the Intermediate States, which he rendered as The Tibetan Book of...
Continue Reading >> Thubten Chodron is an American Buddhist nun in the Tibetan tradition. A student of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan masters, she became a nun in 1977. She is abbess of Sravasti Abbey, a Buddhist monastery in eastern Washington State. She is the author of several books, her most recent being Don't Believe Everything You Think. Ven. Chodron emphasizes the practical application of Buddha's teachings in our daily lives and is especially skilled at explaining them in...
Continue Reading >> A New Perspective on an Ancient Practice: An Interview with Zoketsu Norman Fischer
Shambhala: How did you first encounter Zen, and what was your introduction to practice like? Norman Fischer: I got involved at first through reading-reading and thinking about my life. This was in the very early days, when there were no Zen centers or practice centers of any kind (at least that I was aware of) and the idea that Buddhism could be practiced in the West was not even thinkable. What a difference from today! So, as a young man...Some Nyingma Lineages: Dudjom Tersar | Longchen Nyingtig | Payul & Namchö Guides to Other Important Nyingma Figures: Rongzompa | Longchenpa | Jigme Lingpa | Patrul Rinpoche Jamgön Mipham Rinpoche (1846-1912) Mipham Rinpoche is a celebrated Nyingma scholar and practitioner. He is revered for being a prolific writer and for reinvigorating the Nyingma monastic university tradition with his commentaries on central Indian Buddhist texts including the Five Treaties of Maitreya, Chandrakirti's Introduction to the Middle Way, Shantarakshita's Adornment of the Middle...
Continue Reading >> His Holiness the Dalai Lama Learn More We publish over two dozen books by His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. See also: Tsongkhapa: A Guide to His Life and Works | Kalachakra Tantra Reader Guide | Works by the Dalai Lamas | Readers Guide to His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama Other Tibetan Buddhist Traditions: Bön | Gelug | Jonang | Kalachakra | Kagyu | Kadam | Nyingma | Sakya | Zhije & Chöd DALAI LAMA TITLES See All Books...
Continue Reading >> Pointing to the Heart of the Buddhadharma: An Interview with Guo Gu, author of The Essence of Chan
Shambhala: Can you tell us something about your background-how you encountered the Buddhadharma? Guo Gu: I first learned meditation when I was in Taiwan at age four. A meditation master named Guangqin taught me how to sit in meditation, and I thought it was fun to copy what he was doing. Later, my family immigrated to the States when I was 11. We studied Chan Master Sheng Yen. He was to become my Shifu, or "teacher-father, " the most important...Normalcy at Its Best: An Interview with David Chadwick, Biographer of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi
Shambhala: Your teacher Shunryu Suzuki's Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind has now been in print for more than forty years, and is still often recommended as the best first book to read about Zen practice. Why do you think its popularity has endured throughout the explosion of Buddhist publishing the last few years? David Chadwick: Hard to say. It's just got a unique chemistry that has worked in many ways for many people. ZMBM can be a warm, inviting introduction to...By Khenpo Shenga Translated by Adam Pearcey Due to the kindness of Guru Padmasambhava, there have been many great holders of the teachings here in Tibet, the Land of Snows. There have appeared highly accomplished saints who were no different from the vidyadharas of India, the Land of the Aryas. Yet although there have been countless eminent scholars, none of them might be compared with the Six Ornaments and Two Supreme Ones of India in terms of wisdom and enlightened...
Continue Reading >> From Butön's History of Buddhism in India and Its Spread to Tibet Four hundred years after the Buddha passed away, in the southern country of Vidarbha, there lived a prosperous Brahmin who was childless. In a dream, gods foretold that if he invited one hundred Brahmins to a religious festival, a son would be born to him. He did as he was told, made prayers, and ten months later a son was born. When he showed the child's distinguishing marks...
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