Lion's Roar (magazine)

Lion's Roar (previously Shambhala Sun) is an independent, bimonthly magazine (in print and online) that offers a nonsectarian view of "Buddhism, Culture, Meditation, and Life". Presented are teachings from the Buddhist and other contemplative traditions, with an emphasis on applying the principles of mindfulness and awareness practices to everyday life.

History and profile
Launched by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche as an internal publication of the Shambhala community, the Sun has evolved from a community newspaper, the Vajradhatu Sun founded 1978, to a small young magazine, to the largest-circulation Buddhist magazine in the English language.

Established in 1995, the magazine is now a publication of the independent, nonprofit Lion's Roar Foundation.

In 2002, the Sun launched another periodical, Buddhadharma: Practitioner's Quarterly focused strongly on Buddhist practice. Buddhadharma is currently published by the Lion's Roar Foundation.

In 2003, the Shambhala Sun was the most successful Canadian magazine in the United States.

In November 2015 the magazine's name was changed to Lion’s Roar.

Distributed internationally, the magazine is based and published in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Lion's Roar has a circulation of 80,000 copies, with a readership of several hundred thousand.

The Lion's Roar online archive includes a substantial amount of previously published articles and essays free to the public.

In handing out their Alternative Press Awards in 2007, Utne Reader magazine awarded Shambhala Sun for a fourth time, this year for Best Spiritual Coverage. Utne had this to say about the Shambhala Sun:

"The stated goal of the Shambhala Sun Foundation, which publishes this year’s winner, is to 'promote the growth and development of genuine buddhadharma as Buddhism takes root in the West' and to 'work with and support all those who share the values of wisdom, sacredness, and compassion.' Shambhala Sun, while clearly aligned with the nonprofit’s specific take on this brand of spirituality, stands out not so much as a doctrinaire instructional manual (there are other publications better geared for that task) as it does a user-friendly guide for culturally curious, searching souls. With a focus on health and wellness and a decidedly gentle approach to the lifelong trial that is personal transformation, the editors tap a surprisingly diverse cast of philosophers, psychologists, educators, and storytellers to breathe life into its lessons, which ultimately boil down to a clearer vision of ourselves, our neighbors, and the world’s beauty and fragility."

Notable contributors

 * Pema Chodron
 * The Dalai Lama
 * Allen Ginsberg
 * Daniel Goleman
 * bell hooks
 * Pico Iyer
 * Amanda Palmer
 * Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche
 * Gary Snyder
 * Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
 * Robert Thurman
 * Alice Walker
 * Jon Kabat-Zinn

Masthead

 * Editor-in-Chief: Melvin McLeod
 * Publisher: Ben Moore

Awards and critical reception
Recent awards include:
 * Utne Reader magazine's Alternative Press award for General Excellence and Spiritual Coverage in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2007
 * Folio magazine’s 2002 Ozzie award for page design
 * The 2003 Canadian Newsstand Award for cover design
 * The 2005 and 2007 Atlantic Journalism Award for The Atlantic Best Cover and Best Article.
 * In 2005, Shambhala Sun ranked number 29 in the Chicago Tribune's ranking of the 50 best magazines in publication.

Shambhala Sun has received generally positive reviews for its application of Buddhist wisdom to a variety of contemporary topics including the arts, politics, and health. In 1995, Morris Wolfe of The Globe and Mail wrote that "at its best, Shambahala Sun demonstrates how important, and yet how difficult it is to live in the moment, to see and experience what is in front of us". In 1997, Antonia Zerbisias described the magazine as "thoughtful" and "startlingly original" in a review for the Toronto Star. In 2008, the New York Review of Magazines described the magazine's layout as "elegant, spacious and calming" and the editorial content as "effective".