The founder, the late Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche

The President, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

• Video of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche doing a calligraphy titled "Rare & Supreme Rigden," in Los Angeles on Dec. 11, 2004.  Approx. 6 minutes in length.

Click here for  Windows Media Player broadband.  6.0MB quality good.

Right: Acharya Arawana Hayashi, center: Steven Saitzyk, left: Marcia Shibata, directors of the 2007 teachers training in Los Angeles.

Graduates of the Shambhala Art Teacher Training:
NOTE: Click on the thumbnails below to see larger versions.

Boston 1998    Paris 1998   Washington DC 2000   Los Angeles 2006  Los Angeles 2007

Highlights from the five part program:

Part 1: Coming to Your Senses:

Sitting, followed by changing orientation, 
followed by sitting...

 
Our sense perceptions are easily confused and 
are frequently unreliable as this ambiguous figure demonstrates.

Part 2: Seeing Things as They Are:
Of the three items below which is a rose?  Can you say which is a sign and which is the symbol, and why?

Rose           

Are we not more than the labels we attach to ourselves?  Are we signs or symbols of ourselves?

Part 3: The Creative Process:
Collaborative object arrangements based on the principle of space, form and energy:

Note: click on thumbnails below to enlarge.

Collaborative abstract calligraphy exercises based on the three principles.

Small calligraphy exercise: Participants examine each other's marks.

Large calligraphy exercise:  A stroke representing form is added.

A stroke representing energy is added.

One of the completed abstract calligraphies by the participants.

An extended calligraphy.

Using a five fingered brush.

Using an impromptu mop.

Part 4: The Power of Display:  Here we explore the physical and psychological nature of the five elements, earth, water, fire, air, and space through object arrangements, movement, sounds, colors, etc.

Object exercise for Fire.

Object exercise for Earth.

Object exercise for Wind.

Movement based on Earth.

Movement based on Space.

Part 5: Art in Everyday Life: where we manifest the action qualities of the elements, culminating in the "Feast of the Elements" and graduation. 

Table arrangements based on the Earth Element:

Boston    Paris    Los Angeles    Washington DC    Los Angeles 2006  Los Angeles 2007

Boston    Paris    Los Angeles  Washington DC  Los Angeles 2006  Los Angeles 2007

Table arrangements based on the Fire Element:

Boston    Paris    Los Angeles      Washington DC  Los Angeles 2006 

Table arrangement based on the Water Element:

Boston    Paris    Los Angeles    Washington DC Los Angeles 2006 Los Angeles 2007

Graduation Pins