“The idea of freedom, liberation, is not based on happiness, the pursuit for happiness, at all. The idea of freedom, “moksha,” is based on the principle of growing up and becoming a real adult. You have some understanding about how to relate with the raw and rugged experience of life.”
Chögyam Trungpa, from a public talk entitled “The Myth of Freedom” (NYC, 1973)
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Chögyam Trungpa’s classic book The Myth of Freedom and the Way of Meditation. Inspired by the new anniversary edition and Pema Chödrön’s exciting commentary published last week by Shambhala Publications, Another Kind of Freedom, we have now released every single recording that was a source for his 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.
Published in 1976, The Myth of Freedom is based on 37 different talks Trungpa Rinpoche gave across the United States between 1971 and 1973. These talks were distilled into short, pithy sections of the book, each one giving a vivid snapshot of a step on the Buddhist path.
The Library playlist maps each section of the book to the specific talk upon which it was based. You can jump around between sections and find your favorites, go through chapter by chapter, queue up the whole playlist in order, or download a PDF version—there are endless possibilities for exploration, study, and contemplation. As is often the case when a book is based on oral presentations, the material in the original recordings differs significantly from the final published versions. Because of this, working with the book and the playlist side-by-side adds another rich dimension to his teachings. This playlist also provides a unique opportunity to deeply engage with Pema Chödrön’s new teachings in Another Kind of Freedom.
This is our first “book-to-talks” playlist. Let us know what you think and which books you’d like to see mapped out next!
In addition to the playlist, the Library is also releasing a collection of stand-alone talks in which Chögyam Trungpa further examines the topic of the myth of freedom: what it means to be free and how we imprison ourselves in our own confusion.
Explore the Playlist and Listen to the Talks Here
“Over the years, this book has continued to be an endless source of benefit to me and many others in our understanding and teaching Buddhism in North America. I think I have now read it at least thirty times, and each time I find something new. Its power lies in how directly it addresses the extremely unhabitual process of dissolving the barriers we put up between ourselves and the rest of the world.”
Pema Chödrön, from her foreword to The Myth of Freedom and the Way of Meditation
Like The Myth of Freedom, many of Chögyam Trungpa’s books are based on the recordings that the Digital Library is working to preserve, transcribe, and make available. With your support, we can continue to bring this vital resource to the world! Please consider a donation.