Weekly Meditation Session, Tea Break, and Dharma Discussion

March 22, 2026 10:00 AM — March 22, 2026 12:15 PM

Host:  Dallas Texas Shambhala Center
HYBRID: ONLINE & IN-PERSON

*** check your time zone ***

RSVP here: https://dallas.shambhala.org/…/816996-weekly…/

A basic understanding of Mahayana Buddhism is very helpful – and necessary – for those exploring the Buddhist path.

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Course Outline:

Do you want to learn more about the Buddha’s teachings on Absolute Truth? Do you want to study Buddhism and read a “sutra” (ancient text of teachings taught by the Buddha) in community?

During this Shambhala Online session, you will explore the Buddha’s teachings on how to work with dogmatic views, disputes, navigate intellectual bondage, rules, rites, ideology, and theory.

You Will Gain:

-An opportunity to study a Mahayana Sutra in community

-An opportunity to deepen your understanding of the Buddha’s teachings

-An opportunity to practice meditation from the comforts of your own home or practice space

-Enriching community dialogue about happiness and human emotions

-Question and answer period

-Connection with other meditation practitioners

Please Bring:

-An open heart

-An open mind

-A journal

Required Reading Material

Sutras / Discourse on the Absolute Truth: https://plumvillage.org/…/discourse-on-the-absolute-truth

***Please note that the instructor will screen share the sutra, but it can still be helpful to print it out in advance. Please also note that we will not be chanting the sutra – reading only.

Prerequisites: Open to All

About Alley:

Alley Smith (she/her) is an ordained Zen Buddhist Chaplain who serves in higher education, healthcare, and end-of-life care. She has been a student of Shambhala and Zen since 1999. Alley’s favorite Shambhala dharma books are, The Tea Cup & The Skull Cup: Where Zen & Tantra Meet and the Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma Series by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Alley teaches many Buddhist courses on Northwest Dharma Association, Shambhala Online, Tzu Chi USA, and Tzu Chi Taiwan. She lives in Bozeman, Montana. chaplainalley@gmail.com