Saturday

2016 International Shambhala Programs Calendar

The Shambhala Office of Practice and Education is pleased to announce the International Shambhala Programs Calendar for 2016.

But first, some important details! Please read through carefully.

The following programs in 2016 require that you apply and be accepted through the Office of Practice and Education:

Enlightened Society Assembly
Warrior Assembly
Sacred World Assembly
Scorpion Seal Assembly Year I

Applying and Registering: Two Steps

Attending an international Assembly is a two-step process, which includes first applying (and being accepted) and then registering with the hosting land center. Once you receive your letter of acceptance from the Office of Practice and Education, you may then register directly with the respective land center.

***If you’re planning on applying to a program held at Shambhala Mountain Center, please read the note at the bottom regarding their unique registration process.

Application Opening & Deadlines

All programs requiring an application will be open to applications starting

October 30, 2015

. The Office of Practice and Education stops accepting new applications

8 weeks prior

to the start date of each program.

The only exceptions to this are Sacred World Assembly, which will close

12 weeks

prior to the program start date, and the February Warrior Assembly at Karme Choling, which will be closed

3 weeks prior

to the program start date.

In some cases, a program may reach capacity early in the season and be closed to new applicants, so once applications open on October 30, please apply as soon as you can. The Office of Practice and Education aspires to process applications in a timely manner, though keep in mind that, in some cases, it may take up to eight weeks for processing.

Recommendations

All application programs require one or – in some cases – two recommendations. One way to ensure your application is processed in a timely manner is to have your recommender submit his/her recommendation soon after you have submitted your application. They can do that in the same way that you applied, by going to the Advanced Program Page, scrolling to the bottom and clicking the “submit recommendation” at the respective program and location, and then following the prompts.

Program Staffing

Without volunteer program staff, there are no programs! Volunteers, we welcome you eagerly and gratefully. If you have completed a program, you qualify to apply to staff that program! Please take a moment to reflect on the people who most supported you at past programs, and consider applying to staff if you have the time and inspiration. In other words, pay it forward!

Further info on program staffing opportunities in 2016 is provided at the bottom of this document. We greatly appreciate your interest in staffing these beautiful Assemblies!

The following is also listed on the Office of Practice and Education Advanced Program Page. Without further ado, we offer you:

The 2016 International Shambhala Programs Calendar

Enlightened Society Assembly

Shambhala Mountain Center: June 17 – 26
Karme Choling: August 12 – 21
Dechen Choling: November 16 – 27

ESA will open to applications starting on

October 30, 2015

.
For more information on Enlightened Society Assembly and to apply.

Regional Enlightened Society Assemblies

In 2016, Shambhala is pleased to offer four regional Enlightened Society Assemblies in order to serve more distant parts of the international community. While the following Assemblies are geared towards the regions in which they are held, they are also open to some international applicants. As these programs will be smaller in size, note that space is limited. The application process for these regional ESAs will be held by a local Shastri. Similar to the above ESAs, applications will open

October 30, 2015

.

Mexico (Casa Werma) — March 18 – 27
For more information and to apply: Kai Fulker, [email protected]

Australia — March 25 – April 3
For more information and to apply: Margaret Hughes, [email protected]

Sweden — July (dates & location TBD)
For more information and to apply: Barbara Nelson, [email protected]

Spain — August (dates & location TBD)
For more information and to apply: Hans Henning Heide, [email protected]

Warrior Assembly

Karme Choling: February 11 – 22 This program is already open to applications here!
Dechen Choling: July 2 – 13
Dorje Denma Ling: August 4 – 15

The summer WAs will be open to applications starting on

October 30, 2015

, the winter WA is open now! For more information on Warrior Assembly and to apply.

Sacred World Assembly

Shambhala Mountain Center: July 4 – 26

SWA will be open to applications starting on

October 30, 2015

.
For more information on Sacred World Assembly and to apply.

Scorpion Seal Assembly Year 1

Karme Choling: June 9 – 20
Dechen Choling: August 24 – September 4

SSA 1 will be open to applications starting on October 30, 2015.
For more information on Scorpion Seal Assembly Year I please go here.

The following Scorpion Seal Assemblies,

Year 2 – 8

, do not require a program application. If you have finished the necessary practice requirements for SSA (or are planning to finish them before the Assembly begins), you may register directly with the hosting land centre once their registration page goes live.

Scorpion Seal Assembly Year 2
Karme Choling: June 9 – 20
Dechen Choling: August 24 – September 4

Scorpion Seal Assembly Year 3
Karme Choling: October 20 – 31

Scorpion Seal Assembly Year 4
Dorje Denma Ling: July 9 – 20

Scorpion Seal Assembly Year 5
Dorje Denma Ling: June 25 – July 6
Dechen Choling: August 11 – 22

Scorpion Seal Assembly Year 6
Shambhala Mountain Center: October 5 – 16
Dechen Choling: August 11 – 22

Scorpion Seal Assembly Year 7
Shambhala Mountain Center: October 20 – 31
Dechen Choling: August 11 – 22

Scorpion Seal Assembly Year 8
Karme Choling: May 24 – June 4

Staffing Opportunities

Supporting the Paths of Others

We deeply appreciate your interest in staffing!

The success of these many wonderful programs depends greatly on the noble volunteer efforts of the program staff who create, maintain and dissolve the containers within which participants are so beautifully held. This provides a prime opportunity to practice with others, engage the teachings in a social setting, meet community members from all over, and serve one another.

Please take a moment to reflect on the people who most supported you at past programs, and consider applying to staff if you have the time and inspiration. In other words, pay it forward!

Staff application links will be posted in November on the hosting land center’s program information pages.

Once the staff applications are available, we invite you to submit an application to staff at your earliest convenience. In order to staff your program of choice, you must already have completed that program as a participant. Scorpion Seal Assemblies after SSA 1 are an exception, as they are primarily “self-staffed” by first-time participants, however if you wish to staff an SSA as a repeater, you are heartily welcomed to do so.

Last, we wish to offer a heartfelt ~ thank you ~ to all the excellent volunteers who have served in the past year at international programs. Your dedication and exertion is golden!

We look forward to engaging further with you on the path of warriorship.

Yours in Shambhala,

Maggie Colby, International Program Manager, North America
Charlie Goetzl, Director of Practice and Education, Shambhala
Sabine Rolf, Director of Practice and Education, Europe

*** Note: For important information about Shambhala Mountain Center’s unique registration process (which allows participants to register before being formally accepted into a program) for Sacred World Assembly and Enlightened Society Assembly please go to those respective programs on SMC’s Shambhala programs page.