We are very sad to share the news that we have lost an important translator Elio Guarisco, who passed away from covid on November 27, 2020. Elio was born in Como, Italy in 1954. In the early 1970s he met and studied with major exponents of the Theravada tradition in India. He then studied Buddhist

Maya’s Conversion An Excerpt from Stars at Dawn We return to the Buddha’s biography as he, too, has reached the end of his life. For forty-five years he roamed northeast India, teaching his disciples and converting an ever-growing number of women and men to the new Buddhist faith. At the core of his ministry’s purpose

A Rain Ritual in the Tibetan Book of Spells from Dunhuang An Excerpt from Buddhist Magic RITUALS IN THE SUTRAS Some of the earliest ritual scriptures in Buddhism are dedicated to rainmaking. The most widespread and influential of these is the Great Cloud Sutra. Appearing in India in the fourth or fifth century, this ritual

Shambhala Publications · Mindfulness Breathing Exercise with Dr. Sarah Shaw Find a moment of stillness with Dr. Sarah Shaw, author of Mindfulness: Where It Comes From and What It Means.   In this audio recording, she guides listeners through a shamatha breathing mindfulness exercise. May it be of benefit. Mindfulness$17.95 - PaperbackBy: Sarah Shaw Add

An excerpt from Tibetan Astrology, where Phillipe Cornu summarizes Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche's explanation of each month's 10th day, or Guru Rinpoche Day. The 10th is Guru Rinpoche day. Guru Rinpoche or Padmasambhava is the Buddha who established Tantric Buddhism in Tibet. At the esoteric level, he is the essence of all buddhas and masters. He

First Free Women Poems Excerpted from The First Free Women Another Mitta ~ Friend My mother always told me, Be good— and you’ll get everything you ever wanted. Now I eat once a day and wear only a shaved head and double robe. It took some strength. It took some courage to try and see

It is with a very heavy heart I share the news that our author, translator, editor, audiobook reader, and—most of all— friend Sherab Chodzin Kohn passed away on January 21, 2020.  His roots with Shambhala Publications go very deep. Sherab did his dissertation at the Sorbonne, after which he jumped into publishing as a copyeditor

Buddha Nature Read More In the eleventh century, the great Tibetan scholar-practitioner Gampopa (1079–1153) began his composition known as The Jewel Ornament of Liberation with an exposition on the cause for awakening. What is the cause for awakening? In the Vajrayana and third turning traditions of Buddhism it is buddha nature. Buddha nature is our

The Art of Elephant Training An excerpt from In the Cool Shade of Compassion: The Enchanted World of the Buddha in the Jungle about the wandering monks and adepts of the village temples, hills, and forests of Thailand. An In the 1920s, when [George] Orwell and Campbell were working in Muang Ngao forest, there were still

Investigating the Dharma 1. Showing Why It Is Worth Teaching Others the Dharma Unstintingly When bodhisattvas thoroughly investigating the Dharma have received the teachings and gained unmistaken realization of them, they explain them unstintingly to sentient beings and thereby complete their own transcendent perfections and bring other sentient beings to maturity. There is no better