Originally known as "Tail of the Tiger", Karmê Chöling is a

Shambhala In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Shambhala ( sa, शम्भल ',''Śambhala'', also ''Sambhala'', is the name of a town between the Rathaprā and Ganges rivers, identified by some with Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh. In the Puranas, it is named as t ...

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

meditation retreat center and community in

Barnet Barnet may refer to: People *Barnet (surname) * Barnet (given name) Places United Kingdom *Chipping Barnet or High Barnet, commonly known as Barnet, one of three focal towns of the borough below. *East Barnet, a district of the borough below; an ...

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

. The staff there offers meditation programs and retreats in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition to hundreds of students each year. Karmê Chöling facilities include 717 acres (2.9 km2) of wooded land, seven meditation halls, a Zen archery range, an organic garden, dining facilities, single and double rooms, dormitory housing, and seven retreat cabins. The center also houses visitors and staff in tents on wooden platforms in the warmer months of May through September. The center gives retreats, seminars, and workshops on meditation, gardening, archery, and theater.

History

In 1970, Karmê Chöling was founded in Barnet, Vermont by the Vidyadhara, (literally meaning “awareness holder;” a spiritual leader of Buddhism) Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Karmê Chöling is the first teaching seat in North America of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, a 20th-century Buddhist meditation master that was credited with bringing Buddhism to the western world. Originally a dairy farm, the building was purchased by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche’s students and was converted under his supervision into a Shambhala Buddhist retreat center. It was called “Tail of the Tiger”, but in 1974 the name was changed to Karmê Chöling, which remains its name today. Since its purchase, meditation rooms, sleeping quarters for key staff and members of certain programs have been added. Karmê Chöling is affiliated with

Shambhala International Shambhala International is the umbrella organization that encompasses many of the distinct institutions of Shambhala Buddhism. Details Shambhala International, which is based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, links a worldwide network of urban Buddhist med ...

, led by

Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche Sakyong Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche, Jampal Trinley Dradul (born Ösel Rangdrol Mukpo on November 15, 1962) is an American and Tibetan Buddhist descendant of the Shambhala lineage and Shambhala, a worldwide network of urban Buddhist meditation center ...

, a holder of the

Karma Kagyu Karma Kagyu (), or Kamtsang Kagyu (), is a widely practiced and probably the second-largest lineage within the Kagyu school, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The lineage has long-standing monasteries in Tibet, China, Russia, Mon ...

Nyingma Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and transl ...

, and Shambhala Buddhism Lineages.

Programs

Karmê Chöling works with both experienced practitioners of

Shambhala Buddhism Shambhala Training is a secular approach to meditation developed by Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chogyam Trungpa and his students. It is based on what Trungpa calls Shambhala Vision, which sees enlightened society as not purely mythical, but as reali ...

as well as novices and people interested in learning more about meditation or their way of life. It is run by a core residential staff with help from paid employees, community members, and volunteers. There are different types of retreats. Introductory Meditation Retreats include many of the retreats that are under the subheadings below. They introduce the practice of mindfulness/awareness meditation, and typically last a week or weekend, although some are longer. A complete listing of these retreats can be found on. Way of Shambhala Retreats are designed for those who have never meditated before and beginners in meditation, although there are also some programs for those who have mastered these basics. Details about individual retreats can be found at. Qigong is a

Daoist Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the ''Tao'' ...

spiritual discipline. Children, Youth, Teen, and Family Retreats are designed to “support families in raising children in an awakened way and to help families deepen their connection to meditation practice and the Shambhala Buddhist tradition.” These programs address families, youth 13–17 years old, and younger children. Garden Programs are two-week sessions teaching connecting with the earth and combining this with meditation, or longer apprenticeship program which also teaches organic gardening principles with meditation. Advanced Programs include prerequisites within Shambhala Buddhism. They are typically no more than 11 days long.

Controversy

Karmê Chöling's spiritual leader Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, Ösel Rangdrol Mukpo, and sexual assault. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakyong_Mipham

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Karme Choling Shambhala vision Tibetan Buddhist places Buddhist monasteries in the United States 1970 establishments in Vermont