“Society does contain profundity and sacredness. The sacredness of society is potent and powerful. … Work, sex, and money are actually the energy outlet of society, its energy radiation, the expression of its sacredness. So we should try to see the spiritual implications of society, the spirituality even within Madison Avenue or Wall Street.”
Chögyam Trungpa, Work, Sex, Money: Real Life on the Path of Mindfulness
We are delighted to announce that the Digital Library has released the full collection of recorded seminars and talks that were the basis for Chögyam Trungpa’s groundbreaking book Work, Sex, Money: Real Life on the Path of Mindfulness! This collection features three compelling seminars, all entitled “Work, Sex, Money,” given during the early 70s in Boston; Karme Chöling; and Burlington, Vermont. Also included in the release are Trungpa Rinpoche’s addresses to the Ratna Society, a group of businesspeople in Boulder, Colorado, exploring Buddhist business practices, founded by Rinpoche and his students.
In these provocatively-titled seminars, Chögyam Trungpa presents work, sex, and money as key to working with meditation in action, or applying meditative awareness to everyday life. He approaches “work” not just in terms of the workplace and one’s career, but also conduct and discipline in daily life. “Sex” is a broad discussion of sexual energy and passion, relationships, and communication. “Money” is viewed expansively as a form of energy. In the Ratna Society talks, Trungpa Rinpoche explores taking an ethical and sane approach to money in business.
CTI Director and co-editor of the book Work, Sex, Money Carolyn Gimian introduces this new collection in an article composed of excerpts from the preface and afterword that she wrote for the book. She shares fascinating historical context, her experience working with the original recordings, and insight into these teachings on the profundity of ordinary life.
Read the article, hear a clip, and access the playlist!
While always seeing the larger view, he [Chögyam Trungpa] also spoke directly to the audience in the 1970s, responding intimately to the most personal queries. He had a gift for addressing minutiae and the cosmos at the same time. I don’t know how he did it, but you can see the results in both the original material and in the book. While there may be merit in the approach I took to the book, it is also enlightening and often entertaining to listen to the original source recordings. They are full of youthful vitality and spirit and show the unabashed lack of reticence of Trungpa Rinpoche’s students in asking him questions and commenting on the subject matter.
Carolyn Gimian, Editor’s Afterword to Work, Sex, Money: Real Life on the Path of Mindfulness
MORE FROM THE INSTITUTE
In case you missed it…
Inspired by the 50th anniversary edition of The Myth of Freedom and the Way of Meditation and Pema Chödrön’s exciting commentary, Another Kind of Freedom, we recently released every single recording that was a source for Trungpa Rinpoche’s influential book! For the very first time, you can listen to all the original talks that became each section of the ground-breaking text, presented in an accessible playlist.
Check out the playlist here
Friends of the Institute: Upcoming Program!
Join our friends and colleagues at the 13th annual Profound Treasury Retreat in Saco, Maine—nine days of meditating and studying together in a welcoming and supportive community.
The retreat is based on talks Trungpa Rinpoche gave at Vajradhatu Seminaries, three-month meditation and study programs. This year’s program explores Rinpoche’s teachings on karma, drawing on The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma volumes (edited versions of his Seminary talks) and his book The Future is Open. Digital Library recordings will also be featured!
Under the guidance of Judy Lief, Profound Treasury retreats feature talks by emerging teachers, including two members of the Digital Library team: Leandra Ziegler and Emily Waters! Learn more and register at the link below!
Learn more and register here
At the Chögyam Trungpa Digital Library, we are dedicated to making every single one of Trungpa Rinpoche’s recorded talks available and accessible for generations to come. Join us in bringing this vital resource to the world! Please consider offering your support.