The facet of Shambhala that offers Buddhist practice and study is known locally as Dharmadhatu. It is affiliated with North America's largest Buddhist organization, Vajradhatu, and is one of the three member organizations of the Shambhala Meditation Center of Milwaukee.

This Dharmadhatu has offered a comprehensive path of traditional buddhist study and practice here in Milwukee since 1978.

Introductory Open House Talks are presented regularly each Tuesday evening at 7:45. Meditation instruction is available at no charge to interested parties. To find out more specific details on the Buddhist path, contact us or drop by the Shambhala Center during regular practice periods and look around.

• Sunday 9:00-11:30 am
• TWF 7:00-8:00 pm

Because his realization was profound, he became known as the "Buddha," which means "the awakened one." The teachings he offered came to be known as buddhadharma ("the teaching of the awakened one"), and ultimately as Buddhism. The Buddhist teachings proclaim the possibility of awakening the potential within every human being, and they provide a practical method for doing so. This practical method, passed down from generation to generation, is known as meditation, which is the practice of mindfulness and awareness.

Meditation is a natural process of allowing oneself to examine the nature of thoughts, emotions and physical sensations, and to discover the inherent purity of one's being. It is a practice based on direct experience, rather than on blind belief.

Buddhism is taking an increasingly prominent role in contemporary western society as interest increases in this approach to life. A unique quality of the Buddhist teachings is that they can be expressed through existing cultural norms, making use of them rather than destroying or replacing them. This allows many westerners to practice Buddhism today without renouncing their cultural heritage or radically changing their lifestyles.

Vajradhatu (Sanskrit for "indestructible space") provides a spiritual journey of training on the Buddhist path following a well-defined, graduated method of practice and study developed by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. This path places strong emphasis on joining the view and practice of meditation with everyday life, rather than the more traditional monastic approach.

The Buddhist path set out by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche is based primarily on the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, but also includes elements from the Zen and Theravadin traditions. The path Vajradhatu presents is characterized by a strong emphasis on mindfulness-awareness practice. The teachings of Buddhism are presented in English (as well as other Western languages, as required), and programs are designed to deepen students' understanding and experience of buddhadharma in a gradual and systematic way. A careful sequence of group practice programs ensures that students can develop according to their own interests and commitments.