Shambhala - Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche: Book Excerpts

Excerpts from: Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior—Book and Card Set

Fifty-three Shambhala warrior slogans have been created as a companion to Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior. Each slogan is printed on a card created for easy contemplation and display, with commentary on the back. A copy of Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior, a booklet containing instructions on the use of the cards, and a display stand are also included.

From the booklet

These slogans present some of the basic principles and wisdom of Shambhala. Some are written as instructions for traveling the path of the warrior. Others are presented as statements of truth or experience. They are meant to provoke you to examine your experience or look at the world in a new light. Often, the slogans present a glimpse, rather than a fully developed view. They are designed to inspire your own intelligence rather than telling you what to do or how to be.
—Carolyn Gimian

Here is a sample of the slogans you will find in this set:

Don’t be afraid of who you are.

Commentary

The key to warriorship and the ultimate definition of bravery is not being afraid of who you are. Examine your experience to see what it contains that is of value in helping yourself and others. Warriorship is the opposite of selfishness. We become selfish when we are afraid of ourselves and afraid of the seeming threats the world presents. We want to build a little nest, a cocoon, to protect ourselves. But we can be much more brave than that. Even in the face of great problems, we can be heroic and kind at the same time.

To experience fearlessness, it is necessary to experience fear.

Commentary

The essence of cowardice is to not acknowledge the reality of fear. Fear takes many forms. We are afraid of death, we are afraid that we can’t handle the demands of our life, and there is abrupt fear, or panic, when new situations occur. Fear is expressed as restlessness: how we move, how we talk, how we chew our nails, how we sometimes put our hands in our pockets uselessly. We have to realize our fear and reconcile ourselves with fear. However, acknowledging fear is not a cause for depression. Because we possess such fear, we can potentially experience fearlessness.

Go beyond fear.

Commentary

When you examine your fear, if you look beneath the veneer of your nervousness, you find sadness. Nervousness is cranking up, vibrating all the time. When you slow down, when you relax with your fear, the sadness is calm and gentle. In the Shambhala tradition, discovering fearlessness comes from working with the softness of the human heart.

All-victorious, you have nothing to conquer.

Commentary

Being all-victorious is not a matter of talking yourself into believing that everything is okay. Rather, if you actually look, if you take your whole being apart and examine it, you find that you are genuine and good as you are. In fact, the whole of existence is well-constructed, so that there is very little room for mishaps. There are, of course, constant challenges. But for the true warrior, there is no warfare. You are never at war with your world.

Don’t freeze windhorse into ice.

Commentary

You should appreciate yourself, respect yourself, and let go of doubt and embarrassment so that you can proclaim goodness and basic sanity for the benefit of others. The self-existing energy that comes from letting go is called windhorse in the Shambhala teachings. Wind is the energy of basic goodness, strong, exuberant, and brilliant. At the same time, basic goodness can be ridden, or employed in your life, which is the principle of the horse. When you contact the energy of windhorse, you can naturally let go of worrying about your own state of mind and you begin to think of others. If you are unable to let go of your selfishness, you might freeze windhorse into ice.

Join survival and celebration.

Commentary

There appears to be a conflict between survival and celebration. Survival, taking care of your basic needs, is based on pragmatism, exertion, and often drudgery. Celebration, on the other hand, is often connected with extravagance and doing something beyond your means. For the warrior, ruling your world means that you can live in a dignified and disciplined way, without frivolity, and at the same time enjoy your life.

Shambhala

The Sacred Path of the Warrior

Book and Card Set

Edited by Carolyn Rose Gimian

By Chogyam Trungpa

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“Warriorship is the opposite of selfishness. We become selfish when we are afraid of ourselves and afraid of the seeming threats the world presents.”

—Chögyam Trungpa

Slogan 1