The Shambhala Touching the Earth Collective: Crowd Source EcoDharma in Bloom
By John Harvey Negru
Buddhistdoor Global
August 31, 2024
Shambhala comprises 140 city centers and seven land centers worldwide, which makes them the largest organizational network of any Western Buddhist lineage. The lineage has experienced many challenges since Chögyam Trungpa came to America in 1970, including the fallout from widespread dysfunctional behavior and sexual abuse by community leaders over a long time, and external pressures such as the social and economic impact of COVID-19. However, through all of this, the greater community’s commitment to ecoDharma, known as the Touching the Earth Collective, has flourished.
The first thing to do when looking at the Shambhala Touching the Earth Collective (STEC) is to let go of assumptions about who they are and what they do. Then one can really come to appreciate their amazing work and wider impact.