In 1977, Trungpa Rinpoche first trained senior students to teach Shambhala Training, a series of weekend meditation programs offered widely throughout the community, and in 1978, Trungpa Rinpoche conducted the first annual Kalapa Assembly, an intensive training program for advanced Shambhala teachings and practices. These teachings presented the principle of basic goodness, and a secular rather than religious approach to enlightenment. These students formed a growing spiritual community, which incorporated as Vajradhatu (now Shambhala International) in 1973.īeginning in 1976, Trungpa Rinpoche presented a series of teachings known as the 'Shambhala teachings' to the community.
Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche arrived in North America in 1970, and began teaching Western students from within the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages of Tibetan Buddhism.
