On January 18, 1974, Nalanda Foundation, a nonprofit educational corporation, was established in Boulder, Colorado, by the Venerable Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Nalanda Foundation is named after Nalanda University, a center of Buddhist learning which flourished in India from the fifth to twelfth centuries. In addition to Shambhala Training and Naropa Institute, divisions of Nalanda Foundation have included the Alaya preschool, the Vidya elementary school, the Maitri space awareness project, the Mudra theatre group, and the Nalanda and Vajravairocana translation committees. It has also sponsored a number of groups organized for the study and practice of the traditional Japanese arts of flower arranging, kyudo (archery), and tea ceremony; and Amara, an association of health professionals.
Nalanda Foundation of Canada was established on March 31, 1983, for the purpose of establishing the Shambhala Training Program and a Naropa Institute project in Canada. The foundation began moving its international headquarters from Boulder to Halifax in 1985. Since late 1992, together with Vajradhatu, an association of Buddhist churches also founded by Trungpa Rinpoche, Nalanda Foundation has been doing business under the name "Shambhala" at 1084 Tower Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Trungpa Rinpoche acted as president of the foundation until his death in 1987. He was succeeded by the Vajra Regent Ösel Tendzin until his death in 1990. The current president of the foundation is Trungpa Rinpoche's eldest son, the Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche.
Sound recordings of Nalanda Foundation activities were created or acquired
by and retained in the custody of Vajradhatu Recordings in Boulder, Colorado,
a department of Vajradhatu, an association of Buddhist churches founded
in 1973 by the Venerable Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Vajradhatu Recordings
recorded Nalanda Foundation events pursuant to its policy of creating a
permanent record of the teaching and administrative activities of Trungpa
Rinpoche and other principal teachers and administrators of the Nalanda
Foundation and its divisions. Vajradhatu Recordings (now Kalapa Recordings)
retained custody of these sound recordings until their transfer to the
Vajradhatu Archives in 1989. Fonds consists of sound recordings of a broad
range of activities of Nalanda Foundation, including general administrative
activities; public talks and seminars on dharma art; activities of the
Mudra theatre group; activities related to the Maitri project; and meetings
of and events sponsored by a number of other special interest groups within
the foundation. All of these activities were conducted or presided over
by its founder and president, the Venerable Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche,
or his successor the Vajra Regent Ösel Tendzin, or other principal
teachers and administrators.
The fonds is arranged in the following series: 1. Administration
2. Alaya preschool 3. Amara association of health professionals 4. Dharma
art event 5. Film 6. Kalapa Cha 7. Kalapa Ikebana 8. Kyudo 9. Maitri project
10. Mudra theatre group 11. Shambhala School of Dressage 12. Vidya elementary
school
Title based on contents of the fonds.
Extent includes duplicates.
Some audio reels show evidence of deterioration. As a conservation
measure a number of audio reels have been exercised and copied to both
digital and high-quality cassette formats.
Portions of the fonds are restricted to authorized students. Access
to those records is by arrangement with the Archives Director.
Inventories accompany series descriptions.
For additional details see the Vajradhatu Archives Database of Holdings.
Related materials may be in the custody of The Naropa Institute. Further
accruals are expected. Videocassette recordings related to portions of
the fonds exist and are described in a finding aid for the Vajradhatu Archives
Video Recovery Project.
Photographic records related to portions of the fonds are described
in the Vajradhatu and Nalanda Foundation Information Office Photographic
Fonds Finding Aid.
Related materials may be found in the following fonds of sound recordings:
the Venerable Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche fonds; the Vajradhatu fonds;
the Vajradhatu Seminary fonds; the Naropa Institute events fonds; the Shambhala
Training events fonds; and the Vajra Regent Ösel Tendzin fonds.
An inventory of verbatim transcriptions of portions of the fonds exists.
Return to description list.