All individuals have a place in Shambhala society. There should not be a sense of outer and inner, but rather a sense of being included in the compassionate embrace of heaven and earth.
— Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, Treastise on Society and Organization
Acknowledgement of Country
The Adelaide Shambhala Mediation Group acknowledges the land we meet on is the traditional lands for the Kaurna people and we respect their spiritual relationship with their Country. We also acknowledge the Kaurna people as the traditional custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living Kaurna people today. [Adapted from Reconciliation SA]
Diversity and inclusion in Shambhala
Shambhala is a diverse community. Our centres and groups are located in different regions of the world and reflect different nationalities, cultures, languages, ethnicities and races. In addition, people who come to our centres may have different religious faiths, follow different spiritual traditions or teachers, or have different paths of practice and opinions. They have different ages and genders, as well as different sexual orientations, and physical, perceptual and mental abilities.
What we share as a community is a desire to lead sane, dignified and confident lives. Through the practice of meditation, we cultivate the capacity to be fully open to our experience and the ability to respond to everyday life situations with greater clarity and respect–respect not only for our life situations and ourselves, but for all individuals, social groups and cultures as well.
The Adelaide Shambhala group is not perfect. We do not mirror in every way the characteristics of the people who live in our community nor do we fully understand the different experiences each person has had. But it is our sincere intention to welcome everyone who comes to us. This intention is at the very core of the Shambhala Buddhist teachings.
The teachings held by the Shambhala mandala challenge us as individuals to recognize and dissolve barriers that separate us from others. As a community of practitioners, we strongly encourage understanding of and respect for the basic goodness inherent in all individuals, social groups and cultures … We are committed to the teachings of our lineages, to the practice of meditation and meditation-in-action, and to genuine communication. As part of our intention to create enlightened society, these also help us gain insight into others’ realities, appreciate diversity and work with conflict. We strive to foster a welcoming atmosphere free of prejudice and to develop an inclusive and enlightened society with facilities fully accessible to all persons. [from ‘Shambhala Aspirations on Diversity, Accessibility and Compassionate Conduct’.]