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For a complete program description go to our Open House page.

This year’s Pacific Northwest Winter Retreat―at Camp Pringle, on the shore of Shawnigan Lake, Vancouver Island―is set to run from December 18, 2010 to January 1, 2011.

The retreat comprises two two-week programs (each with one-week participation options): a Half-Dathun mindfulness-awareness meditation retreat open to all; and, for Shambhala Vajrayana Seminary graduates, a Ngondro and Werma Retreat.

Click on the following links for full descriptions, on the Victoria Shambhala Centre’s website:

• Pacific Northwest Half-Dathun
with Margaret Jones Callahan
Camp Pringle, Shawnigan Lake, BC
December 18, 2010 - January 1, 2011

• Pacific Northwest Ngondro and Werma Retreat
with Brian Callahan
Camp Pringle, Shawnigan Lake, BC
December 18, 2010 - January 1, 2011

Learn more about our regional community on the Kootenay Shambhala Centre’s Pacific Northwest Shambhala Community page.

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Calgary-based senior teacher Frank Johns is coming to Nelson to teach Shambhala Training Level I: The Art of Being Human, one of our most important programs, on October 2nd - 3rd, 2010.

Frank outlines the program this way:

“This is the foundational weekend meditation intensive for the entire path of Shambhala Buddhism. The Art of Being Human focuses on setting a correct understanding for what meditation practice is for within the Shambhala path, and in presenting the core concepts, which are based on personal experience—aspects of our experience that are common to all humans but which we have mistakenly ignored or thought were not important.”

For a full program description click here.

To see how this program fits into our core path of training, go to our Way of Shambhala page.

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We’re running a full Open House program through the summer this year. The August program includes talks, short videos and discussions.

For a complete description go to our Open House page.

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On Thursday, September 9th, we’re launching this year’s fall semester with Enlightened World, a three-part video program featuring Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche introducing the Shambhala Buddhist path. Maria Stella will facilitate accompanying group discussion.

For a full program description click here.

Stay tuned in the days ahead as we add other programs to the fall calendar.

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We’re happy to announce that Shastri candidate Ben Hines is coming from Seattle to teach Shambhala Training Level V: Open Sky on the weekend of September 10th to 12th.

The role of the Shastri (literally in Sanskrit, “teacher learned in the texts and commentaries”) is primarily to represent and teach the integrated Shambhala Buddhist curriculum, The Way of Shambhala.

For a full program description click here.

Hey Nelson Downtown Local Market visitors and vendors…

You can take a break from the market by joining us for Wednesday Public Meditation any Wednesday between 12:00 and 1:00 PM.

Look for our sidewalk sign (enlarge image) and c’mon up and rest your feet and minds.

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The Kootenay Shambhala Centre invites authorized students to join us in Nelson, British Columbia from October 24th to November 2nd for our annual vajrayana retreat, this year a Ten-Day Mahamudra Retreat, with Susan Chapman.

This retreat offers a method that goes to the heart of Shambhala vajrayana practice—seeing the nature of the mind as dharmakaya. Shambhala vajrayana students are encouraged to attend three such mahamudra intensives as part of their path (see the Shambhala Vajrayana Path manual, pp. 29 and 40).

Using a traditional text by Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje, other select texts, and instructions from Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, Thrangu Rinpoche and other great mahamudra masters, we will investigate the nature of body, mind, thoughts and perceptions in a simple and direct way. In accord with the tradition, the entire retreat will be in strict silence.

The retreat is open to Rigden Abhisheka graduates, to Shambhala/Vajradhatu Vajrayana Seminary graduates who have completed 20,000 prostrations if practicing Kagyü or Rigden ngöndro by number, and to those with special permission.

Click here for a full description

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Learn more on our Open House page.

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Our June Open House program includes two brief Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche videos―”What About Me,” on June 7th, and “The 10% Advantage,” on June 21st―with discussion afterward. This form of communication works for many. See if it works for you.

Learn more on our Open House page.