Who We Are

Founded in 1971, the Burlington Shambhala Center is home to a community who shares a genuine connection to meditation practice and the aspiration to realize a more wakeful, sane society. We aspire to create an environment where all people are welcome and respected, with support to participate as they choose.

Our mission is to cultivate the worthiness, wisdom and compassion of individuals and society based on the inherent goodness of humanity and the natural world. Our core path is a personal, experiential path of meditation and study, supported by a community of other practitioners.

The roots of our practices are the Shambhala lineage and the Tibetan Buddhist lineages of Kagyü and Nyingma, as originally presented in the west by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

Through training in meditation we explore our minds and hearts to cultivate the qualities of openness, bravery, kindness and compassion, with the intention of extending these qualities into life and society in general. Respecting that each individual’s journey is their own, we welcome all who are interested in personal, spiritual and societal awakening.

Code of Conduct

 

New to Shambhala?

Shambhala is an international community of urban meditation and rural retreat centers founded by the Vidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and now led by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. Learn about our vision, lineage & community. More →

Ongoing Offerings

Our centre offers a rich array of ongoing offerings free to the public including weekly public sitting meditation hours and dharma talks. No prior meditation experience required to attend.  All are welcome. More →

Featured Programs

Shambhala Morning

March 9th—December 13th (2025)

Café and Meditation Instruction Every Second Saturday of the month 9:30 - 11 Join us for lively discussion and practice Continue »

MidWeek Dharma

April 3rd—December 18th

WEEKLY WEDNESDAYS Revitalize yourself with a drop-in community of meditation practitioners - new and old! Meditation practice, instruction and dharma presentation followed by discussion. Continue »

Joy and Confidence: Here and Now

with Charlotte Brodie

October 14th—November 11th

Joy comes from the confidence of not only knowing that you have the best foot, but that you can always put that foot forward in meeting the ups and downs of life. Continue »

What the Buddha Taught

with Tony Cape

October 26th

An Introduction to Buddhism Class 2: The Four Immeasurables Continue »

Shambhala Training: Birth of the Warrior, Level 2

with Daniel Brown

November 2nd—November 3rd

This weekend builds on the foundation of the meditation practice introduced in Shambhala Training Level I by exploring how habitual ways of thinking obscure the raw brilliance of the world. Continue »

Learning to Smile at Fear

with Myra Woodruff

November 18th—December 16th

A practical exploration of fear and bravery - looking directly at our fear of open space. Continue »

Shambhala Training: Warrior In the World, Level III

with Charlotte Brodie & Bill Barry

December 7th—December 8th

As meditation practice expands and we develop trust in basic goodness, we can begin to discover the confidence and personal energy to go forward on the journey. Joining gentleness with discipline leads to a sense of joy. Continue »

Great Eastern Sun

with Bill Barry & Myra Woodruff

January 3rd—January 5th (2025)

This weekend program teaches how to see the Great Eastern Sun, the primordial energy and brilliance that is the basis of all that exists; an introduction to membership in Shambhala - a living context for building a sane society. Pre-requisite Shambhala Tr Continue »