Awakened Heart
Me
ditation for our times
November 26-28, 2021
Acharya Mathias Pongracz was born to Hungarian parents in Africa, where he passed his childhood with 6 other siblings.
After some years in Belgium he settled in Austria, where he studied political science and interpreting. Acharya Pongracz joined Shambhala in 1983 and attended seminary with Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1984 and again in 1985. When the Saykong (then Sawang) taught his first 3 month seminary at SMC in 1992 he asked Mathias Pongracz to serve on the Seminary teachers faculty.
Mathias also studied closely with Kobun Chino Roshi, with whom he sat many sesshins from 1992 until his paranirvana in 2002. Acharya Pongracz is the former director of Shambhala Training in Vienna. From 2006 until spring 2012 Acharya Mathias Pongracz was resident teacher at Dechen Chöling, the european land center of Shambhala Europe in France.
He introduced the MBSR program in France at a time when it was unknown there. A few years ago he started a Shambhala group in Hungary (Budapest). He is currently based in Vienna, and teaches in, French, Hungarian and German, traveling to Shambhala Centers in Eastern Europe, France and other countries.
He also teaches programs on Mindfulness Stress reduction, and has practice in Qi Gong and the art of hosting.
Join us for a weekend of:
- Daily talks by the Acharya
- Guided meditation sessions
- Lots of meditation practice
- Interactive activities
- Discussion Groups
- Opportunity to meet with a meditation instructor
- Time to gather and converse
- Opportunity to steep in meditation practice in a transformative, unique virtual environment
Offered by the Burlington Shambhala Center through Shambhala Online.
