We are excited to announce the latest additions to the Digital Library: a wealth of seminars on the technique and psychology of mindfulness and awareness meditation.
Two of the four seminars now available in the media library are included in Chögyam Trungpa’s book The Path Is the Goal: A Basic Handbook of Buddhist Meditation (2011). Both given in his prolific year of 1974, Mindfulness and Awareness (New York City) and Vipashyana Insight Meditation (Karmê Chöling, Vermont) capture the essence of shamatha and vipashyana meditation practice.
These teachings are presented in our second “book-to-talks playlist” (in case you missed it, check out The Myth of Freedom playlist) in which each book chapter is mapped to the original talk it is based on. Because The Path Is the Goal includes every talk (with Q&A) from the seminars in chronological order, the experience of listening to these recordings is almost like listening to an audiobook with bonus material! And in addition to the playlist, there is a special clip of Trungpa Rinpoche describing the significance of the breath in the meditation technique.
You can also now listen to the seminars Understanding the Neurotic Aspects of Mind (New York City, 1971) and Dhyana and Samadhi (Berkeley, CA, 1974). The 1971 seminar explores how to work directly with our neurosis through meditation. The 1974 seminar includes teachings on meditation practice as a method for reconnecting with our fundamental enlightened state, the experience of loneliness in practice and life, and tuning into messages from the phenomenal world.
Learn more and access the seminars!
“The practice of meditation involves a basic sense of continuity. Practicing meditation is not regarded as discontinuing one’s relationship with oneself and looking for a better person, or looking for possibilities of reformation and becoming a better person. The practice of meditation is a way of continuing one’s confusion, chaos, aggression, and passion—but working with it, seeing it from the enlightened point of view. That is the basic purpose of meditation practice as far as this approach is concerned.”
Chögyam Trungpa, Mindfulness and Awareness seminar, Talk 2: “Continuing Your Confusion”
This Date in Chögyam Trungpa History
Beginning in May 1976—fifty years ago!—Trungpa Rinpoche gave a series of talks entitled Skillful Means and Wisdom in Berkeley, California. All captured on video, this seminar takes us on a journey through the three yanas, or stages, of Tibetan Buddhism. The series of eighteen talks, each under 30 minutes, is an excellent resource for classes or personal study. The Digital Library first released this series in July 2024 with an article by Carolyn Gimian, including a study guide composed by Moh Hardin. Check out the original Explore post here, and access the full seminar here. We hope you enjoy this look back!
Learn more and listen here
As you perhaps prepare for meditation retreats or deepening your practice this summer, please consider contributing to our work. The Chögyam Trungpa Institute is committed to making all of Trungpa Rinpoche’s recorded teachings available for generations to come. Thank you!
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The Path Is the Goal book cover (Shambhala Publications)
Photo of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche: “Leaning In” by Robert del Tredici