SHAMBHALA MEDITATION CENTER OF CHICAGO
    7331 N. Sheridan Road
    Chicago, IL 60626
    (773) 743-8147, 743-8149
    Contact person: Peter McLaughlin, (847) 332-1862
     
     
    The Shambhala Center was founded as in 1972 by students of the Vidyadhara, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Trungpa Rinpoche (1939-1987) was a meditation master and former abbot of the Surmang monasteries in Tibet who embodied both the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. As the author of many books such as Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism and The Myth of Freedom, he achieved international renown as a teacher and scholar who brought Tibetan Buddhism to the West, attracting thousands of students. One reason for his popularity was his ability to bring the teachings into a contemporary context, in understanding the working of the Western mind and culture and showing how the teachings could be made an integral part of one's life.
     
    The Vidyadhara established over 100 practice centers throughout the world as well as other legacies that thrive today under the organization of Shambhala International. The Shambhala Meditation Center serves the Chicago metropolitan area; in the Midwest there are also centers in Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Lexigton, and Kansas City, with Dharma Study Groups in smaller population centers.
     
    In addition to meditation instruction, Shambhala offers study programs and practice intensives, visiting teachers, refuge and bodhisattva vows, and abhishekas. We issue a monthly newsletter indicating events, and have bookstore with a focused selection and practice materials. We also offer Shambhala Training, a secular approach to meditation and creating an enlightened society, which is offered in a series of weekend programs.
     
    Group practice sessions are held Sunday mornings from 9 a.m. until noon, and on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The public is warmly invited to attend. Meditation instruction is always available at these times, as well as personnel to assist one in Buddhist practice questions. Meditation instruction can also be given privately by appointment; please call during practice hours.