Shambhala Lineage

Rediscovering our wisdom and compassion

The ancient kingdom of Shambhala was renowned for the compassion and wisdom of its leaders and citizens. According to the legend of Shambhala, these qualities were the result of unique teachings on enlightened society that the Buddha gave personally to King Dawa Sangpo, the first sovereign of Shambhala.

These instructions have been preserved over the centuries and are held by a hereditary lineage of teachers that hold the title “Sakyong.” It is a royal title that means “Earth Protector.” 

A societal vision

The first Sakyong in modern times was the Tibetan meditation master, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche (the Tibetan title, Rinpoche, means “precious one” and denotes a rare and profound teacher). Prior to his escape from Tibet in 1959, Chögyam Trungpa was the holder of numerous meditative lineages and leader of a large monastic complex.

“The world is in absolute turmoil. The Shambhala teachings are founded on the premise that there is basic human wisdom that can help solve the world’s problems… Shambhala vision teaches that, in the face of the world’s problems, we can be heroic and kind at the same time.” – Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

Having witnessed the demise of his own culture, and how full of turmoil and pain the world was, Chögyam Trungpa went into a period of self-reflection and meditation. He came to realize that the ancient teachings of Shambhala were more relevant and necessary than ever, given the immense challenges facing the planet. Beginning in the 1970s he began to present a societal vision based on the Shambhala principle that proclaims the inherent goodness of all humanity.

Chögyam Trungpa felt that humanity was at a crossroads. If it wished to create a better world, it would need to base its approach on global respect for fundamental human dignity. This is the core message of Shambhala. His teachings were gathered together into his best-selling book Shambhala: the Sacred Path of the Warrior, and many other writings, films, and recordings. For additional info about lineage and history, please rad next section, “Our Story”

As one might notice from the state of today’s world, these teachings are as relevant now as they were 50 years ago.