About Us

The Austin Shambhala Meditation Center is a religious and educational organization combining the teachings of the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages of Tibetan Buddhism with the Shambhala view of living an uplifted life, fully engaged with the world.

"Shambhala" is the name of a mythical kingdom in ancient Tibet where an enlightened society is said to have flourished. Joining spiritual vision with practicality, such an "enlightened society" provides a context for meaningful individual life within a society that expresses the dignity of human experience. This vision is the ground for the Shambhala Meditation Center's programs and studies.

The Austin Shambhala Meditation Center is one of the largest of the approximately 150 similar centers world-wide. The Center is affiliated with Shambhala International, located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and founded by the late Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Shambhala International is now administered by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, son of Chögyam Trungpa and his spiritual heir.