Shambhala vision includes a rich culture—ways of living that incorporate our practice and principles into everyday life. Shambhala culture involves seeing ordinary moments as opportunities to practice, by expressing beauty and elegance, hosting others, marking occasions, and extending awareness into simple tasks.
As elements of this culture, we have our own flag and anthem, as well as a trove of unique iconography that has developed over the lifetime of our community. This iconography can be seen on banners, pins, and artwork throughout our community and at Shambhala Centres and Groups.
We also have a deep connection to numerous contemplative arts, which are ways in which we contact and express wakeful mind.
Shambhala Holidays and Special Events
Our culture includes a common calendar of practices and celebrations, which follow a rhythm we share together each year. These are moments for us to come together both as local and global communities.
Shambhala Day and Shambhala New Year
Shambhala Day marks the beginning of the new year, and is the most important holiday for the Shambhala community. Based on the traditional Tibetan New Year celebration of Losar, the date is calculated astrologically according to the Tibetan lunar calendar, and changes to coincide with the annual lunar cycles. The date for Shambhala Day usually falls somewhere in February or March.
Shambhala Day and the entire Shambhala New Year season is a time for us to reflect on the year that has passed, and to take an opportunity for fresh starts. As the new year approaches, we have practices associated with releasing the accumulated confusion of our past patterns, and inviting sanity into the year ahead. To celebrate the new year, we express the richness of our spiritual and cultural heritage through sharing food and drink, refreshing our homes and Centres so they sparkle, and dressing up to celebrate together.
There is also a Shambhala New Year broadcast organized by Shambhala Global, which features shared meditation practice, arts offerings, music, and other festivities. Centres, Groups, and members around the world tune in on Shambhala Day to share in this celebration.
View end of year practice information for Shambhala New Year 2023.
See Shambhala Day 2023 : Year of The Water Rabbit live broadcast information.
Milarepa Day
Milarepa Day celebrates the enlightenment and life example of Milarepa – considered to be one of Tibet’s most famous mediation masters and spiritual poets. The celebration involves a full day of practice, which includes chanting the Milarepa sadhana and reading the poetic songs of the Kagyu lineage teachers in The Rain of Wisdom. This is a beautiful and moving celebration of the life of one of our community’s most revered meditation masters.
Parinirvana of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
In Buddhism, parinirvana refers to the death of someone who has attained enlightenment during their lifetime. The parinirvana of Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche is commemorated on April 4. It is a day for the Shambhala sangha to gather together to celebrate his life, his widespread influence, and his teachings.
This day is typically acknowledged by focusing on the life, teachings and practices created and shared by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. In particular, – in Shambhala we typically practice The Sadhana of Mahamudra, a seminal work about the age of materialism received by Trungpa Rinpoche while on retreat in Bhutan in 1968.. -it has been practiced by Shambhala students since he introduced it soon after his arrival in North America.
Seasonal Celebrations
Shambhala culture values our connection with the natural world, the planet and our environment. As we go through the changing seasons and years, we can connect to the shifts in the temperature, colour and feelings that each season brings. We have seasonal holidays that occur at these season-changing times. These are called “nyida” days from the Tibetan words nyima (sun) and dawa (moon), and they occur on or near the days of the seasonal equinoxes and solstices. Nyida days are family-oriented celebrations and occasions for local Shambhala communities to gather socially. Midsummer’s Day observes the summer solstice; Harvest of Peace, the autumn equinox; and Children’s Day marks the winter solstice. Shambhala Day is our annual celebration of “losar” or the new year according to the Tibetan calendar. Since it typically falls in February or March, this holiday has taken the place of a formal a formal observance of the spring equinox.
As a note, these seasonal celebrations are celebrated differently in local Centres and Groups in the Southern and Northern Hemispheres.
Midsummer’s Day
Midsummer’s Day is celebrated on the summer solstice. This holiday connects to the sweetness of summer days, and usually begins with a big outdoor lhasang ceremony. A lhasang chant is done along with offering and burning of juniper. The juniper smoke is said to purify the environment and serve as an invitation to awakened energy to enter the space. We can enjoy summer picnics, sport, games and outdoor performances as a community. Everyone is welcome to join in.
Harvest of Peace
Harvest of Peace marks the autumn equinox, and is associated with a feeling of gathering together or “harvesting” our warmth, connection, community spirit and shared resources. This shows up as a special time to share local culture and heritage, and the bounty of our harvests through shared meals and feasts. There are many gatherings to share food, plant seeds and bulbs for the seasons to come, and focus on our local Centres and Groups around the world.
Children’s Day
As the darker days of winter come around, we celebrate the winter solstice with light, song, and humor. The Shambhala winter solstice celebration gives us an opportunity to express appreciation with and for our children. In the weeks leading up to the winter solstice, families and Centres create Children’s Day Shrines in collaboration with our kids. These seasonal shrines include figurines representing the Four Dignities (mythical animals representing the excellent qualities of meek, perky, outrageous and inscrutable) along with other animals, special natural tokens like crystals or stones, human figures like monarchs or warriors, and magnetizing treats like candies and jewels.
Shambhala Centres may decorate their space for this holiday and host celebrations filled with song, candlelight and activities that welcome everyone, especially children and families. We come together in winter to strengthen our connection and friendship to warm us through this season.
Image Credits: Boulder Shambhala Center, Dechen Chöling, Shambhala School.