End of Year Practices and Shambhala Day 2024
Shambhala Day marks the beginning of the New Year and represents one of the most important traditions of Shambhala Buddhism. This year, the Year of the Wood Dragon, Shambhala Day falls on February 10th. We have special practices for the 11 days leading up to this celebration.This year, there is a wealth of online throughout the mandala. So, our region has decided to join Shambhala Online for End of Year Practices and Shambhala Day. However, check with your local centers for possible social and practice gatherings around the New Year.
Regional Offerings
Sonoma Shambhala Center’s
End-of-Year Practices
Sonoma Shambhala is offering two hybrid (in-person and online) Mamo Protector Chant Practice sessions on Thursday February 1 and Monday February 5, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm (Pacific Time)
Visit this link for complete information. Whether you attend in-person or via Zoom, these sessions are offered free. As always, donations in any amount are greatly appreciated.
Shambhala Online End of Year Practices
Join Shambhala Online each day from Jan 30 to Feb 8, from Noon to around 1:00 pm (Pacific Time) for a FREE line-up of “Shambhala New Year Programming.”
Visit this link for more info & free registration
Visit this link to signup for Daily End-of-Season Practice Reminders
These special events will take place in the end of year practice period before Shambhala Day, and will feature talks by teachers in our community, followed by group recitations of the protector, mamo, and closing chants. Everyone is welcome to attend. Presenters for these end of year practice sessions will include: Rhea Colmar, Lennart Krogoll, Tillie Perks, Judith Simmer-Brown, Jeff Scott, Greg Smith, and more!
More info for these end of year practice gatherings are listed on this page: shambhala.org/event/688984-year-of-the-wood-dragon-end-of-year-practices-all-sessions/
Here are three articles to help you learn more about this time of year and protector practice:
- Protector Principle (password: mamochants)
by Dorje Loppön Lodrö Dorje - Obstacles and Antidotes by by Andrew Sacamano
- Finishing One Year, Starting Anew by Walker Blaine
Shambhala Day 2024
Year of the Wood Dragon
Saturday, February 10 at 10:00 am (PT)
Visit Shambhala Online to register for this event.
The theme for the Shambhala Online broadcast program this year is Reflecting on the Practice of Community and will include joining together in group practice, sharing Shambhala culture, and greetings from throughout our worldwide community. It will be a time of celebrating community and our shared love of practice and the Shambhala teachings and culture.
Shambhala Day marks the beginning of the New Year — which is based on the traditional Tibetan New Year’s celebration of Losar. The day is calculated astrologically according to the Tibetan lunar calendar, and changes every year to coincide with the annual lunar cycles.
In Tibetan astrology, the Year of the Dragon is associated with qualities of wisdom, confidence, cleverness and honesty. In Dragon years, we may see revolutionary ideas, but these years can also be known for reliability and a lack of arrogance. The element of Wood in the upcoming Wood Dragon year makes this year less fierce and domineering than other dragon times, bringing us a year with potential for working well with others and being able to compromise when needed.
