Engaging with
The Shambhala Principle
A workbook
Engaging with The Shambhala Principle
I have organized the book along the lines of feeling, being, and
touching. We can hear logics and theories, but ultimately change
and growth occur when we are touched at a human level––when we
personally feel and experience something. The societal level is no
different. We can be well aware of climate change and
overpopulation, but what moves us is direct
experience. This is why
feeling our own nature, in a direct way, is so potent.
-
Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche
The Shambhala Principle
This little guide offers suggestions for individuals and groups of people who want
to engage with The Shambhala Principle. Please feel free to experiment with these
ideas, develop your own and share your experience with others!
1. Using the three-fold approach of The Shambhala Principle
2. Contemplating, inquiring, sharing
3. Glimpses of basic goodness
4. What is the “deep psychic shift”?
5. The Shambhala principle and human nature
6. The Shambhala principle in action
7. The Shambhala principle in the world
8. The mind, meditation and the Shambhala principle
9. Outrageous, universal and unconditional
10. Doubt, questioning and fear
11. A study guide to the book
12. A Shambhala principle gathering
(for Shambhala Centres, groups or households)
1. Using the three-fold approach of The Shambhala Principle
The Shambhala Principle says that change and growth occur when we are touched at a
human level –– when we personally feel and experience something. We can experiment
with this approach when reading any part of the book, even a single sentence. We can
inquire into our personal experience. We can ask how that experience affects how we act
and how we relate to the world around us. We can do this by asking three questions that
correspond to feeling, being and touching.
The aim of this three-fold inquiry is to help us connect with a central theme of The
Shambhala Principle – that how we feel as human beings, can help determine not only
the course of our own lives but the future of humanity and our planet.
Here is an example. Let’s say you are reading the opening sentence of the prologue:
We humans have come to a crossroads in our history: we can either
destroy the world or create a good future.
Feeling
How do I feel when I read these words?
Feeling can range from various sensations in the body, such as muscular tension – very
common when disagreeing or being angry – through to emotional states such as sadness
or appreciation. (You do not have to agree with these words. You may disagree
completely. If you do, what does it feel like to experience this disagreement?)
Being
Does what I am feeling remind me of other experiences in my life, or moments
where I have similar feelings?
The book invites us to notice how our innermost feelings are connected to our states of
mind, thought processes and responses to events. Being is about how we experience
ourselves at the most basic, simple level. Underneath our day to day feelings and
emotions, how do we experience our most basic being, or simple existence. This book
asks us to explore this underlying level of experience. By inquiring into how the feelings
that arise remind us of other experiences in our life, we can begin to reveal deeper
patterns in our life. Feelings are not often isolated; they are connected to deeper levels of
identity. As we read The Shambhala Principle, we can develop open-ended inquiry into
our very human nature.
Touching
Does what I am feeling remind me of ways I relate to others -- to my family and
friends, my workplace and co-workers, the community or broader society I live
in?
The book invites us to see direct connections between our inner experiences, how we feel
about ourselves, and the ways we communicate with other people and create society.
You can experiment with these three levels of inquiry as an individual, with a partner or
in groups. As an individual, simply take a few minutes to ask yourself the three questions
– feeling, being and touching – and see what arises for you. If you want to do this with a
partner, you can reflect personally on each question and then share your experience with
each other, one question at a time. If you want to do this in a group, you can reflect
personally on each question and then take time for people to share their experiences with
everyone else, if they wish.
Some tips for sharing with a partner or a group:

Listen deeply to the person who is speaking, without interrupting, judging or
commenting

Allow open space for people to speak from their hearts

It is not always necessary to respond to or comment on what other people say;
letting them speak from their heart is a gift in itself

Allow time to go deeper than is usually possible when we are rushed

This three-fold process is not about establishing “right” or “wrong”; it is an openended inquiry into our personal, direct experience. That experience is unique to
each person.
2. Contemplation, dialogue, sharing
Here is another three-step approach you can use to explore themes in The Shambhala
Principle. This is particularly useful if you would like to do this with a partner, or in
groups. It is a three-fold process involving contemplating, inquiring and sharing.
A structured outline for this – “A Shambhala principle gathering” – that can be hosted in
Shambhala Centres, groups and households is provided on pages 17-21.
A set of questions – “A study guide to the book” – that you can draw on to select a theme
for contemplation and discussion is provided on pages 14-16.
Here is an example. Let’s say you’d like to explore this question from the study guide:
What changes in contemporary education would be most effective in nourishing
the wisdom and dignity of both students and teachers?
Contemplation
Take a few minutes to ponder the question with an open-minded approach. One way to
start is simply to repeat the question several times quietly to yourself, not rushing to
answer it, but to let it really sink in. Perhaps you can answer it from a deeper level of
understanding than you normally access in yourself. Sometimes a feeling, a bodily
sensation or a strong emotion arises from doing this. If so, pay attention to those
sensations, don’t push them away. Then see what words, mental pictures or ideas surface.
They may be fragments, incomplete notions or expressive images. Feel free to make
notes if you wish. Contemplation is uses a word, theme, or question as the basis of
practice. Instead of following the breath, we stay with the word, theme, or question
allowing deeper levels of understanding to arise.
Dialogue
Take turns sharing your contemplative work with your partner. One of you speaks, the
other listens. It is usually good to set a time frame of around seven to 10 minutes each.
While you are speaking freely, the role of your partner is to listen with an open mind and
heart. Normally, we don’t listen fully to each other; instead we are silent judging,
agreeing or disagreeing, and thinking about what we are going to say ourselves! In this
session, we try to listen fully. After the five minutes are up for the first person, the partner
who was listening asks a question that may help take the contemplation deeper, such as:
“Can you say more about the dignity you felt was lacking in your own experience of
education?” or “Why do you feel so angry about the education your children are
receiving?” Allow a few more minutes for the person to reflect on this and respond.
Then, change roles: the person who was speaking now listens and inquires; the one who
was listening, now has their time to speak.
Sharing
If you are working with a partner, the two of you can now have a “normal” unstructured
conversation about the question you have been contemplating. It is often helpful to first
talk with each other about your experience of the careful way in which you both
experimented with “contemplating” and “inquiring”. Sharing your experience of doing
that may help to reveal a deeper level of mental activity that you find helpful and would
like to have more access to. It may also help your “normal” conversation remain rooted in
that.
If you are working in a larger group, you can have this kind of “normal” unstructured
conversation still in partners. You can also choose either to do that with the full group, or
to add a full group “circle” at the end.
If you are opening this up to the full group, you can either let people speak spontaneously
or simply go around the circle of the group giving each person a little time in which to
share with the group whatever they wish. Normally, this kind of group work seems to
work best for everyone if the group as a whole listens wholeheartedly to whatever anyone
is saying, and does not engage in cross-talk or making comments on what anyone has
said. People from the group will naturally speak to each other, if they want to, after the
session is over!
Levels of Listening
For the purposes of contemplation, dialogue, and sharing, it may be helpful to present a
few levels of listening.
1. The first level of listening is “listening from within the cocoon.” Here we listen to our
partner from within our own busy, habitual mind. We are barely aware that there is
another person there speaking to us. We are mostly filled with out own emotions,
thoughts, distractions, and judgements.
2. The second level of listening is “listening on the edge of the cocoon.” Here we are
aware that there is another human being speaking to us, but we are only listening to
determine if what they are saying “lines up” with our own view of things. We are
listening in a very judgmental and analytical way. If we like what they say, we offer
agreement or how we also see it the same way. If we don’t like what they say, we either
silently stop listening, or we judge them as wrong or not quite up to our understanding of
things. This form of listening is ultimately about defending our self and our opinions.
3. The third level of listening is “empathic listening.” Here we have reached a certain
inner silence and openness. We simply allow this other human being to be who they are,
without needing to change them, agree with them or improve them. There is a sense of
feeling and opening the heart to what they are saying.
4. The fourth level of listening is “listening someone into their own wisdom.” Here we
listen with such depth that our listening actually creates a kind of steady, gentle pull that
invites deeper insight for the one who is speaking. Listening becomes an expression of
compassion, wisdom and a flow of meaning begins to emerge.
3. Glimpses of basic goodness
In the Prologue to The Shambhala Principle, the Sakyong writes:
The Shambhala Principle centers around a profound transmission, a nonverbal
transference of wisdom: humanity and society are basically good . . . The
principle of basic goodness is not particularly religious or secular. It is about
how humanity at the core is complete, good, and worthy.
Later, he tells us more about the meaning of the phrase “basic goodness”:
The Tibetan word for basic goodness . . . literally means “primordial goodness.”
Primordial means “beginningless.” However, the beginning is not some long ago
time when our goodness was born; it refers to this very moment.
Basic goodness is not abstract; it is alive and runs throughout our whole being.
The world is fresh and full of warmth and love, and humanity is gifted at
experiencing it. From this open and sensitive state, we communicate. It is the
wellspring from which we create great music and art, great commerce,
economics, and politics.
At this time of speed, depression, and technological absorption, it is not easy to
experience such a subtle feeling, yet it is always here.
Basic goodness is sometimes more easily glimpsed as a direct experience or feeling
through art, storytelling, music or other expressive forms – or in the presence of nature.
These suggestions may open up this kind of visceral experience. They may also be
helpful if you are seeking ways to communicate about basic goodness if you are doing
this with a partner or exploring this in a group:
A painting
Would you like to make a drawing, sketch or painting that you feel expresses
basic goodness? You can do this in your mind’s eye, imagining what such a
painting would be like. Or you could call to mind a drawing or painting that does
this – how does it make you feel?
A film clip
Would you like to capture a moment or a scene on your camera that you feel
expresses basic goodness? You could imagine what you would like to film or call
to mind a film that you feel conveys the spirit of basic goodness.
An anecdote
There may be an anecdote or story about basic goodness that you would like to
tell – or call to mind.
A dream
Have you had a dream about basic goodness? Or can you imagine one? How
would it affect you?
A dance
Some people prefer to express their deepest feelings through movement and dance
– with or without music.
A gesture
Is there a gesture that you feel expresses basic goodness? A gesture can also be a
way in which one human being (or a group) extends itself to others – a gesture of
reconciliation, for example. Is there a gesture of any kind that you have made, or
witnessed or heard about that reveals the power of basic goodness?
A moment in nature
The Shambhala Principle has many references to the natural world around us and
our relationship to it. A walk in nature, or a contemplative period observing the
natural world, often enables us to experience the energy of basic goodness. We
can spend time outdoors, alone or with others, and share our experience in
whatever way we wish. Allow the natural environment to “call you” to certain
trees, rocks, sounds, colours, smells etc.
Reflections on basic goodness
When we engage with basis goodness in these ways, it can be helpful to reflect on what
the Sakyong says about it in the book. The Shambhala Principle makes it clear that “basic
goodness” is not an idea or concept that can be explained or conveyed the way we treat
data:
Unlike information, basic goodness cannot be transmitted, but only pointed out.
The heart must wake up to what is already there.
The book also makes it clear that the phrase “basic goodness” points to something
beyond “good” or “bad”. It is not something we pick and choose out of life. It has the
quality of being unchanging, beginningless, endless, and all-inclusive. The Sakyong
quotes one of Tibet’s most illustrious masters, Longchenpa:
“Since all things are all-good, with not a single thing that is not good, all things
are identical within the completely good state, in which there is neither good nor
bad.”
When we reflect on these words, we can examine our experience and ask ourselves if
there is anything we glimpse – beautiful or ugly, delightful or horrific – that is not a
glimpse of basic goodness.
4. What is the “deep psychic shift”?
It is true that climate change and economic instability are big issues.
However, any long-term solution to our concerns is rooted in a deep
psychic shift.
From your reading of The Shambhala Principle, what do you think the “deep psychic
shift” is that the Sakyong is talking about?
How would you describe this shift?
Why do you feel that the Sakyong says that any long-term solution to concerns such as
climate change and economic instability, is rooted in this deep psychic shift?
How would you recognize this shift in yourself? What would you need to contemplate or
do in order to initiate or nurture this shift in your own psyche?
What would the impact of this shift be in the world around you – in relationships, in
families, in communities, in larger societal processes?
In addressing the need for – and indeed the inevitably – of such a shift, it may be helpful
to consider the words of the Sakyong:
I believe that the pain and confusion of the world is now so vivid and
unavoidable that we have no choice but to acknowledge it. Perhaps this
means that when we are finally fed up with torturing ourselves, others,
and the planet, out of our exhaustion will arise a gap in which we come to
our senses and collectively rediscover a more natural state. Only by
staring directly at the confusion—examining it and absorbing its reality—
will our species discover a way forward.
5. The Shambhala principle and human nature
We may never before have considered human nature, but in order to move
forward as a global community, it is vital that we do it now.
The Sakyong asks us to contemplate human nature. It is, he says, “the most important
global issue.” This, he says, is particularly true now because there is a lot of skepticism
about human nature, and our assumptions about human nature have what he calls “realworld impacts”.
From your own life experience, how would you describe human nature?
What do you think about the view of human nature that sees people as fundamentally
selfish and competitive?
How do you feel about the passages in the book that say that human nature is
fundamentally good?
Do you think the choice is that simple?
If humanity’s fundamental nature is “basic goodness”, then how is it possible for our
history to be filled with acts of aggression towards each other and even towards our
planet?
Why is what we think about ourselves “the most important global issue”?
How is this question related to “the deep psychic shift” that the Sakyong says is
necessary at this point in human history?
6. The Shambhala principle in action
You can use the ideas presented in The Shambhala Principle as a way of looking at your
life as it unfolds each day. You can use the book as a “view finder” through which you
can bring your activities and experiences into clearer focus. You may find this a helpful
way of contemplating the utility of the Shambhala principle itself, or you may find it
helps you see things in your life in a different way. Or both!
Here are some passages from the book that you might like to experiment with as you go
through your day:
At home
Society does not simply run on greed and aggression, but on an
invisible network of love and goodwill
Travelling
We forget that we are feeling creatures. We rush through traffic so we can
get home to the comfort of our television. While this technology has the
power to awaken empathy and thoughtfulness, the habit of using it as an
escape dulls us to our own brilliance and tenderness.
At work
In an argument with a coworker, instead of trying to outwit him or her, we
use our energy to connect to a bigger view—such as generosity, kindness,
and other principles that we are engendering. This allows us to maintain
confidence in the inherent goodness in the situation.
Our environment
Our psychological state is completely related to the environment. When
we feel inadequate, we consume the world around us rapaciously.
Our culture
We are living in a culture where the words kindness and love can seem
futile, especially against greed and aggression. In our modern world, it
may be hard to trust qualities that cannot be hurried, measured, or even
located. Yet these intangible forces have the power to bind us. By using
them, our trust in them will grow, and we will all be stronger.
7. The Shambhala principle in the world
Basic goodness can be expressed in all aspects of life. In this light, I reflect on
how realizing basic goodness might affect the economy, health, and education. I
do this in order to initiate a dialogue about how basic goodness can be applied to
society as a whole. In this way, dialogue becomes the method of creating society
through exchange, opening new pathways for exploration and development.
At various points, the book addresses the relevance of the Shambhala principle to major
fields of human activity and concern. You may wish to contemplate some of these to see
what your own experience is. You could then see if what the book says matches or
challenges your experience and views. Here are some passages from the book that
highlight key themes:
Economics
The modern economy now presumes that we are all fundamentally selfish and
competitive. As a culture, we seem to draw the conclusion that even though it is
good to be virtuous, human nature is greedy. This becomes a self-fulfilling
prophecy. When we see how the economy fosters and rewards individual and
corporate greed, we conclude that acting with virtue goes against our own nature
and the nature of our economic system.
Education
Children are naturally oriented towards learning. For most kids, it is inseparable
from playfulness and joy. According to the Shambhala principle, education is the
nourishing of this natural wish to learn. Unfortunately, all too often our
educational systems hold the view that we are innately confused or disinterested.
The resulting systems of teaching, testing, and assessment may squelch children’s
curiosity and close the door to wisdom.
The environment
Particularly since the Industrial Revolution, we have had greater means to
oppose nature, taking advantage of the environment for our own gain. Through
this greed and discontent we are consuming our planet and the natural resources
it provides. The result is personal, social, and environmental deforestation.
Health care
Even though modern medicine seems almost miraculous and taking pills might
temporarily counteract the mounting pressure, the most beneficial approach for
the future is to balance the stress equally with a sense of fundamental
healthiness. The Shambhala approach to healthiness begins at an inner level by
being kind to ourselves; appreciating what we eat through mindfulness,
exchanging with others through empathy, resting with our fears, and allowing our
mind to have dreams. On the outer level, it encourages respect for human dignity
... we can approach life's vicissitudes from the reference point of goodness
whether we are healthy or ill. In this way basic goodness becomes our cosmic
health care. Thus even illness becomes a way to discover our treasure, which
allows us to celebrate being alive.
Power and wealth
Power and wealth do not naturally corrupt humanity. What corrupts humanity is
the inability to harness and ride its natural power and wealth.
Tyranny, terrorism, freedom and rights
If our whole social premise is based on paranoia about tyrants and terrorists
creating havoc, we are fostering an environment of suspicion and fear in which
even more individuals will become disenfranchised from good human society . . .
My father personally experienced the horrors of war and genocide. That led to his
bravery in declaring basic goodness. He felt that if this message was not
proclaimed, humanity would continue to move toward a troubled future because
our feelings about our nature would be unexamined and unresolved. Although it
is necessary to protect human rights, he felt that laws governing these rights
could be a declaration of human dignity that arises out of victory over aggression,
rather than a protective agent that arises from fear.
War and peace
Through view, self-reflection, and behavior, the mind can be directed toward any
goal. With these three elements, we can create a state of war, or we can create a
state of peace. In creating a state of war, we view others as the enemy, and we
practice how to destroy them. In creating a state of peace, we view others as
ourselves, and we develop a good society by being “friendly to ourselves and
merciful to others,” as my father put it.
8. The mind, meditation, and the Shambhala principle
The Shambhala principle challenges us to join meditative insight with social
vision in order to create enlightened society.
The Sakyong asks us to look carefully at the role our minds play in shaping our
individual and collective experience – and the impact we have on the world around us.
He asks us not to underestimate the power of the mind’s feeling about itself, pointing out
that the human mind has the ability to determine the outcome of every day and that
through the power of the mind we set up our personal and societal value systems.
He also highlights the role that meditation can play in personal and social transformation.
“Meditation,” he writes, “is about developing good mental hygiene.” He points out that
one of the Tibetan terms for meditation means “strong mind”. Meditation, he explains,
enables us to have direct, personal experience of our basic goodness, and sustain our
intention to have a beneficial influence on those around us and the culture of our society.
If you have a personal experience of meditation, what do you feel are the most
significant effects the practice has on your state of mind and way of being?
Do you experience any ways in which your meditation practice influences your
communication and interaction with other people?
Are there ways in which meditation practice has influenced the way you work, or
your attitude and behavior in your place of work?
“If we do not appreciate the sensitivity and subtlety of the human heart, how can
we appreciate the sensitivity and subtlety of the natural world? At this very
intimate level, environmental degradation begins.” Do these words match
anything in your own experience?
Many people regard meditation and contemplation practices as being of benefit to
individuals – reducing stress, putting people more in touch with their own
feelings, cultivating inner values. The Shambhala Principle suggests that
meditation has a social value. Do you have any experience of this societal
dimension of meditation in your own life and work?
9. Outrageous, universal and unconditional
It is said that Shambhala was located at the western part of the Orient and the
eastern part of the Occident—the confluence of the Asian, European, and Arabic
worlds. Thus, even geographically, Shambhala was located in a position of
universality. The citizens of Shambhala were said to be technologically advanced
and incredibly intelligent. To create enlightened society, they roused their
goodness and projected it into their daily lives, which in turn became a constant
support for this enlightenment. They infused their relationships with kindness and
compassion, and they also used them to develop those qualities. This all arose
from a communal belief in humanity’s inherent wisdom. That is why my father
drew inspiration from the legend: at the confluence of these great cultures, the
spirit of goodness was extolled and celebrated. It was the epitome of human
realization and cultural achievement.
At various points in the book, The Sakyong, describes the Shambhala principle as
having outrageous power, being part of a universal tradition and expressing unconditional
wisdom.
From your own understanding and experience, how could this principle be
described as having “outrageous power”?
Are there aspects of the Shambhala principle that you recognize from cultures and
wisdom traditions around the world?
If the Shambhala principle expresses unconditional wisdom then it would apply in
all possible situations. As you reflect on your own experience and the world
around you, do you feel this is true? Where would the Shambhala principle not
apply?
Could something as simple as a principle, actually have an impact on what
happens to humanity and our planet at what the Sakyong calls this crossroads in
our history?
10. Doubt, questioning and fear
As with any book, readers have doubts and questions about what is presented. That is a
manifestation of everyone’s natural curiosity, intelligence and inquiring mind. In
addition, The Shambhala Principle touches on issues that affect many of us intimately –
addressing deep feelings, states of mind such as depression, and asking us to look into
human aggression and its affect on our future and our environment. Looking at these
issues, a mix of the personal and the societal, can also bring up a lot of fear.
People have different ways of working with doubt, questioning and fear. Here are some
reflections for individuals, and people in conversation, that may help to acknowledge the
reality and value of these experiences – and help people explore more deeply the issues
involved.
Doubt
If you have doubts about the central theme of The Shambhala Principle or some elements
of what is says, it is helpful to be open with yourself and others about this. (Even if you
are a member of Shambhala or a student of The Sakyong, it is not a lack of loyalty or
commitment to experience and express doubt about the Shambhala teachings. That is a
natural part of the journey of genuine inquiry into these teachings.)
Questioning
Opening up questions about what the Sakyong presents in The Shambhala Principle is
very welcome. Indeed, he writes in the prologue to the book:
I do this in order to initiate a dialogue about how basic goodness can be applied
to society as a whole. In this way, dialogue becomes the method of creating
society through exchange, opening new pathways for exploration and
development. I hope these pathways lead experts in various fields to advance this
discussion … Never before has there been a time when reflection on human
nature is so important, particularly because of the power of technology. Used
affirmatively, it can be a powerful vehicle for allowing each of us to participate in
the global community of people who wish to shift the destiny of our planet.
Fear
Exploration of our fears in connection with The Shambhala Principle is important:
We may never before have considered human nature, but in order to move
forward as a global community, it is vital that we do it now. Is our nature really
fear and aggression, or could it be that we are actually gentle and fearless at
heart? If our self-reflection turns up an inkling of that, we can draw power from
it, daring to shift our destiny. In this way, the Shambhala principle is a socially
transformative process through which confusion about human nature becomes
confidence in human worthiness.
11. A study guide to the book
Here is a set of questions that you are welcome to use, in any way, to take you through
the book. They can be used as a study guide. This is not an outline of the book, and these
questions do not cover all the themes presented in the book. You are more than welcome
to develop your own questions or pursue any lines of inquiry that you wish.
The Prologue

What is the crossroads to which humanity has come?

What is the dialogue that the Sakyong is initiating and inviting us to join?
Part I
Creating Enlightened Society

How would you describe the Shambhala principle? Have you experienced this in
your own life and work?

During his escape from Tibet, the Sakyong’s father had a vision of creating an
enlightened society. What would such a society be like?

How do you think the Shambhala principle could contribute to the transformation
of contemporary society?

How does “basic goodness” differ from the concept of “good,” as in the moral
battle between “good” and “bad”?

Have you experienced basic goodness? How does it feel?

Can you describe the way your own feelings are connected to the way you feel
and act toward nature and our planet?

What does the phrase, “Chaos is good news?” mean to you? How has your own
experience of negativity, pain or violence helped wake you up to a more
enlightened approach to living?

“It is true that climate change and economic instability are big practical issues.
However, any long-term solution to our concerns is rooted in a deep psychic
shift,” the Sakyong writes. What would this deep psychic shift feel like?
Part II
Feeling

How is kindness one of the building blocks of an enlightened society?

What does it mean for you to view daily life as a ceremony? What do you
appreciate most about your current daily ceremony? What would you like to
change?

How could sharing a conversation or a meal with another person contribute to
transforming society? Can you describe an experience that gives you confidence
that this is possible?

“The psychic repercussions of materialism and the ceremony of unworthiness
have created a depressed culture, and the product of that culture is cynicism and
doubt . . . The mind that arises from the combination of intelligence and a
depressed state is essentially obsessed with negating everything.” Do you see this
pattern as you talk and work with other people? Do you experience this in
yourself?

How can war be a way that nations try to uplift themselves during a depressed
time?

What did the Sakyong’s father mean when he told his son to “Cheer up”?
Part III
Being

“The human mind has the ability to determine the outcome of every day.” Do you
have direct experience of this, yourself?

How do the accumulated thought-patterns of a society affect the way each
individual in a society thinks? How did social pressure reflect itself when people
in Rwanda were asked why they took part in the genocide in that country?

How can the power of the human mind shift our global value system? Do you
believe that is possible?

Do you have any experience of meditation or contemplative practice that has
given you an insight into the power of basic goodness?

How have you tried to bring your meditative or contemplative practice into your
own life and work, into your relationships or any aspect of your life?

Have you experienced what the Sakyong calls “the power of nowness”?

What do you imagine it would feel like to live in an “enlightened culture”?
Part IV
Touching

How is our view of human nature directly related to the kind of economy we
create?

What do you imagine “virtue economics” would be like?

“Power and wealth do not naturally corrupt humanity. What corrupts humanity is
the inability to harness and ride its natural power and wealth.” How do you
experience natural human power and wealth? How is harnessing and riding that
power and wealth related to preventing corruption?

In your experience, how do the fundamental principles of a society affect its
character?

What changes in contemporary education would be most effective in nourishing
the wisdom and dignity of both students and teachers?

“The day does not have to be perfect in order for us to feel a sense of celebration.”
Can you describe a direct experience you have had of this truth?

How would a society feel if its laws were based on the proclamation of human
dignity rather than protection against threats to that dignity?

What does it mean to you personally when you read: “Each of us holds human
destiny in our hands”?
12. A Shambhala principle gathering
(for Shambhala Centres, groups or households)
This is a possible format for a community gathering structured around
contemplating, discussing and celebrating the Shambhala principle
This format offers basic guidelines and suggestions.
Please feel free to adjust them based on the needs of your specific community,
and to the possibilities of your household if you are hosting the gathering there.
Opening the gathering
The environment is prepared with dignity. Community gathers in shrine room (in centres
or groups). The community leader(s) acting as host (s) for the gathering enter and light
the shrine. Welcome the gathered assembly and briefly describe the plan for the
gathering. Make sure to explain the nature of the gathering carefully, both for those who
are new to such gatherings and new to Shambhala altogether.
If you wish, you can open the gathering with The Proclamation of Basic Goodness and
the chanting of the Shambhala Lineage Supplication.
Practice shamatha meditation for five minutes.
Opening reading
Opening reading from The Shambhala Principle. This could be one of the chapters from
the book, a shorter passage from the book, or one of the questions from “Engaging with
themes in the book” (pages xx). You might choose to have a gathering in which the
reading is “The Birth of Society”, the Sakyong’s letter to the Shambhala Community
written in advance of publication of The Shambhala Principle.
The opening reading can be offered by the host(s) of the gathering, or someone they have
invited (in advance) to read the text or question.
If the opening reading is of a short passage or a question, it is often helpful to read it
aloud more than once so that people can focus their minds on it more clearly.
Contemplating
(3-5 minutes)
Instructions for contemplating:
We will now contemplate this passage (or the question). Take a few minutes to
ponder the passage (or the question) with an open-minded approach. One way to
start is simply to repeat a phrase or idea that particularly touched you (or the
question) several times quietly to yourself to let it really sink in. This may help
you can contemplate it from a deeper level of understanding that you normally
access in yourself. Sometimes a feeling, a bodily sensation or a strong emotion
arises from doing this. If so, pay attention to those sensations, don’t push them
away. Then see what words, mental pictures or ideas surface. They may be
fragments, incomplete notions or expressive images. Feel free to make notes if
you wish.
Please begin. Gong
(Allow three to five minutes for this contemplation)
Gong. Please conclude your contemplation.
Inquiring/Dialogue
(20 min)
Instructions for inquiring:
Please find a partner.
(Allow time for people to do this)
We will now take turns sharing our contemplative work with our partner. One of
you speaks, the other listens. You will have five minutes in which to speak. While
you are speaking freely, the role of your partner is to listen with an open mind and
heart. Normally, we don’t listen fully to each other; instead we are silent judging,
agreeing or disagreeing, and thinking about what we are going to say ourselves!
In this session, we try to listen fully. After the five minutes are up for the first
person (I will ring the gong), the partner who was listening asks a question that
may help take the contemplation deeper, such as: “Can you say more about the
difficulty you are having with this text?” or “Why do you feel so strongly about
the situation you are going through?” Allow a few more minutes for the person to
reflect on this and respond. I will ring the gong. Then you will change roles: the
person who was speaking will listens and inquires; the one who was listening, will
have their time to speak.
Please decide who will speak first.
Please begin with a bow to each other. Gong
(Allow 7 to 10 minutes)
Now the person who is listening may ask their question to help deepen the other
person’s contemplation, and give them space to respond.
(Allow three minutes)
Gong. Please conclude and bow to each other.
Please pause for a moment of silence.
Now you will change roles.
Those who were listening before, this is your time to speak about your
contemplation.
Please bow and begin. Gong.
(Allow 7-10 minutes)
Now the person who is listening may ask their question to help deepen the other
person’s contemplation, and give them space to respond.
(Allow three minutes)
Gong. Please conclude and bow to each other.
Sharing
In partners
(12 minutes)
Instructions for sharing with partners:
Please remain with your partners. The two of you can now have a
“normal” unstructured conversation about the passage (or the question)
you have been contemplating. It is often helpful to first talk with each
other about your experience of the careful way in which you both
experimented with “contemplating” and “inquiring”. Sharing your
experience of doing that may help to reveal a deeper level of mental
activity that you find helpful and would like to have more access to. It
may also help your “normal” conversation remain rooted in that. We’ll
have about ten minutes conversation now.
Please begin. Gong.
(Allow ten minutes for conversation)
Please conclude. Gong.
Now we will share our experience in our group. (Optional: Let’s make a
circle.)
In the group
(20 minutes)
Instructions for sharing in the group:
(If you wish to open this up to the full group, you can either let people
speak spontaneously or simply go around the circle of the group giving
each person a little time in which to share with the group whatever they
wish. Normally, this kind of group work seems to work best for everyone if
the group as a whole listens wholeheartedly to whatever anyone is saying,
and does not engage in cross-talk or making comments on what anyone
has said. People from the group will naturally speak to each other, if they
want to, after the session is over)
This is an opportunity to share with others anything you wish about what
came up for you in your contemplation. Let’s simply open up the space for
whoever wishes to share their experience. We will have time afterwards
for talking to each other. Please share only your own experience and
thoughts. If your partner wishes to speak, they will do so for themselves.
(Allow 15 or so minutes – depending on the group energy)
Let’s conclude with dedicating the merit:
By the confidence of the golden sun of the great east,
May the lotus garden of the Ridgen’s wisdom bloom.
May the dark ignorance of sentient beings be dispelled.
May all beings enjoy profound, brilliant glory.
Let us bow to each other. Gong.
Celebrating
Please offer some light refreshment for everyone and have time to relax together.
Conversation may well revolve around the gathering’s contemplation.
(Altogether, such a gathering would take about 90 minutes from the opening
through to the conclusion of the group sharing. The time for celebrating would
follow that. The local host(s) can adjust the timing as they wish, and adapt this
outline in whatever way seems to work best for their local situation.)
Last updated: 16 July 2013