Shambhala - The Warrior's Path of Bravery

Reading Notes from Shambhala - Sacred Path of the Warrior by Chögyam Trungpa (February 28, 1939 – April 4, 1987) with * my recurring life lessons*.

Preface: 

• Shambhala is for people that seek genuine and fearless existence as human beings.
• Shambhala is also written about in Buddhist book Kalacakra.
• Shambhala is a statement on human condition and human potential.
• Shambhala teachings present logic of mind and heart.

Part 1, Chapter 1 - Creating and Enlightened Society

• Shambhala aids the experience and challenge of being human.
• Shambhala warriors are dedicated to primordial confidence.
• Shambhala teachings are founded on the premise that basic human wisdom can solve all the world's problems.
• *Shambhala's first principle is not being afraid of who you are.
• **Shambhala's premise is that one who discovers what they can inherently offer the world is the only one that can create an enlightened society for others.
• ***Shambhala urges its warriors to discover real goodness by appreciating very simple experiences.
• ****Shambhala warriors know that there is an undiluted and unconfused nature of basic goodness in all human beings.
• Shambhala teaches that all human goodness contains tremendous gentleness and appreciation. 
• Shambhala warriors have a genuine sense of humor - meaning appreciating reality with a light touch.
  

* Know Thyself 

** Changing Minds to Change Lives

*** Simple Life

****Looking at Others and Seeing their Best Potential

Part 1, Chapter 2 - Discovering Basic Goodness

• Shambhala warriors explore their basic goodness with mind-body unifying basic meditations.
• Shambhala warriors come to understand that we are very simple; not ordinary but extraordinary.
• *Shambhala warriors in meditation sit simply to arouse dignity and really truly believe that the earth deserves us, and we it. 

* Living a Dignified Life Close to the Earth

Part 1, Chapter 3 - The Genuine Heart of Sadness 

• Shambhala teachings are not concerned with divine origin.
• Shambhala teaches that being is good because it is not a source of aggression or complaint.
• *Shambhala teaches that we realize basic goodness by appreciating what we have with the boddhicitta (awakened heart).
• Shambhala meditation is a means to awaken genuine heart within yourself.
• **Shambhala warriors give birth to fearlessness by experiencing a sad and tender heart.
• Shambhala warriors welcome the world as it tickles our raw and beautiful hearts.

* Open Heart

** Working to Abolish Fear 

Part 1, Chapter 4 - Fear and Fearlessness

• Shambhala teaches that fearlessness is not the absence of fear but the transcendance over and beyond fear itself.
• Shambhala traditions discover fearlessness by working with the soft human heart. 

Part 1, Chapter 5 - Synchronizing Mind and Body

• Shambhala mind-body synchronization teaches fearlessness as accurate and absolutely directs relation with phenomenal world by attuning sense perceptions, mind and vision. 

Part 1, Chapter 6 - The Dawn of the Great Eastern Sun

• Shambhala suggests we replace fear of death with a focus on sense of reality and gratitude toward life that leaves a trail of dignity after we pass.
• Shambhala teaches the vision of the great eastern sun, based on: 
• Celebrating life
• Appreciating World
• Seeing source of natural radiance and brilliance
• Shambhala's Great Eastern Sun is the innate rising wakefulness in all ruman beings that operates in logic of our ability to return to the primordial ground.
• Shambhala advises against the setting sun approach which serves visions we can't consume and therefore must throw away. 
• Shambhala teaches that when you get close to the truth you can tell the truth and feel great. 
• Shambhala emphasizes how we can always return to the primordial groudn with the logic of the Great Eastern Sun.

...to be continued...

Trungpa, Chögyam. Shambhala - Sacred Path of the Warrior; Shambhala Publications, Boston, 1984.