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.
Diversity Information:
International Shambhala Community Newsletters:
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 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 Abbey Pleviak, 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.
 Drala Hikes
Take your mindfulness practice into the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest and join fellow hikers in the Shambhala meditation practice of drala. We hike in noble silence while contemplatively attuning and engaging the senses in the phenomenal world around us. Hikes of all levels are offered with family-friendly events available. For complete schedule see the annual schedule.
 Queer Dharma Group
Queer Dharma is a forum for practice and discussion relating specifically to the unique concerns and experiences of LGBTQ individuals. Meets every first Sunday from 2-4pm. All are warmly welcome regardless of experience, spiritual tradition, age, gender or sexual identity. Meditation instruction will be made available to you.
For more information, contact Jason Bray, Queer Dharma Coordinator
Young Meditators' Group
Connect with other meditators in their 20’s & 30’s on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month at 7pm for dharma discussion and socializing!
The group's intention is to deepen our connection to community and explore how we might engage in the world more fully and compassionately. Each month there will be meditation, a group reading, contemplation and discussion, followed by socializing either at the Shambhala Center or a nearby establishment. Those who are new to meditation are warmly encouraged to attend, although meditation instruction won’t be offered at the group. Receive free meditation instruction at 7pm on Tuesdays or 9am first and third Sundays.
For questions, contact Rebecca Jamieson, Young Meditators’ Group Coordinator
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 between the ages of 5 and 12 are invited to attend every third Sunday of the month from 9:30 - 11:30 am. This program supports families whose parents want to practice meditation or participate in the Parenting As Path Group at our Sunday Community Practice. Drop in anytime and stay for as long or as little as you wish. There is a suggested donation of $10 per household to help with supplies and child care.
Meditation Instruction is available for parents during this time.
Parents should let the Community Practice Host know they would like to receive instruction.
If you're interested in helping with this program or for more information, contact Mark Douglass, Family Council Chair
Parenting As Path Group: All parents welcome every third Sunday of the month
from 10:15 - 11:30 am (along with Shambhala Kids Club). The work of parenting involves deep joy and deep suffering. We can incorporate what our children teach us into our parenting practice, if we're open and willing to learn. This monthly group of parents gathers to reflect together on Shambhala teachings supporting the work of parenting, and provides time for sharing and support as well. Come a little early at 9:30 for meditation practice, and bring your kids to the Shambhala Kids Club!
Contact Mark Douglass, Family Council Chair, for more information.
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 Mark Douglass, Family Council Chair.
 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.
Deleks
Delek means “good happiness” in Tibetan. Lek means “good” and de means “bliss” or
“happiness.” So good bliss or good happiness is the name for a neighborhood grouping of Shambhala Members and Friends. The Portland Shambhala Community is organized into three Deleks: the Northeast Delek; the Southeast Delek; and the West Delek. A member of a delek is called a delekpa.
What do Deleks do?
Through the delek system, Shambhala community members meet and socialize with other members who live in their neighborhood. The delek system is intended to be inclusive, like a clan or extended family. It’s a place to catch up on community and personal news, discuss community issues, ask and receive answers to questions, offer support when help is needed, and just have a good time.
- Social Gatherings. Deleks often get together at a member’s house for a potluck brunch, dinner, or party. Since this is a good way to introduce new people to the Shambhala community, members often invite non-member neighbors and friends.
- Support. Most deleks have an informal system of assisting members who are sick or need help in some way. Dekyongs also provide access to resources in the greater Shambhala community when needed.
- Celebrations and Holidays. Delekpas traditionally gather at a member’s house for Shambhala Day Celebrations.
- Communication. The delek is a place where representatives of the Shambhala community or other organizations can present specific issues to small groups of members and answer clarifying questions. For instance, a Practice and Study Director might meet with a Delek to explain a new program such as the Way of Shambhala; or a community fundraiser might meet with two deleks to communicate the specifics of a fundraising effort.
- Community Issues. Deleks provide a vehicle for discussing neighborhood issues as well as any issues that affect the Shambhala community as a whole, both local and international. Issues raised by delekpas at a delek meeting are presented by the dekyong to the Dekyong Council for discussion. The Council may take up the issues with the Shambhala Council to obtain answers or to pass along concerns. The Dekyong Council then passes responses back to the delek that raised the issues or to all the deleks if it is an issue of interest to the whole community.
Who can join a Delek?
All members of each local Shambhala community are automatically members of their respective deleks. As mentioned above, many deleks invite non-member neighbors and friends to special celebrations or get-togethers, however only Shambhala Center Members may participate in decision-making.
What is a Dekyong?
Each delek has a dekyong. Kyong means “protector,” so the dekyong is the protector of the happiness or bliss of the delek. The dekyong is chosen from among the members of each delek through the practice of Spontaneous Insight. Spontaneous Insight is a particular group decision making practice that brings forth the intelligence of the entire group and allows consensus to be reached. The dekyong is chosen based on her or his accomplishment in the practice of Shambhala Buddhism, leadership abilities, capacity to work well with others, and commitment to family and relationships.
What does the Dekyong Council do?
The Dekyong Council is made up of all the dekyongs of the local Shambhala community and is chaired by the Head Dekyong. The local Center Director(s) is an ex-officio member of the Dekyong Council. The Dekyong Council meets quarterly and acts as a communication conduit between members of the community and the Center Shambhala Council. The Dekyong Council gathers recommendations, views or concerns from members of the community and presents them for inclusion into the view and actions of the Center Shambhala Council. The Head Dekyong informs the various deleks about the deliberations and decisions of the Shambhala Council, completing the cycle of information and decision-making. The Dekyong Council also supports the dekyongs in their role as neighborhood representatives. Our Head Dekyong is Happy Barnes. Feel free to contact her with any other Delek related questions.
How do I find who my Dekyong is?
Societal Health & Well-Being Council
The Societal Health & Well-Being Council is to
dedicated to fostering a warm, inviting, and caring community of practitioners, thus polishing and shining the Third Jewel of Sangha.
The Societal Health & Well-Being Council's activity includes:
- Maintaining awareness of community health and well being, promoting the view of community care;
- Providing support, resources and referral services for members in crisis, including circles of care;
- Fostering greater communication and contact among community members through the Delek system, focused community building efforts etc.
- 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, diversity, relationships etc.;
- Providing mediation and conflict resolution for the community following official Shambhala guidelines
- Developing awareness and pro-active sensitivity as regards all aspects of diversity: racial, ethnic, socio-economic, sexual orientation, age, gender, physical ability, etc.
- Ensuring that needs of families and children are completely interwoven into the fabric of community life.
The Societal Health & Wellbeing Council currently includes:
Contact Candace Stoughton, Societal Health & Well-Being Director, with any questions.
Community Care
The Community Care team’s mission is to provide guidance, training, and support of the physical, social, and psychological well-being of the sangha. They are to be used as a resource for advice, and in some cases, direct involvement.
If you are interested in receiving support from or of being part of the Community Care team, you may send an email to any of the following CC group members: copy what’s on the other document – list of names w/hyperlink.
For a more complete description of what the Community Care team does, read this document.
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.
Shambhala Prison Program:
Shambhala Prison program, sponsored by the Portland Shambhala Center, is now in its 6th year of providing mindfulness-based meditation programs at Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem. During that time we have offered full weekend programs, including the Shambhala Training levels through Perky, as well as one day workshops combining meditation with teachings from the Shambhala Buddhist tradition, group discussions, Shambhala yoga and meditation interviews.
Currently we are doing about 6 weekend workshops a year, as well as conducting a meditation/ study session one Tuesday evening a month. This program is staffed by qualified volunteers from the Shambhala community, including Seattle, Eugene and Corvallis in addition to Portland.
If you are interesting in learning more about this program or wish to support it,
please contact Doug McCanne, Shambhala Prison Program Coordinator.
Ecological Sustainability:
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 fluorescents 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 acknowledging 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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