Alfonso Taboada

Alfonso Taboada was born in Madrid. In his early twenties a neighbor who was practicing Zen lent him The Life of Milarepa, and he was deeply impressed and moved reading it, and soon started practicing Zen. In 1986, after finishing studies in Pure Mathematics in Madrid, he moved to San Francisco. He was living near the Dharmadathu and soon changed zazen practice for Shambhala practices. Alfonso did the former 3-month Vajradathu Seminary in 1990. Back in Spain he organized the first Shambhala Training level ever and a small study group started in Madrid, today a full Shambhala Center. He has been teaching the Shambhala dharma for over twenty five years and served as acharya for a decade. He is a member of the faculty of Karuna Training and is trained as a mindfulness teacher for stress reduction.

He has translated into Spanish several published books of his teachers, including Buddha in the Palm of Your Hand, Great Eastern Sun, Start Where You Are, No Time to Lose, Turning the Mind into an Ally, and Ruling your World. Today he teaches mathematics in three American Universities in Madrid, has a family that includes four children and serves the Shambhala mandala teaching and guiding students.