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On Chögyam Trungpa
Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche is the quintessential spiritual guide. His teachings—steeped in ancient tradition and presented with relaxed fluency in western language and culture—are profound, accessible, and fresh. In addition to the buddhadharma, he offered the secular path of Shambhala, cultivating an appreciation of inherent bravery, dignity and goodness beyond cultural and religious bounds. Through his many books, Trungpa Rinpoche continues to be an incomparable source of wisdom and courage in the world. The Chronicles is an ongoing celebration of his profound teachings and life example.
Copyright Diana J. Mukpo. Used here by arrangement with Diana J. Mukpo and Shambhala Publications, Inc.
These teachings by Chögyam Trungpa are selected at random from Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week: the email service that brings Trungpa Rinpoche’s dharma to your inbox several times each week. For more information, or to add your name to the list, visit OceanofDharma.com.
Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week is edited and produced by Carolyn Rose Gimian. Thank you to Lady Diana Mukpo, Mrs. Gimian, and Shambhala Publications for making these teachings available on the Chronicles.
Conquering Fear Is Not Blocking Sensitivity
Conquering fear is not based on blocking your sensitivity. Otherwise, you become a deaf and dumb monarch, a jellyfish king. Sitting on a horse requires balance, and as you acquire that balance in the saddle, you have more awareness of the horse. So when you sit in the saddle on your fickle horse, you feel completely exposed and gentle. If you feel aggressive, you don’t have a good seat. In fact, you are probably not even riding the horse. You don’t put your saddle on a fence railing. You have to saddle a real horse. In this case, riding the horse is riding somebody else’s mind. It requires a complete connection. In the Buddhist tradition, this is called compassion, or working with somebody else. You are completely exposed in this situation. Otherwise, it’s like a medieval knight encased in his armor. It’s so heavy that he has to be cranked up onto the horse. Then he rides off to battle and usually falls off. There’s something wrong with that technology.
Old Dog Wags Its Tail
It was April in Halifax.
It was misty and cold.
There was black ice in the harbour.
It was misty and cold.
There was black ice in the harbour.
The Five Chakras and the Four Karmas
These two teachings, among the earliest the Vidyadhara gave in North America, provide a glimpse into the profound trust Chögyam Trungpa had in the possibility that genuine buddhadharma could be successfully transplanted into Western culture.
Loneliness and Love: An audio Valentine from Chögyam Trungpa
Student: What is the validity of having a relationship with one person if falling in love just comes from loneliness? Is the validity of such a relationship just another illusion?
Cynicism and Warmth
Chogyam Trungpa rendered in charcoal by William Gilkerson
Training the Mind: The Four Foundations of Mindfulness
This six-talk series given at RMCD in 1974 examines the nature of mind training.
Colorado University Talks, 1971
These are recordings of Trungpa Rinpoche's classes at Colorado University in Boulder in January/February 1971.