Who We Are

Who We Are

The Shambhala Meditation Center of Albany is home to a community who share a genuine connection to contemplative practice and the aspiration to realize a more wakeful, sane society. Among us are dedicated senior teachers who have walked the Shambhala Buddhist path for many years, and enthusiastic newcomers who are just discovering the teachings on realizing basic goodness. Friends and members of the Shambhala Center are welcome to attend celebrations, practice events, meetings and gatherings of various groups.

Our Mission Statement

The Albany Shambhala Center provides space and support for following a path of meditation. Our mission is to cultivate the worthiness, wisdom and compassion of individuals and society based on the inherent goodness of humanity and the natural world. Our core path is an experiential, progressive path of meditation and study, supported by a community of other practitioners, and extending to the ordinary activities of daily life. The roots of our practices are the Shambhala lineage, the Buddhist lineages of Kagyü and Nyingma, and the earth-based Bön tradition of Central Asia.

We train in meditation to better know our minds and hearts and to cultivate the qualities of openness, bravery and kindness. We view the coming together of people, in any form and at any scale, as a situation with intrinsic sacredness. We aspire to create an environment where all people are welcome and respected, with support to participate as fully as they choose. Respecting that each individual’s journey is their own, we welcome all who are interested in personal, spiritual and societal awakening.

Weekly Practice Events

Our center has a rich array of ongoing offerings open to the public including weekly public sitting meditation hours. No prior meditation experience required to attend.  All are welcome. See our calendar.

Getting Involved

Our community and center is almost entirely volunteer run. All of our programs are staffed by volunteers, as well as our councils and committees. People from all walks of life dedicate some amount of time to support other people to sit on the cushion and become familiar with their own basic goodness. The vision of a sane and awake society begins with one simple act: Getting Involved.