Shambhala Center Of Madison

The Shambhala Meditation Center of Madison is part of an international community of urban meditation and rural retreat centers led by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. Our center, located in Madison’s Willy Street neigborhood, offers public meditation several times a week, a core curriculum of Buddhist and Shambhala teachings, as well as training in advanced contemplative practices.Shambhala Vision is rooted in the principle that every human being has a fundamental nature of basic goodness. This nature can be developed in daily life so that it radiates out to family, friends, community and society.

According to the Shambhala tradition we are living through an age of greed and aggression. We harm ourselves, each other and our planet.The Shambhala teachings offer an antidote to this crisis. This was the basis of the legendary Kingdom of Shambhala, a society that fostered the inherent goodness of its people. Shambhala Vision tells us that we can experience a natural source of radiance and brilliance in the world, which is the innate wakefulness of human beings.

From this deep, profoundly human foundation, it is possible to extend that out and create what the Shambhala tradition calls “enlightened society.” This vision offers possibilities for a radical paradigm shift – not a utopia, but a culture in which life’s challenges are met with kindness, generosity and courage.

What we Offer

Meditation is a natural state of the human mind—at rest, open, alert. The practice of meditation has been taught for over 2,500 years as a vehicle for realizing the beauty and magic of the ordinary world without aggression or manipulation.

The teachings of Shambhala Buddhism emphasize the potential for enlightenment inherent in every situation or state of mind. Through discipline, gentleness and a sense of humor, the practitioner is invited to let go of conflicting emotions and wake up on the spot.

Mindfulness/awareness meditation is the foundation of all that we do at the Shambhala Meditation Center.This ancient practice of self-discovery is rooted in the simple but revolutionary premise that every human being has the ability to cultivate the mind’s inherent stability, clarity and strength in order to be more awake and to develop the compassion and insight necessary to care for oneself and the world genuinely.

About Meditation Instruction

Meditation instruction is available to anyone, free of charge. We offer introductory instruction to newcomers and follow-up instruction to other practitioners as part of our weekly Open House program (beginning January 10, 2013), and at other times by appointment. Not just for “new” meditators, instruction is also recommended as part of your ongoing practice. You are always welcome to request to speak with an instructor about your regular practice and you may even ask to form a working relationship with the instructor of your choice.