Monday
Dön Season Teachings and Gathering

Photo by Kajetan Sumila on Unsplash
Dön season is the period that falls on the eleven days before before the lunar new year. In Shambhala, the tradition is to perform special practices, including mamo chants, each day of this period in response to the increased obstacles that can gather as a year comes to an end.
This year, Shambhala Global Services and Shambhala Online are offering daily mamos practice sessions with talks by senior teachers in our community during dön season. Each day will feature a presentation about a different protector in our tradition or the history and tradition of the mamos chants, and will be followed by group recitations of the mamos chants.
Presenters for these “dön days gatherings” will include: Tom Berthoff, Francesca Dalio, Marian English, Acharya Dan Hessey, Kristine McCutcheon, Acharya Fleet Maull, Acharya Mathias Pongracz, Ute Reinhardt, John Rockwell, Shastri Will Ryken, and Toby Sifton.
You can join these gatherings here.
Entries filed under Dharma Teachings
Taking Refuge – HIGHLIGHT
Dharma Teaching by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche The Tibetan word for refuge is chup, “to be protected by.” Every day we wake up and tacitly take refuge in something that we think will offer us security and protection. Most of the time we put our poker chip on the ... continuePosted October 28, 2015 by Dan
Meditation and the Truth of Suffering – HIGHLIGHT
Dharma Teaching by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche The path of meditation isn’t necessarily about becoming a Buddhist. It’s about awakening to who we already are: buddha—“awakened one” in Sanskrit. Through the practice of meditation, the Buddha overcame bewilderment and suffering and awoke to the truth of reality, which is ... continuePosted September 14, 2015 by Dan
Windhorse – HIGHLIGHT
Dharma Teachings by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche During hard times, people often ask me for advice. They feel destabilized and scattered. They’re often caught up in examining who they are, what the world is, and how they fit in. They’re questioning their understanding of buddhadharma, as well as their ... continuePosted August 17, 2015 by Dan
Meditation – HIGHLIGHT
Dharma Teaching by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche We sometimes forget how the Buddhist teachings came into being. We forget why the Buddha left his father’s palace. Dissatisfied with maintaining an illusion, he wanted to understand his life—and life itself. Just like the Buddha, most of us also would like ... continuePosted July 20, 2015 by Dan
Educating the Sky – HIGHLIGHT
COLUMN: Dharma Teachings by Acharya Noel McLellan originally published on broken leaf Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche wrote a text on how to educate a prince, someone who would grow up to be a wise, compassionate, skilful, and joyous leader. The text states that the prince’s education should occur in an environment ... continuePosted July 10, 2015 by
The Field of Stillness – HIGHLIGHT
Photo courtesy of Jennifer HolderCOLUMN: Dharma Teachings by Roger Guest There are many ways to ground ourselves in presence. We might walk slowly and mindfully, meditate on the breath, focus on sensations within the body or place our attention on an object in the environment. Some might be ... continuePosted June 15, 2015 by Dan
The Practice of Peaceful Abiding – HIGHLIGHT
Dharma Teaching by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche Preparing to Practice Taming our mind through shamatha meditation, or “peaceful abiding,” is the most important thing we can do. Through peaceful abiding, we learn to rest fearlessly in our natural state, which is basic goodness. We experience basic goodness when we relax ... continuePosted June 8, 2015 by Dan
Prometheus’ Chains: The Myth of Shenpa – HIGHLIGHT
PrometheusCOLUMN: Dharma Teachings article by Crystal Gandrud All myths evolve in the light of intelligence and imagination (also known as basic goodness). We conceive of what conceives us in an eternal wish to know where we came from and why. The stories we tell are powerful for one ... continuePosted June 3, 2015 by
The Dance of Fear – HIGHLIGHT
miksang image by Charles BlackhallCOLUMN: Dharma Teachings by Roger Guest To be a warrior means to live a life without pretense. In simple terms, this requires an intimacy with reality that leaves no room for self-deception. Once, while giving a talk to a group of about thirty people, I ... continuePosted May 15, 2015 by Dan
Ego and Egolessness – HIGHLIGHT
photo courtesy of the Sakyong LhadrangDharma Teaching by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche What is buddhahood? It is the attaining of egolessness. According to the hinayana — the “narrow path” — if we attain egolessness of self, we realize nirvana, enlightenment. This is a common approach: to attain enlightenment for ... continuePosted May 4, 2015 by
A Letter Regarding the Earthquake in Nepal from Shastri Amy Conway – HIGHLIGHT
Dear Shambhala Sangha, Photo by Bob Sonne on his 2008 trip to Nepal and India As you have probably heard by now, yesterday a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal killing more than 2,500 people with other deaths in India and Tibet. Aftershocks today have also been devastating. The ... continuePosted April 28, 2015 by Dan
Spring of Well-Being – HIGHLIGHT
Dharma Teaching by Acharya Noel McLellan originally published on broken leaf “In Shambhala, the constant application of not giving up on ourselves is known as discipline. It is not that we have made a mistake and need discipline to correct it. Rather, it is that we have not made ... continuePosted April 22, 2015 by
Becoming a Bodhisattva – HIGHLIGHT
Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, Dharma Teaching by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche At the core of the Mahayana Buddhist teachings is the crown jewel of bodhichitta. This is the supreme thought, the highest possible concept that the mind can generate. Bodhichitta is the intention to bring all sentient beings to enlightenment. The ... continuePosted April 13, 2015 by
Like a Lion Licking Your Face – HIGHLIGHT
Dharma Teaching by Acharya Noel McLellan originally published on broken leaf The path of the Lion is connected with discipline and joy. Do the words “discipline and joy” go together for you? Here, discipline is not about rules and their enforcement. The outer level of form, rules, protocols, manners, ... continuePosted March 18, 2015 by
True Listening – HIGHLIGHT
Dharma Teaching by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche It is said that when the Buddha first taught, two deer approached, knelt down, and raised their ears. They symbolize the act of listening, a sublime way of being present in the moment. Their perked-up ears represent keen attentiveness. Their bodies kneeling ... continuePosted March 16, 2015 by
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