How Much do Community Members Participate?
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Summary of Findings
While the rank ordering of activities that most respondents are engaged in did not change between 2022 and 2023, the portion of respondents who engaged in these activities decreased between the two years.
About one third of respondents studied dharma in settings outside of Shambhala.
Having a clear path of study and practice within Shambhala was the feature most likely to increase participation.
Connecting with fellow practitioners and practising meditation with others remain the features of practice and study that are important to the most people.
Leaders are increasingly focused on attracting new participants to their centres.
Member Survey
(Click here for more information about this survey)
In 2022 and 2023, the survey asked respondents to check which of a list of activities they had participated in within Shambhala in the previous six months. More respondents in 2023 had attended a social event within Shambhala, but otherwise participation was lower in 2023, compared to 2022 across these activity categories.
In the last 6 months, which of the following activities did you engage in, either in-person or online?
The 2023 survey asked about participation in dharma study activities in more detail than was asked in 2022. Most notable here was the number of respondents studying Buddhism and with teachers linked to Chogyam Trungpa outside of Shambhala settings.
In the last 6 months, which of the following activities did you engage in, either in-person or online?
These new choices were added in 2023:
Activities engaged in during the past 6 months – by generation
Features selected as most likely to increase your engagement
| Percent | Most likely to increase engagement |
|---|---|
| 30 | A clear practice and study path for people interested in Shambhala |
| 24 | More formal and structured meditation and practice sessions |
| 18 | Lower prices |
| 18 | More options for in-person activities |
| 18 | Nothing of the above |
| 18 | A stronger sense of feeling welcome in the community |
| 17 | A more diverse community |
| 14 | More focus on social issues |
| 27 | Various other responses |
Likely increased engagement by membership status
How important to you are the following features of dharma study?
In both survey years we asked respondents how important different aspects of study and practice were to them. Priorities for study were nearly identical between 2022, with access to inspiring or nourishing dharma teachings within Shambhala rated as important by the most respondents. Fewer respondents in 2023 considered progressing through a defined sequence of teachings and practices as a spiritual path to be important, compared to the portion that felt that moving forward on a spiritual path is important to them. This may indicate a change over time in the aspirations of the respondents, but it may be a consequence of different wording of this item. As in 2022, in 2023 feeling connected to a community of fellow practitioners was important to the most respondents out of all of the practice and study features.
How important to you are the following features of meditation practice?
Leaders Survey
(Click here for more information about this survey)
Attracting new participants to the centre, attracting a diverse mix of participants and encouraging participants to become formal members stood out as the membership issues most important to group and centre leaders. While leaders reported a need for efforts in all membership areas, they were most satisfied with their efforts to encourage members with different relationships to Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche to support each other, and with encouraging Vajrayana practitioners to join open sitting sessions
How would you rate these aspects of membership in your group or centre?
Comments About the Likelihood of Increasing Engagement
Summary and direct quotes from ‘other’ responses
We asked: Which of the following would be likely to increase your engagement in activities organised or sponsored by the Shambhala community?
About 27% of respondents added open-ended comments in response to this question. As with other open text opportunities, many respondents indicated that they had a lack of clarity about the role of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche in Shambhala. Having a clearer understanding would help guide them about their participation.
“More clarity regarding the lineage issue...can you be committed to the Shambhala community and not the Sakyong? What is Shambhala without the Sakyong, who has effectively cut himself off from the centres.”
Other respondents asked for a less regimented set of learning experiences and more support for choosing among spiritual teachers. There was both an interest in social engagement and a desire to avoid divisive ideological issues.
“Continued focus on being socially engaged and responsible, and sensitive to/ aware of the experiences of women and diversity in general, including support for LGBTQ+ community.”
“Staying focused on Dharma teachings on emptiness and avoiding non-Buddhist ideology like radical and divisive racial ideology.”