Membership
Becoming a member of the Shambhala Meditation Center is a statement about your personal inspiration, curiosity, and commitment to the path of awakening. It means participating in a community of practitioners who aspire to relate to each other with honesty, warmth, and openness. We inspire one another to deepen our practice of mindfulness, awareness, and compassion. We also provide each other an opportunity to practice kindness and patience.
We invite anyone interested in our Shambhala Centre to consider becoming a member. Becoming a member of our Centre also brings membership in the global Shambhala community, which seeks to manifest enlightened society.
Who should become a member?
Membership involves three areas of engagement and support:
- Meditation practice: Members integrate meditation into their daily lives, as a way of benefitting themselves, their households, and society.
- Volunteering: Members offer their talents and energies to the Shambhala Centre, as part of their own meditation practice and to benefit others. Learn more about volunteering.
- Financial contribution: There are no set monthly dues; we invite members to contribute whatever dues they are inspired to offer and can afford. The median monthly contribution is about $45 per month. Contributions totaling more than $50/year are tax deductible.
What are the benefits of membership?
Although membership is not required to participate in much of what the Center has to offer, without our community’s financial and volunteer support we would not be able to offer the wonderful programs, practice sessions, and events that we do. Connecting to our community by becoming a member helps support your own practice and that of others.
Other benefits:
- New members – Receive a Shambhala Membership Pin and a copy of “An Introduction to Shambhala Culture” at a yearly ceremony on Shambhala Day.
- Meditation instruction – Ongoing, personal instruction with a qualified and experienced meditation instructor.
- Communications – Special updates about programs and special events happening at the Shambhala Center.
- Centre governance – Eligibility to participate in the Centre Council and other leadership committees.
- Special events – Invitations to special community events, like the yearly Harvest of Peace gathering at the Centre Shastri’s downtown garden.
- Online resources – Access to Shambhala,org’s extensive member resources and to the Shambhala Network.
- Advanced programs – Advanced programs like Enlightened Society Assembly and Warrior’s Assembly require membership in a Shambhala Centre.
Become a Member
To learn more about membership, contact our Membership Director.
And a closing quotation
Here’s a reflection from Sakyong Mipham, the leader of the Shambhala community, on what it means to be a member. (In Sanskrit, “sangha” means “community of practitioners” and “samsara” means “cycles of suffering.”)
Those who are in the sangha are warriors, because they are trying to overcome samsara. Members of the sangha support one another and care for one another. They are not perfect, but they inspire us because they are people who want to deepen their practice of mindfulness, awareness and compassion. The sangha is also a container. When we practice together, the sangha helps our discipline. We realize that there are other people around who are going through the same thing. That gives us a feeling of encouragement.
– Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche
