The Shambhala principle is what is known as the path of the warrior. That doesn’t mean to say the creator of war, but warrior in the sense of being brave. A lot of things of this nature depend on a sense of humor, natural joy, and appreciating your life. Simply, what you have is good and workable, therefore we appreciate it enormously and we enjoy it. We also enjoy our fellow brothers and sisters on this planet Earth.
Chögyam Trungpa, “Building Enlightened Society”
We are delighted to announce the release of a collection of Chögyam Trungpa’s Shambhala Training Level 5 talks!
Developed by Trungpa Rinpoche and his students in the late 70s, Shambhala Training is a secular approach to meditation. It is based on what Trungpa Rinpoche calls Shambhala vision, which sees enlightened society as not purely mythical, but as realizable by people of all faiths through practices of mindfulness and awareness, non-aggression, and sacred outlook.
In the early days of Shambhala Training, Chögyam Trungpa was the sole teacher of the fifth and final level of the progressive series. This Digital Library release features nearly all of the talks he gave during the Level V weekend programs, which were centered on the themes of trust, renunciation, and letting go. Also included are four public lectures on the Shambhala path, including a video of a talk given in New York City, “Building Enlightened Society.”
Notably, this release includes audio and newly-remastered video recordings which have never been seen before!
Learn more and access the seminars
At a time when many in America and throughout the world are calling for No Kings, it’s somewhat outrageous to encounter Chögyam Trungpa in these Level V talks, sharing images of royalty and a positive view of natural hierarchy. What people may miss is that he was lobbying for All Kings – that all human beings should be fully empowered and should celebrate their ability to help this world. He was suggesting that we are All Kings and All Queens, and he points to wisdom holders or teachers as those who might help us to awaken and realize this inherent power and dignity.
Carolyn Gimian, editor of the book Great Eastern Sun: the Wisdom of Shambhala, which presents the Level V material.
MORE FROM THE INSTITUTE
Carolyn’s Interview on Portuguese TV
While teaching for the Kangyur Rinpoche Foundation in Lisbon, Portugal, our Executive Director, Carolyn Gimian, sat down for an interview that was recently aired on Portuguese TV. She talks about the Shambhala teachings and her work with Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. She also discussed her Portuguese ancestry. Follow the link to watch! (Some of the video is in Portuguese, but the entire interview is conducted in English.)
Watch the Interview
Did you know…
Aviary is the platform we use for hosting all of the media in the Digital Library. Every talk in the current collection is available there in audio or video format, complete with captions and interactive transcripts. On the Aviary website, you can create your own account. This allows you to save talks for your own reference and future listening, including a space to add a note for yourself connected to a particular recording. Follow this link to learn more about how to navigate the Digital Library and use the Aviary platform. Or follow this link to go directly to Aviary and explore.
Learn more about using the Digital Library
Explore the Library in Aviary
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