The Lineage of Shambhala Buddhism

The Shambhala Centers tie together the lineages of Tibetan Buddhism and the Shambhala Teachings.

Tibetan Buddhist Lineage

Although there are many ways of categorizing the different Buddhist schools, it is generally recognized that Tibetan Buddhism has four major ones: the Gelug (headed by the Dalai Lama), the Sakya, the Nyingma and the Kagyü. The Nyingma is the oldest school, which was firmly established in Tibet via the 8th century meditation master, Padmasambhava. The Kagyü is characterized as the practice lineage because of its emphasis on meditation practice.

Without living teachers who have gained realization under the instruction of previous lineage holders, the teachings become lifeless theory. Through Chögyam Trungpa, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche and other teachers in our community, the Shambhala Centers bring together two major Tibetan Buddhist lineages: the Kagyü and the Nyingma.

Follow these links to connect to Nalandabodhi.org's histories of the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages.

The Kagyu: The Practice Lineage

The Nyingma: The Oldest School of Tibetan Buddhism

Shambhala Lineage

The Shambhala Buddhist lineage descends through Trungpa Rinpoche's family, the Mukpo clan. In 1978, Trungpa Rinpoche performed a ceremony empowering his son, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, as his dharma heir, with particular emphasis on the propagation of the teachings of Shambhala, a legendary enlightened society. It is said that the first king of Shambhala received teachings directly from the Buddha.

Teachers

	Learn about Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, meditation master and founder of the worldwide network of Shambhala Meditation Centers.
	Learn about Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, the main teacher and head of Shambhala International, lineage holder of both the Shambhala and Kagyü-Nyingma traditions.

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