Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior (Shambhala
Classics) by Chogyam Trungpa, Carolyn Rose Gimian
(On being still and simple)
Here the word “warrior” is taken from the Tibetan pawo, which
literally means “one who is brave.” Warriorship in this context is the
tradition of human bravery, or the tradition of fearlessness. The North
American Indians had such a tradition, and it also existed in South American
Indian societies. The Japanese ideal of the samurai also represented a warrior
tradition of wisdom, and there have been principles of enlightened warriorship
in Western Christian societies as well. King Arthur is a legendary example of
warriorship in the Western tradition, and great rulers in the Bible, such as
King David, are examples of warriors common to both the Jewish and Christian
traditions. On our planet earth there have been many fine examples of
warriorship.
Ultimately, that is the definition of bravery: not being
afraid of yourself. 304
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. 306
If we are willing to take an unbiased look, we will find
that, in spite of all our problems and confusion, all our emotional and
psychological ups and downs, there is something basically good about our
existence as human beings. Unless we can discover that ground of goodness in
our own lives, we cannot hope to improve the lives of others. 319
Discovering real goodness comes from appreciating very
simple experiences. 323
We experience glimpses of goodness all the time, but we
often fail to acknowledge them. When we see a bright color, we are witnessing
our own inherent goodness. When we hear a beautiful sound, we are hearing our
own basic goodness. When we step out of the shower, we feel fresh and clean,
and when we walk out of a stuffy room, we appreciate the sudden whiff of fresh
air. These events may take a fraction of a second, but they are real
experiences of goodness. They happen to us all the time, but usually we ignore
them as mundane or purely coincidental. According to the Shambhala principles,
however, it is worthwhile to recognize and take advantage of those moments,
because they are revealing basic nonaggression and freshness in our lives—basic
goodness. 325
When yellow is yellow, can we say it is red, if we don’t
like the yellowness of it? 334
On the one hand, you might feel: “I want to get that
goodness that is in me and in the phenomenal world.” So you rush around trying
to find a way to possess it. 346
Then, there is the approach of surrendering or humbling
yourself to get in touch with goodness. Someone tells you that he can make you
happy if you will just give your life to his cause. If you believe that he has
the goodness that you want, you may be willing to shave your hair or wear robes
or crawl on the floor or eat with your hands to get in touch with goodness. You
are willing to trade in your dignity and become a slave. Both of those
situations are attempts to retrieve something good, something real. If you are
rich, you are willing to spend thousands of dollars on it. If you are poor, you
are willing to commit your life to it. But there is something wrong with both
of those approaches. The problem is that, when we begin to realize the
potential goodness in ourselves, we often take our discovery much too
seriously. We might kill for goodness or die for goodness; we want it so badly.
What is lacking is a sense of humor. 351
A genuine sense of humor is having a light touch: not
beating reality into the ground but appreciating reality with a light touch.
The basis of Shambhala vision is rediscovering that perfect and real sense of humor,
that light touch of appreciation. 359
The discovery of basic goodness is not a religious
experience, particularly. Rather it is the realization that we can directly
experience and work with reality, the real world that we are in. Experiencing
the basic goodness of our lives makes us feel that we are intelligent and
decent people and that the world is not a threat. When we feel that our lives
are genuine and good, we do not have to deceive ourselves or other people. We can
see our shortcomings without feeling guilty or inadequate, and at the same
time, we can see our potential for extending goodness to others. We can tell
the truth straightforwardly and be absolutely open, but steadfast at the same
time. The essence of warriorship, or the essence of human bravery, is refusing
to give up on anyone or anything. 374
By simply being on the spot, your life can become workable
and even wonderful. You realize that you are capable of sitting like a king or
queen on a throne. The regalness of that situation shows you the dignity that
comes from being still and simple. 391
When you don’t punish or condemn yourself, when you relax
more and appreciate your body and mind, you begin to contact the fundamental
notion of basic goodness in yourself. So it is extremely important to be
willing to open yourself to yourself. Developing tenderness towards yourself
allows you to see both your problems and your potential accurately. You don’t
feel that you have to ignore your problems or exaggerate your potential. That
kind of gentleness towards yourself and appreciation of yourself is very
necessary. It provides the ground for helping yourself and others. 400
Through the practice of meditation, we begin to find that
within ourselves there is no fundamental complaint about anything or anyone at
all. 425
As you breathe out, you dissolve, you diffuse. Then your
inbreath occurs naturally; you don’t have to follow it in. You simply come back
to your posture, and you are ready for another outbreath. 447
So first you sit down and assume your posture, then you work
with your breath; tshoo, go out, come back to your posture; tshoo, come back to
your posture; tshoo. When thoughts arise, you label them “thinking” and come
back to your posture, back to your breath. You have mind working with breath,
but you always maintain body as a reference point. You are not working with
your mind alone. You are working with your mind and your body, and when the two
work together, you never leave reality. 460
You sit simply, as a warrior, and out of that, a sense of
individual dignity arises. You are sitting on the earth and you realize that
this earth deserves you and you deserve this earth. You are there—fully,
personally, genuinely. So meditation practice in the Shambhala tradition is
designed to educate people to be honest and genuine, true to themselves. 470
The logic of basic goodness is very similar. When we speak
of basic goodness, we are not talking about having allegiance to good and
rejecting bad. Basic goodness is good because it is unconditional, or
fundamental. It is there already, in the same way that heaven and earth are
there already. 489
We don’t reject our atmosphere. We don’t reject the sun and
the moon, the clouds and the sky. We accept them. We accept that the sky is
blue; we accept the landscape and the sea. We accept highways and buildings and
cities. Basic goodness is that basic, that unconditional. 491
Can you post a video teaching us how to play Oh My God flute?
ReplyDeletePlease!
Darshan ji, I will try. The tune appeared to be beyond my easy reach. During these holidays, let me see if I can work it out.
Delete