Community

"Sangha" is the Sanskrit term for "community of practitioners" - one of the three jewels of Buddhism. This Shambhala Meditation Center of White River is home to a wonderfully diverse community who share a genuine connection to contemplative practice and the aspiration to realize a more wakeful, sane society. Friends and members of the Shambhala Center are welcome to attend celebrations, practice events, meetings and gatherings of special interest groups.

A Brief History of Shambhala Buddhism in the Upper Valley

Our group started in 1981, when Mascoma High School shop teacher Jack Convery came into the Dartmouth Bookstore where I was working and said- "Don't you think it's time to plant the victory banner of practice in the Upper Valley?." We had four people originally- a highly contentious group but Jack kept the focus on practice and being "on the dot"- whatever that meant. Deb Jones says she was around then but I have no memory of her at that time! We took space in Howe Library's conference rooms for a while- where we hosted the Vajra Regent for a big talk, moved to one of the rooms in DMS Dana Biomedical Library for a while, Rte. 4 above the DMV place in Lebanon, Ken and Donna's living room in Norwich, the 2nd floor of the dentist office on Rte. 5 in Norwich ( where we hosted the marvelous Jamgong Kongtrul of Pepung), and the Friends meeting house. We also hosted His Eminence Tai Situ Rinpoche at Rollins Chapel... I'll never forget the stretch Mercedez limo pulling up on the semicirle walkway to let him out right at the front steps... those excitable Kasung!! It was great to finally get the shrine out of my trunk permanently. Ken and Donna's moving down from Karme Choling with so much shinjang was a big turning point and they kept things together thru thick and thin for quite a while. I thought they were very boring and dry and stopped coming regularly for a while but eventually I smartened up a bit... being an evangelical Buddhist isn't easy. Bob Lamprey seemed to move down with K&D and was a big part of things for a while as was a Dr. Wilson, who was a brain surgeon at DHMC and then ironically got a brain tumor and passed away in the mid '80's.

-- David Marks, Center Director

Learn more about meditation and buddhism at shambhala.org

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White River Shambhala Center
158 South Main St., P.O. Box 1254, White River Junction,  VT 05001
Tel. 802-296-6225    Email: shambhala.whiteriver@gmail.com