About Us

 

The Milwaukee Shambhala Center is part of a global community which aspires to awaken kindness and wisdom in society. This vision is rooted in the principle that human beings are by their nature worthy and fundamentally complete. This vision and aspiration includes acknowledging that pain, confusion and harm are also part of our experience. We need to look directly at the ways we maintain traditions, power structures, language patterns, and other forms that perpetuate this – individually or collectively, whether consciously or unconsciously.

Our community experienced uncertainty and upheaval from reports of sexual misconduct by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, Shambhala’s lineage holder. The Sakyong has stepped back from his teaching and administrative responsibilities to focus on self-reflection and to facilitate healing. A number of initiatives have been put in place by the international organization which you can read more about here. The international governing body at that time resigned and was  replaced by an interim board which you can read more about here.

The Milwaukee Shambhala Community remains committed to teaching and practicing meditation, and to work together as a community towards collective liberation. We aspire to create a supportive and healing environment for those who come seeking to ease their suffering. We aspire to improve communications and are working to offer more space for the practice and support of particular vulnerable groups.

The links to documents of the chronological communication events are below:

August 2022: Individual to Societal Liberation Resource Guide published; community presentations

May 2021 – ongoing: Community Presentations of the Code of Conduct Policies and Process

July 2022: Shambhala Board publishes Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

April 2022: The Shambhala Board reviewed the recommendations that were received from An Olive Branch and put together a comprehensive update on all activities responding to these recommendations.  You can click here to read the full report.

—2022—

December 2021: Board Statement on Harm published; Board and leader conversations

December 2021: Trauma informed Facilitation training offered by Peoples Counselling Clinic

October 2021A Guest Presenter Guidelines document is distributed to Centre leadership

September 2021: Restorative Justice/Active Peace Circle training for community facilitators

May 2021: Ahimsa organization was contracted to support organizational accountability

April 2021 and ongoing: A Therapy and Counselling Offering for Europe is announced.

March 2021: Scholarships offered for Right Use of Power Teacher Training & RUP Manual developed

February 2021: A “Gender Dynamics” and “Right Use of Power” training course is offered to the Shambhala Community.

Shambhala Day 2021: the new Code of Conduct policy and process are in effect.

January – December 2021: The community invited to give feedback on the new Code of Conduct process; a community engagement process begins.

—2021—

December 2020: Announcement of Diversity and Inclusivity Community Grant Projects.

December 2020: Child Protection Policy working group launches resource: “Implementing the Shambhala CPP with a View Toward Preventing Abuse.”

December 2020 and ongoing: Therapy and Counselling offering to support community members through the Peoples’ Counselling Clinic.

September 2020: Creation of Heart of Recovery Coordinator Group and HoR webpage.

August 2020: The new Code of Conduct Policies were released to the community and a Code of Conduct Hub website was launched. Translated policies released in November 2020.

August 2020: Three community grants awarded in the area of Care and Conduct.

July 2020: Announced the Right Use of Power Training and invited Shambhala leaders to be early adopters of Right Use of Power skills.

August 19, 2020 Update from the Board with links to letters from pilgrimage organizers, Lady Diana Mukpo, Process Team (with survey results), Dharma BratsAcharyas resigning, and Acharyas remaining active

Release of New Code of Conduct Policies 8/4/20

Child Protection Policy, 3/22/2020

Letter from the Shambhala Board of Directors 2/2/20

Update from the Shambhala Process Team 1/20/20

Letter from Ani Pema Chodron 1/16/20

—2019—

Letters from the Shambhala Board

December Update from the Board 12/7/2019

Financial Report to the Community 11/17/2019

October Update from the Interim Board 10/13/2019

August Update from the Interim Board 8/21/2019

Moving Forward with Sale of Marpa House  7/30/2019

Investigación sobre el Tratamiento de los Casos de Abuso Infantil 7/26/2019

Investigation into Handling of Child Abuse Issues 7/24/2019

Recent Arrests of Former Shambhala Members 7/1/2019

June Update to the Shambhala Community 6/28/2019

Update on Marpa House from the Interim Board 5/16/2019

Further Correction to April Update 5/02/2019

CORRECTION: April Update from the Interim Board  4/26/2019

April Update from the Interim Board 4/25/2019

Financial Report to the Community 3/26/2019

Message from the Interim Board Regarding the Olive Branch Report 3/19/2019

March Update to the Community 3/9/2019

Response from the Interim Board Regarding the Kusung Letter 2/18/2019

Message from the Interim Board Regarding the Wickwire Holm Report 2/3/2019

Financial Update from the Interim Board Regarding Marpa House 2/3/2019 (log in)

Letters from the Process Team

An Update from the Process Team 11/12/2019

A Message from the Process Team Steering Committee 9/05/2019

July Update from the Process Team 7/10/2019

Update from the Process Team 6/03/2019

Update from the Process Team 5/01/2019

Community Update from the Process Team 4/04/2019

Introduction to the Process Team 3/06/2019

Letters from Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

Letter from the Sakyong 12/14/19

A Message from the Sakyong 2/21/2019

A Message from the Sakyong 2/4/2019

Letter from the Acharyas

Letter to the Community from the Acharyas 2/20/2019

Letter from Lady Diana Mukpo

Letter from Lady Diana Mukpo to the Shambhala Community 2/19/2019

Letters from the Transition Task Force

Final Letter from the Transition Task Force 1/27/2019

Process Team Announcement 1/20/2019

News Articles

The Arrest of William Karrelis 2/1/2019

Reports

Olive Branch Report 3/19/2019 (scroll down page)

Wickwire Holm Report 2/3/2019

 

—2018—

Letters from Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

A Message from the Sakyong 7/10/2018

A Message from the Office of the Sakyong 7/6/2018

Letter from Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche to the Shambhala Community 6/25/2018

Letters from the Shambhala Interim Board

Message from the Interim Board about Shambhala Day 12/27/2018

Message from the Interim Board about the Care and Conduct Policy 12/23/2018

Community Letter from the Interim Board 11/26/2018

Introduction Letter from the Shambhala Interim Board 10/31/2018

Announcement from the Shambhala Interim Board 10/11/2018

Letters from the Transition Task Force

Update from the Transition Task Force 12/22/2018

Update from the Transition Task Force 11/2/2018

Letter from the Transition Task Force 9/21/2018

Letter from the Transition Task Force 9/13/2018

Letter from the Transition Task Force 8/30/2018

Letter from the Transition Task Force 8/18/2018

Letter from the Transition Task Force 8/7/2018

Letters from the Kalapa Council

Letter from the outgoing Kalapa Council 10/15/2018

Letter from the outgoing Kalapa Council 9/11/2018

Letter from the outgoing Kalapa Council 8/23/2018

Letter from the outgoing Kalapa Council 8/11/2018

Letter from the Kalapa Council 7/30/2018

Letter from the Kalapa Council 7/20/2018

Letter from the Kalapa Council regarding leadership transition 7/6/2018

Letter from the Kalapa Council 6/29/2018

Letter from the Kalapa Council 6/27/2018

Finance Reports / Communications

Finance Report Update to the Shambhala Community 9/20/2018

Finance Report to the Shambhala Community 8/15/2018

Letter from the Shambhala Director of Finance 7/18/2018

Letters from around the Shambhala mandala

Letter from the Office of Practice and Education 8/19/2018

Letter from the Northern California Leadership 8/1/2018

Letter from Shambhala Mountain Center 7/10/2018

A Letter from the Women Acharyas 7/8/2018

Letters from An Olive Branch

Letter from An Olive Branch 9/10/2018

Letter from An Olive Branch 9/3/2018

Letter from / Introduction to An Olive Branch 7/20/2018

Letter from Ani Pema Chödrön

Letter from Ani Pema Chödrön 9/22/2018

Letters from other Buddhist Communities

A Letter from Kwong-roshi to the NorCal Shambhala Community 8/8/2018

Project Sunshine Reports

Announcement from Project Sunshine  9/28/2018 

Project Sunshine First Report

Project Sunshine Second Report

Project Sunshine Memorandum

Project Sunshine Third Report

 

Other Resources

Shambhala Care and Conduct Policy 2015

An Olive Branch Website

Kay Pranis: The Art of Holding Circle—on circle practice

Buddhist News & News Articles

Tricycle Article

Lion’s Roar Report alleges sexual misconduct by leader of Shambhala community

New York Times The ‘King’ of Shambhala Buddhism Is Undone by Abuse Report

 

Helpful writings by Shambhala Teachers

Susan Piver On Shambhala

Ethan Nichtern Reflections on Shambhala

Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche When a Buddhist Teacher Crosses the Line

A video message from Llama Rod Owens to the Shambhala Community

A video message from Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo & Lama Tsultrim Allione

Teachings

Meditation in the City with Shanté Small Holding Space, Healing Harm

Pema Chödrön No Right No Wrong

Tricycle Magazine Sex in the Sangha…Again (2013 interview)