Prologue Homage to you, O glorious Samantabhadra! Your nature is the ultimate expanse, Primordial and perfect peace. Though free of all conceptual constructs, It is yet embellished by the kāyas and the wisdoms Present of themselves. From this there radiates a myriad rays of light Performing every kind of action In the field of those [...]

The Solitude It was one of those lovely mornings that have never been before. The sun was just coming up, and you saw it between the eucalyptus and the pine. It was over the waters, golden, burnished—such light that exists only between the mountains and the sea. It was such a clear morning, breathless, full [...]

The Five Training Precepts The First Aspect: Conscious Conduct or Virtue The first aspect, conscious conduct or virtue, means acting harmoniously and with care toward the life around us. For spiritual practice to develop, it is absolutely essential that we establish a basis of moral conduct in our lives. If we are engaged in actions [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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.   29 January 1924 [...]

The Red Thread of Passion by David Guy Is sex an enemy that must be subdued before spiritual practice can happen, or is it a powerful creative force and a vehicle of enlightenment? Opinions have differed throughout the ages. Rather than forcing his own answer, David Guy takes the question as an impetus for exploration, [...]

A Monk's Alphabet: Moments of Stillness in a Turning World by Jeremy Driscoll, OSB Yes, that's OSB as in Order of Saint Benedict. This Roman Catholic monk and theologian kept a journal of short reflections inspired by contact with various and sundry experiences: Listening to Beethoven, air travel, Washington, D.C, mosquitoes €¦ He alphabetized them [...]

Awakening$24.95 - PaperbackBy: Rodney Smith Add to Cart 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 [...]