Shambhala Meditation Center of Boston

Address: 646 Brookline Ave, Brookline, MA 02445

Years Active: 1971–Present

Tradition: Shambhala Buddhism

The Shambhala Meditation Center of Boston was founded in 1971 by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche as one of many meditation centers started by him aligned with the lineage of Shambhala. Shambhala Buddhism is a meditation and study heritage that "is rooted in the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages of Tibetan Buddhism." Central to Shambhala teachings are the ideas that “personal liberation is not separate from social liberation” and that by recognizing the basic goodness within everyone, “we can work together to create a better world.”  

The Boston Shambhala Center is meant to be a supportive space to engage in meditation. The mission of the Boston Shambhala Center “is to cultivate the worthiness, wisdom and compassion of individuals and society based on the inherent goodness of humanity and the natural world.” The center holds to the belief that the "coming together of people, in any form and at any scale, [is] a situation with intrinsic sacredness."

The center hopes to be a space that is welcoming for all who wish to explore their spiritual journey. The code of conduct of the Boston Shambhala Center clearly prohibits discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, age, disability, and other protected categories; it also emphasizes respect for others, respect for the environment, making its activities accessible, and owning one’s privilege as aspects of good conduct. 

As part of cultivating respect for people of different backgrounds, the Boston Shambhala Center clearly professes the idea that no identity category should be seen as "[defining] the worth or depth of any individual." The center, drawing from Buddhist teachings, commits itself to “ending cycles of suffering caused by… structures of racism, patriarchy, materialism, and many other -isms and -phobias.” As part of this commitment, the Boston Shambhala Center emphasizes "recognizing and letting go of patterns of domination," "recognizing that there is no neutral position," and "recognizing and healing trauma in ourselves." This work includes "sub-groups" that focus on "education, action, and inner work"—which includes movie screenings, book talks, and other, similar community events.

The Boston Shambhala Center hosts an "LGBTQ+ meditation group" twice monthly on Tuesdays. The group aims to “provide a welcoming environment for individuals of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity who are interested in exploring the teaching and principles of meditation and Shambhala Buddhism." These group sessions involve meditation and then discussion.

Sources and Further Information: 

https://boston.shambhala.org/ 

https://boston.shambhala.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=48211105&gbraid=0AAAAAD0XBmlv2C4RyYiZYg9KiIJTPDkjz&gclid=CjwKCAjw8arQBhB9EiwAfIKdQguqrkOnFLe6763ZxqgG9yXPn62O_s315NySMNgDV7v1YFst1JyQlRoCq58QAvD_BwE

https://shambhala.org/about/what-shambhala-is/

https://boston.shambhala.org/whoweare/

https://boston.shambhala.org/codes-of-conduct/

https://boston.shambhala.org/anti-racism-and-collective-liberation/

https://boston.shambhala.org/lgbtq/

https://shambhala.org/ 

Relevant Pages: 

https://boston.shambhala.org/lgbtq/

Entry written by Peter Goswami in 2026.