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Community
"Sangha" is the Sanskrit term for "community of practitioners" — one of the three jewels of Buddhism. People who come to our center may have different religious faiths, follow different spiritual traditions or teachers, or have different paths of practice and opinions, including political views. They have different ages and genders, as well as different sexual orientations, and physical, perceptual and mental abilities.
What we share as a community is a genuine connection to contemplative practice, a desire to lead sane, dignified, confident lives, and the aspiration to realize a more wakeful, sane society. Through the practice of meditation we cultivate the capacity to be fully open to our experience, and the ability to respond to everyday life situations with greater clarity and respect—respect not only for our life situations and ourselves, but for all individuals, social groups and cultures as well.
This does not mean that Shambhala is a perfect society. If you visit our center, you may find that it does not mirror in every way the characteristics of the people who live in our area. But please note that it is the intention—and the stated policy—of our center to welcome everyone who enters. This intention is at the very core of the Shambhala Buddhist teachings.
How does one participate in the Shambhala community?
Meditation Practice
Whatever has drawn us to the meditation tradition, whether it was a friend’s suggestion, a book by Pema Chödrön, or any other auspicious coincidence, the first step in participating in the Shambhala Community is attending group meditation sessions. Group meditation practice is one of our most basic and most important community activities. Each session is an opportunity to experience the power and joy of coming together, however briefly, as a community of practitioners. Group practice not only encourages our individual meditation practice but also supports others in their practice and helps build a thriving practice community. Check our Public Community Practice page for ongoing opportunities for group practice.
Programs
Programs include Learn to Meditate workshops, The Way of Shambhala program, Shambhala Training weekends, Contemplative Arts training's and various other offerings. These are all heightened opportunities to discover the value of community practice and study while deepening one’s own understanding and experience.
 Community Celebrations
The Shambhala community comes together in many ways — to practice, to learn, to serve others . . . and to celebrate! By joining spiritual practice with the practicalities, challenges and joys of everyday life, we aspire to create a society that expresses the dignity of human experience.
Learn more about Shambhala celebrations...
Volunteering
Volunteering at the Shambhala Center is a great way to get involved and benefit others. Whatever your knack, we can probably find an outlet for it. If you’re interested, contact our Volunteer Coordinator. You can check out our Who Does What? listing for open ongoing positions but you needn’t feel limited to those. If you don’t see an opening that matches your interest, our Volunteer Coordinator will be happy to talk to you about how you could plug in. We always have stand alone projects that need to be done as well.
Families and Children
We welcome families at the Portland Shambhala Center as a vital part of our community. Our aspiration is to have a local Shambhala community in which families gather for practice; feel included and supported; and which includes a path for our children to deepen their experience of Basic Goodness. We're committed to creating the circumstances to manifest this aspiration.
 The Shambhala Kids Club: Children of all ages are invited to attend this monthly program focusing on Dharma Art based creativity projects. It is offered every third Sunday of the month from 10am to Noon. This program supports families whose parents want to practice meditation at our Sunday Nyinthun. Kids can drop in anytime between 10am and Noon and stay for as long or as little as they wish.
The program is led by Corinne Nakamura, our Shambhala Arts Coordinator. Corinne is a certified Shambhala Art Assistant Teacher and has taught contemplative art to children locally through the Portland Art Museum, and internationally in schools and galleries. She holds a Masters Degree in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism from Naropa University and has co-taught in the Visual Arts Department.
If you're interested in helping with this program or for more information, contact Corinne Nakamura, Shambhala Art Coordinator.
Family Council: We recognize that in order for families to participate fully in Shambhala practice, study and community life, they need support. The purpose of Family Council is to create that structure of support by actively working on exploring the opportunities and removing the obstacles for full family participation. If you’re interested in participating in Family Council, or for more information, contact Kristen Mullen, Co-Warrior of the Center.
 Children’s Day: Celebration of the winter solstice has its roots in many different cultures. The Shambhala community has drawn on traditional images associated with this time of year to create a distinctive and rich festival of our own. Children's Day provides a special opportunity to express appreciation for and celebration with our children. Children's Day is held on the weekend closest to the winter solstice. Please check our online calendar to see where it falls this year. Read more….
Shambhala Sun Camp: Shambhala Sun Camp is an annual gathering for children ages 10 – 16. Campers create and live in their own outdoor environment. Simplicity is the ground for experiencing daily life as open space. Campers discover themselves, their world and each other in a fresh and genuine way. Sun Camp is a place to have fun, make friends and learn to take responsibility for oneself and one's world in a gentle and playful environment. Read more….
Resources: To read more about families in Shambhala, there is a wonderful list of Shambhala Times articles focused on families and children.
Community Care Council
The mission of the Community Care Council includes: Maintaining awareness of community health and well being, promoting the view of community care; Promoting social activity for the sangha as an aspect of community health; Providing educational support for the sangha by offering talks or groups on different aspects of death and dying, grieving, relationships etc.; Providing support, resources and referral services for members in crisis, including circles of care; and Providing mediation and conflict resolution for the community following official Shambhala guidelines. Contact Ann Cason, Desung & Chair of the Community Care Council, with any needs, questions or concerns.
Socially Engaged Buddhism
As part of our response to Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche's invitation to the Shambhala community several years ago to “turn the flower outward”, we're exploring ways of joining our meditation training with social engagement. We are currently focusing on our prison program and promoting ecological sustainability, through participation in Shambhala’s 2009 Green Commitment (pdf) spearheaded by the Touching the Earth Working Group.
The Portland Shambhala Centers' Five Green Commitments:
- Institute Green Purchasing practices for non-food consumables. Recruit green team purchasing volunteer to source products and then for weekly shop for environmentally preferred supplies such as bulk natural cleaning products with refillable containers, all disposable utensils, plates and cups from recycled and biodegradable materials, etc.
- Reduce trash by reducing use of non-food consumables and avoiding disposal of food. Using and washing silverware, plates etc during programs is to be encouraged whenever practical. Increase consideration of amount and type of packaging that accompanies food choices for programs and actively seek to make choices with less waste. Reduce food waste through providing appropriate amounts of food for programs, not over-purchasing, and through donation of remaining food.
- Recycle waste. Improve recycling system at Center. Recruit green team volunteer to take home compost weekly.
- Improve energy efficiency. Always use compact flourescents and high efficiency T-8 lamps. Get the air conditioning in the vajrayana shrine room under control. Program and label working thermostats.
- Community engagement. As the process of greening the Center gets going, maintain open community dialogue on sustainability, including acknowleging practical considerations and negotiating issues that arise in trying to meet environmental, economic and human needs. Maintain systems such as clearly labeled recycling bin or thermostats so that all in the Community, new visitors or old friends, are able to use and maintain the systems. Form new Green Team of interested volunteers to plan and implement commitments. Encourage goods or services exchange through the new website's Community blog. Convene community members who are interested in exploring the practice and intersection of ecological and buddhist principles as part of their lives.
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