About Our Community
The Portland Shambhala Meditation Center
The Journey Here
Shambhala in Portland
The Portland Shambhala Center offers meditation and contemplative practices to nurture the goodness in ourselves as individuals, and to sow the seeds of good human society.
Our spiritual community developed from the teachings of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist teacher and meditation master. Our community’s teachings express the profound wisdom of Tibetan Buddhism in a form directly relevant to our modern lives.
Meditators began gathering in Portland in 1977 and became a recognized center in 1982. The Portland Shambhala Center has served hundreds of meditators in our community in discovering their own inherent goodness and wisdom. Join Us! We’re excited to meet you and to support your own journey of meditation and mindfulness.
AT THE HEART OF EVERY STEP WE TAKE
Our Mission
Our community gathers around Shambhala vision: that we all share a fundamental nature of basic goodness. This nature can be brought into daily life so that it radiates out to family, friends, community, and society.
In this time of great difficulty for ourselves, society, and the planet, we practice together to discover our innate kindness and confidence, so that we can help create compassionate, sustainable, and just human societies.
Our Code of Conduct
The Shambhala Code of Conduct applies to everyone in Shambhala, and at every activity sponsored by Shambhala. The Code of Conduct is an offering by and for the community, as a collective commitment to the safe, supportive, and respectful environment we seek to establish and maintain for ourselves and provide for our guests.
Please familiarize yourself with these policies and resources, located on the Code of Conduct Hub Website. If you have a concern about something you have experienced in Shambhala, please read “What to do if you have a concern.”
Meet the People Supporting the Portland Shambhala Center
Our Team
John
Center Director
John has been a student in Shambhala since 1975, and has played many different roles in the Boulder, Colorado and Portland (since 1999) centers, from sweeping floors to teaching. He is fluent in Spanish and English, having grown up in Puerto Rico. He likes jazz, technology, and tries to bicycle to the gym regularly.
Janie
Programs & education
Janie found her way to meditation in 2011 after a Pema Chodron book helped her through a bad break-up. She fell in love with Shambhala’s ecumenical approach, its emphasis on basic goodness and creativity. She holds the Friday night meditation group and serves on our local board. She is passionate about transformative sociocultural change, restorative justice, psychology, spoken word poetry, and community jam sessions.
Derrek
Operations Manger
Derrek became interested in mediation, mindfulness, and Buddhism in 2009. He joined the community as the operations manger in 2023 and has enjoyed helping organize events and creating newsletters to keep folks informed and connected.
Carol
Finance director
Carol became curious about Buddhism during many trips to Asia over the years, particularly attracted to the open and welcoming nature of the communities she visited. She has served as the Portland Shambhala director of practice and education, bookstore manager, and financial assistant, as well as Shambhala guide and course leader. Her worldwide travels continue, with a home base in Portland, Oregon.
David
programs & education
David started a regular meditation practice in Boston 30 years ago. He has been active in the Portland Shambhala Center for over 20 years, and is currently a teacher, a meditation instructor, and coordinator of the Tuesday night open house talks. David loves the outdoors and frequently joins or leads the Drala Hikes.
Allison
Membership
Alison brings her enthusiasm and joy to our community. She began her Shambhala and meditation journeys in 2016, and has been fortunate to study at two of Shambhala’s land centers, Karme Choling and Drala Mountain Center. She is a violin teacher to people of all ages and also plays with the Chehalem Symphony Orchestra, a community orchestra in Newberg, Oregon.
1971
Chögyam Trungpa teaches Budhadharma
Escaped Tibet in 1959,
studied and taught
in India, England, and USA
1982
Portland Students Form a Dharma Study Group
Began regular meditation practice in basements, attics, and rented spaces
1995
Flourished at Carnegie Library Building
Expanded 3 times and sought to purchase our own building
2020
Gave Up Our Space & Moved Online
Lost members and programs due to COVID and leadership controversies
2022 to now
Both Online and In Person
Revived meditation, classes, and retreat traditions in hybrid form
Directions and Visitor Information
Plan Your Visit
We are located in the Portland Dhamma Center, one block north from Hawthorne Avenue at the corner of 25th Avenue.
1404 SE 25th Ave
Portland, Oregon
97214
1404, Southeast 25th Avenue, Buckman, Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon, 97214
About the Portland Dhamma Center
We share the space with other Buddhist groups at the Portland Dhamma Center
Many of our programs are hybrid or online. Check our calendar for details.
If you have accessibility issues, please contact us.
Bus service
The TriMet number 14 Bus along Hawthorne stops at 2 blocks from 25th Avenue either toward or away from downtown. The number 14 Bus runs till late at night.
Parking at the Portland Dhamma Center
