How Supportive are we of Each Other?
Summary of findings
Overall, 60% of respondents consider themselves members, 15% did not consider themselves members, and 25% were not sure about their membership. Respondents to the survey who think of themselves as members listed spiritual commitments and personal relationships as the reasons they are members. They believe that others in their centre or group will support them emotionally and practically, as well as with spiritual advice.
Those who are now unsure about their membership or do not think of themselves as members cite organisational changes, conflicts in the community, and differences with others around Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche as reasons for their responses. They are less likely than members to believe that others in their centre or group will support them with practical help, emotionally or with spiritual advice.
Leaders felt that attracting new participants and a more diverse set of participants are the most important membership issues they are now encountering. While encouraging those with different relationships with Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche to support each other is an important issue, more leaders were satisfied with their efforts in this area.
Leaders are interested in receiving support from other centres and groups as well as Shambhala Global Services, primarily in the areas of instructor training, curriculum, offering advanced programs and marketing.
Members who relate to a Shambhala Group or Centre (80% of all respondents)
(Click here for more information about this survey)
Although everyone who received the Societal Mirror survey was listed in the Shambhala Database as a member or a friend, the responses to the 2022 survey indicated that a portion of these respondents do not identify as members of Shambhala now. We followed up in the 2023 survey with a more detailed set of questions in order to understand the different dimensions of what being a member of Shambhala means in the community.
This discussion is placed in this section about supportiveness, because membership in general has been a way of connecting to others in the community.
Membership identification for those who relate to a Centre or Group
Eighty percent of survey respondents indicated that they relate to a local Shambhala group or centre. This is the same proportion who did so in 2022.
What are the major reasons that you are a member?
(More than one answer was allowed.)
Major Reasons for Being a Member – by Generation
What are the major reasons that you are not a member or are not sure?
(More than one answer was allowed.)
For those who relate to a group or centre - What are the major reasons that you are or are not not a member (or are not sure)?
Summary and direct quotes from ‘other’ responses
We asked those who relate to a group or centre: What are the major reasons that you are [or are not not] a member (or are not sure)
About 15% of respondents who think of themselves as members offered additional open-text answers to the question of why they are a member. About 42% of those who did not think of themselves as members or were not sure offered additional comments. Many respondents said they continued to contribute financially and had been affiliated in the past, but now were unsure that Shambhala reflected their personal sense of identity and connection. Some had distanced themselves because they did not want to be associated with Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche:
Others felt disconnected because they are affiliated with Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche and do not feel welcome in their group.
Still others were put off by the conflict in their communities, and also by diminished activities in their centres.
Feeling that others will provide support
Most of those who relate to a Shambhala centre or group feel that others in their community support them with emotional support or comfort, practical help they could use, and spiritual advice. However, more of those who considered themselves members believed others would be willing to provide these types of support.
Members who do not relate to a group or centre (20% of all respondents)
Twenty percent of survey respondents indicated that they do not relate to a local Shambhala group or centre. This is the same proportion who replied this way in 2022.
Almost all respondents (98.6%) who do not relate to a Shambhala centre or group now had been a member of a centre or group in the past.
What are the major reasons that you do not relate to a local Shambhala group or centre?
What are the major reasons that you are not a member or are not sure?
(More than one answer was allowed.)
Do you think of yourself as a member of this group or centre now?
Respondents who do not relate to a centre or group were equally likely to think of themselves as members of Shambhala, to be unsure about their membership or to state that they are not members now.
Reasons for being a member for those who do not relate to a local center
For those who do not relate to a group or centre - What are the major reasons that you are not a member or are not sure?
Summary and direct quotes from ‘other’ responses
We asked those who said they did not relate to a group or centre: What are the major reasons that you are or are not a member?
The few open-ended responses of those who do not relate to a group or centre but consider themselves members mainly cited a connection with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
About 40% of those who do not relate to a group or centre and do not consider themselves members provided additional responses in the open text field. Individuals were either very negative about their past associations with Shambhala, or very negative about the current distance between Shambhala and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche.
Interested in joining a sub-group in Shambhala?
All survey respondents were asked if they were interested in joining an affinity group within Shambhala based on their identity such as a person of colour or a parent, or your profession, such as education or health care, if the right group were available. Respondents who had encountered Shambhala in more recent years were much more interested in this opportunity than those who had been in the community for a long time.
Leader 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?
Would it be helpful for you to receive more support in the following areas, either from Shambhala Global Services (SGS) or from other groups or centres
The Societal Mirror survey also explored the types of support leaders felt they could use from other centres and groups and from Shambhala Global Services. Four areas where more than 30% of leaders identified that they could use support from others were in training teachers and instructors, curriculum and programming, offering advanced programs and marketing and use of social media. The majority of leaders are looking for support both from Shambhala Global Services and from other groups and centres.
Want help from SGS – detail
Call for SGS help
What additional help could you use?
Summary and direct quotes from ‘other’ responses
We asked: Would it be helpful for you to receive more support in the following areas, either from Shambhala Global Services (SGS) or from other groups or centres?
About 10% of leaders used the open text box to provide additional information, but most indicated that the list provided was quite long, and many items did not apply to their situation. Three additional concrete suggestions were more ideas for encouraging and tracking volunteer participation, more models for governance that involve community participation, and more support for making good use of online and hybrid modalities. One respondent requested more coordination in program scheduling between Shambhala and the Sakyong Potrang. One comment identified the support needed as less organizational and more in the realm of dharma teaching.