Shambhala vision teaches that we can be heroic and kind at the same time
“Shambhala vision teaches that, in the face of the world’s greatest problems we can be heroic and kind at the same time.” Chogyam Trungpa This is part 5 in a continuing series on Shambhala. Click here for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 6, Part 7, or Part 8.
Daring to let go, the warrior is great in friendliness.
- We are attracted to our cocoons, our selfishness, and afraid of stepping beyond ourselves. To overcome hesitation and to commit oneself to others’ welfare, the student warrior has to jump. A leap is necessary. This occurs in the practice of meditation when you step beyond the ups and downs of your thinking process and let yourself go with your breath. Let it dissolve. By letting go, you develop trust in the strength of your being. Then, you also find that you have tremendous willingness to give selflessly to others.
The humble warrior is Supreme.
- You need to cultivate gentleness, so that you remain humble, soft, and open. Allow tenderness to come into your heart. Renounce putting on a new suit of armor or growing thick skin. The warrior who has accomplished true renunciation is completely naked and raw, without even skin or tissue. You are able to be, quite fearlessly, what you are.
You cannot possess basic goodness.
- The goal of warriorship is to express basic goodness in its most complete, fresh, and brilliant form. This is possible when you realize that you do not possess basic goodness, but you are the basic goodness itself.
The warrior’s discipline is like the sun.
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The light of the sun shines whenever the sun rises. The sun does not decide the shine on one piece of land and neglect another. Similarly, the warrior’s discipline is unwavering and all-pervasive.
Join the arrow of intellect with the bow of skillful means.
- With the sharpness of your intelligence, the arrow of intellect, you can clearly see the setting sun, or any degraded tendencies in yourself or the world. Then, you need to harness your insight with skillful action, which is the bow. When the arrow of intellect is joined with the bow of skillful means, you are never tempted by the seductions of the setting-sun world. Temptation here refers to anything that promotes ego and goes against the vision of egolessness and basic goodness. Together, the principle of the bow and arrow allows you to say “no” to ungenuineness, to carelessness, crudeness, or lack of wakefulness.
This is part 5 in a continuing series on Shambhala. Click here for Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, or Part 4.
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Tags: heroic, humble, kind, Vision, warrior
