In this classic guide to enlightened living, meditation master Chogyam Trungpa offers an inspiring vision for our time, based on the ideal of the sacred warrrior. In ancient times, the warrior learned to master the challenges of life, both on and off the battlefield. Trungpa shows that in s the basic goodnesof humanlife, the warrior learns to radiate that goodness into the world for the peace and sanity of others. Wth this book the warrior's path is opened to modern men and women in search of practical wisdom.

Contents

Editor's preface
Foreword
Part One How to be a warrior
Creating an enlightened society
Discovering basic goodness
The genuine heart of sadness
Fear and fearlessness
Synchronizing mind and body
The dawn of the great Eastern sun
The cocoon
Renunciation and daring
Celebrating the journey
Letting go
Part Two Sacredness: The warrior's wrold
Nowness
Discovering magic
How to invoke magic
Overcoming arrogance
Overcoming habitual patterns
Sacred world
Natural hiercharchy
How to rule
Part Three Authentic presence
The universal monarch
Authentic presence
The Shambhala lineage
About the Shambhala training program

Much to think about or rather meditate upon put forth in an easily understandable and accessible style. A good entry into Buddhist thought. ( )

Trungpa's Shambhala did not offer the discussion I'd looked to it for, but proved a rewarding read for other reasons.

I had hopes for an insightful discussion and perhaps even deep analysis of cultural organisation and its implications for prescriptive theory: an abiding interest, specifically with respect to non-coercive politics. There wasn't much there, though partly it appears to be a result of Trungpa's selected emphasis upon personal ethics over social ethics.

And that was the rewarding bit, a different look at meditation practices. Notable is Trungpa's tendency to use familiar words in unfamiliar ways as a means of understanding self and habit. Doubtlessness, renunciation, fearlessness: these and other terms have specific meanings for Trungpa, and not those typically assumed when used in context of becoming a warrior.

Worth revisiting for the meditation. I hope to find another examination of the Shambhala tradition which gets into its insight for social theory. In doing so, must keep in mind that Buddhism as likely to be associated with violence as Christianity, despite its Western reputation for pacifism. ( )

In this practical guide to enlightened living, Chögyam Trungpa offers an inspiring vision for our time, based on the figure of the sacred warrior. In ancient times, the warrior learned to master the challenges of life, both on and off the battlefield. He acquired a sense of personal freedom and power—not through violence or aggression, but through gentleness, courage, and self-knowledge. The Japanese samurai, the warrior-kings of Tibet, the knights of medieval Europe, and the warriors of the Native American tribes are a few examples of this universal tradition of wisdom. With this book the warrior's path is opened to contemporary men and women in search of self-mastery and greater fulfillment. Interpreting the warrior's journey in modern terms, Trungpa discusses such skills as synchronizing mind and body, overcoming habitual behaviors, relaxing within discipline, facing the world with openness and fearlessness, and finding the sacred dimension of everyday life. Above all, Trungpa shows that in discovering the basic goodness or human life, the warrior learns to radiate that goodness out into the world for the peace and sanity of others. The Shambhala teachings—named for a legendary Himalayan kingdom where prosperity and happiness reign—thus point to the potential for enlightened conduct that exists within every human being. "The basic wisdom of Shambhala," Trungpa writes, "is that in this world, as it is, we can find a good and meaningful human life that will also serve others. That is our true richness."

People occasionally ask me if I attended Naropa University. My response is that if I was an adult when I chose were to attend university I would have attended Naropa University. This popular text by Naropa's founder is required reading there. Though nominally secular, Buddhism is at the core of this spiritual primer. Not that different from other introductory Buddhist texts, this book is nice breath of fresh air, or a foot in the door for those wanting to learn more about Buddhism (or just the whacked out life of Chogyam Trungpa). I think though the current Dalai Lama's often humorous public persona makes Trungpa's approach very familiar. Now that I am nominally an adult, would I still choose to attend Naropa University? ( )