Tibetan Buddhism - Snow Lion and Shambhala Publications

09/10/2026

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08/28/2026

The definitive biography of His Holiness the Dalai Lama—a singular portrait of one of the most influential spiritual and political leaders of our time, available September 15.

Drawing from more than fifty traditional Tibetan sources, this landmark work offers the most complete and intimate account to date of the life of Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. It reveals not only the public figure known across the globe, but the spiritual master shaped by prophecy, lineage, and profound historical and spiritual ties.

With narrative richness and scholarly depth, the book traces his extraordinary journey from a recognized child reincarnation to a global voice for compassion, nonviolence, and human dignity. It illuminates his dual roles as political and spiritual leader in a complex global landscape, offering unprecedented insight into the inner workings of Tibetan governance, Buddhist philosophy, and the immense challenges of leading a nation in exile. This book focuses on his Middle Way strategy, which advocates for a radical commitment to dialogue, coexistence, and peaceful resolution in the face of geopolitical conflict. Through his own words, spanning major international addresses to intimate teachings, readers encounter a leader whose wisdom is as practical as it is profound.

More than a biography, this is a deeply human story providing a vital and timely testament to leadership grounded in ethics and service in a divided world. Representing a significant contribution to understanding the transformative leadership of the Dalai Lama, this book offers profound reflections on resilience, cultural preservation, and the enduring power of compassionate action to transcend political boundaries.

Click the link in the comments to learn more about Dreams of a White Snow Lion by Mariateresa Bianca & Sherab Dhargye.

08/20/2026

Robert Beer , Tibetan & Newari Art Resources, and an Exhibition

Many are familiar with Robert Beer, for his magisterial Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs, http://shmb.la/beer-encyc , the gold standard showing and explaining Tibetan art.

His site, https://tibetanart.com/, has been refreshed and is an incredible archive of Robert's writings and work. It also includes a list of 49 Tibetan and Newari artists with samples of their work. It is an invaluable resource. Please check it out!

Next month, Robert will be in Vietnam for an exhibition of exquisite art that is a collaboration between he and SonMani, a project joiningt wo currents — Hạ Thái lacquer arts of Vietnam and Vajrayana Buddhism. The results are stunning and anyone in or near Hanoi should definitely pay a visit. Full details are here:

https://www.sonmani.vn/en

You can also watch a beautiful video of the process behind this stunning art:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh__g_vBa_U

08/18/2026

A truly extraordinary book was released today. Loving All: Stories from My Life, My Teachers, and the Path of Compassion is a rare book, in the realm of Words of My Perfect Teacher and Enlightened Vagabond where the stories bring forth the most beautiful aspects of practicing on the path. In it, Tulku Pema Rigtsal Rinpoche ornaments the great text on bodhicitta, Gyalse Tokme Zangpo's The 37 Practices of the Bodhisattva.

With anecdotes portraits, and teaching moments from his teachers which include: his father Degyel Rinpoche, Dudjom Rinpoche, Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, Yangthang Tulku, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche, and especially Khenpo Dazer and Khenpo Chokhyab, two great yogis of Tibet.

Dudjom Tersar Namkha Khyung Dzong Rinzin Choeling Monastery Kathmandu Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

The book includes a foreword by Matthieu Ricard and a letter about the author by the late Kyabje Thinley Norbu Rinpoche.

07/06/2026

Am amazing event with Thubten Rinpoche on the Complete Nyingma Tradition coming up online and in Point Richmond, CA on August 1st.

Check out the details here:
https://events.humanitix.com/ltr

06/24/2026

August 23rd, join Book Passage (Corte Madera) for an event with meditation master Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche celebrating his latest book, The Tibetan Book of Success.

In The Tibetan Book of Success: A Guide to Relationships, Leadership, Communication, and Happiness, Rinpoche presents four newly translated texts drawn from a long tradition of secular Tibetan teachings on how to live a good life. Offering practical guidance for cultivating happiness, harmonious relationships, ethical leadership, and a meaningful and fulfilling life, the collection includes an 8th-century text discovered in the Dunhuang caves alongside writings from Tibetan luminaries Sakya Pandita, Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche, and Patrul Rinpoche. The teachings presented in the book emphasize universal values such as integrity, effective communication, generosity, fairness, and respect as the foundation for genuine happiness, healthy relationships, and thriving communities.

Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche will share teachings from the book and discuss how these timeless principles continue to offer practical guidance for everyday life.

Click the link for more details about the event.

https://www.bookpassage.com/event/orgyen-chowang-rinpoche-tibetan-book-succes

06/22/2026

Come check out our new interactive map of Buddhist centers in the U.S. and explore what is near you. We recommend going full screen on a desktop or laptop for the best experience. Link below.

06/17/2026

We cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Filled with amazing stories from Tulku Pema Rigtsal's life and teachers, and the tradition more generally, this illuminates the classic text 37 practices of the Bodhisattvas in an incredible way.

Rinpoche came and visited us last year and we were amazed. He is the real deal. He trained with the greatest masters of our time.

Kyabje Thinley Norbu Rinpoche wrote a piece about the author and mentions "He has received empowerments, transmissions, and instructions primarily from Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche, Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Kyabje Dodrup Rinpoche, Kyabje Penor Rinpoche, Khenchen Dazer Rinpoche, and so on. He also includes my name among his gurus, for which I am thankful."

When he teaches in many parts of Asia, thousands come, yet he chooses to live in a very remote part of Nepal by the Tibetan border where he oversees and cares for hundreds of monks, nuns, and lay people.

As Matthieu Ricard relates in the foreword, "Rather than a dry commentary, this book is a living dialogue with the Dharma—at once practical and deeply motivating for us to engage in the practice."

The book is beautifully translated by Laura Swan.

It comes out in a bit over a month's time.

06/17/2026

Remembering Robert A.F. Thurman (1941-2026)

We encourage you to read this before watching this video.

All of us here at Shambhala Publications were all saddened to hear the news of Robert Thurman’s passing today.

While we did not publish any of Bob’s books, he appears in many of our works and articles including from the archive of Snow Lion newsletters.

In Secularizing Buddhism, Roger Jackson recounts the fiery debate between Bob and Stephen Batchelor on the centrality of belief in rebirth in being a Buddhist.

[My view: No contest, Bob won].

He appears in literally dozens of other works, as a blurber or when authors reference him.

In his foreword to As Long as Space Endures, a collection of scholarly essays on the Kalachakra Ta**ra, Bob wrote,

"So here we are in these times of seemingly endless human violence, confusion, needless destruction of the environment, and even self-destruction of whole societies. We are caught in the poisonous ocean of unrealistic worldviews, especially those of nihilistic science that robs our breath of meaning and our steps of purpose. It is thousands of years past the most recent World Buddha’s manifest historical engagement with us, and everything seems to get worse and worse. But who shows up for us? Our Precious Teacher, our Ocean Guru. He constantly and tirelessly renews for us the pledge of Shakyamuni, his exquisite demonstration that he will never abandon any of us to our wretched fate…”

Bob always brought the heart of practice into the ivory tower of academia.

He was a good friend to us here at Shambhala Publications. Just a few weeks ago, he read through a new and lengthy manuscript of a groundbreaking biography of His Holiness the Dalai Lama coming out in September and sent us a glowing, enthusiastic endorsement.

And a few years ago, we requested he kindly read several pages of the Flower Ornament Scripture, the Avatamsaka Sutra, clips of which we included in a tribute video to his long-time friend Thomas Cleary.

We thought it would be nice to include his full reading of this section in this video, describing the Buddha at the scene of his enlightenment in his own vision.

We invite you to close your eyes and listen to this description of this sublime, cosmic scene.

Our hands are joined together in appreciation to Bob for a live so very well lived.

All of us here at Shambhala Publications were all saddened to hear ...

06/15/2026

Mipham Rinpoche's latest release is now included in our reader's guide to his works. We now have three dozen works by or about him

A guide to one of the most important figures of Tibetan Buddhism, the great 19th century yogi scholar Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche.