Source Text
“Trungpa’s warrior is a most appealing figure, embodying qualities that every spiritual tradition would hold dear. The principal discipline recommended here—being genuine moment after moment—allows one to discover the magic inherent in phenomena, where the synchronization of body and mind becomes an attunement to the natural order.” —Yoga Journal
This path revolves around two key themes. First, humans are innately awake and dignified, “basically good.” And second, society, as an expression of human nature, is also basically good. Thus, becoming a Shambhala warrior has nothing to do with making war or acting aggressively. Rather, it is the discovery of the seed of bravery within us all.
Shambhala is about the path of warriorship, or the path of bravery, that is open to any human being who seeks a genuine and fearless existence. The title Dorje Dradul means the “indestructible, or adamantine, warrior.”
PART ONE HOW TO BE A WARRIOR
Here the word warrior is taken from the Tibetan and literally means “one who is brave.”
The key to warriorship and the first principle of Shambhala vision is not being afraid of who you are. Ultimately, that is the definition of bravery: not being afraid of yourself.
When we are afraid of ourselves and afraid of the seeming threat the world presents, then we become extremely selfish. We want to build our own little nests, our own cocoons, so that we can live by ourselves in a secure way.
The important point is to realize that you are never off duty. You can never just relax, because the whole world needs help.
The premise of Shambhala vision is that in order to establish an enlightened society for others, we need to discover what inherently we have to offer the world. So, to begin with, we should make an effort to examine our own experience, in order to see what it contains that is of value in helping ourselves and others to uplift their existence.
If we are simply miserable and wretched beings, how can we possibly imagine, let alone realize, an enlightened society?
AI Summary
Shambhala by Chögyam Trungpa, Carolyn Rose Gimian (Editor) presents key insights from the Yoga tradition. The 10 passages above capture the essential teachings.
Core Themes:
- [To be expanded]
Key Passages: Highlights 1, 3, and 10 are particularly representative.
This entry was generated from Readwise highlights. Expand with additional context as appropriate.