Customer Reviews

Shambhala: Sacred Path of the Warrior (Shambhala Pocket Classics)

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Enlightening ! Full of Wisdom ! Buy It ! Make a Difference ... for your self ... and for society ! This book was first given to me by a Tibetan Master, Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, in 1985 when I asked him about Shambala (the enlightened society). Jamgon Kongtrul was a living example of compassion and wisdom. Even though he did not know me as I was just one among one a crowd, he immediately gave me this enlightening book. Since then, I have been buying it and giving it to many people. It is his legacy. (Trunpa and Jamgon comes from the same Tibetan Buddhist lineage.) This book is not about following a religious dogma or path. It is about how to live a dignified and meaningful human existence. The sacred warrior is not only brave and honorable but gentle and kind at the same time. The sacred warrior do not live in a world of deceit and superficiality. She or he is a geniune human being who is always considerate to others and her/his environment. Trungpa says that the bravest warrior is the one who can open her/his heart to others and wears no masks nor armor to hide her/his weakness. We all have the inherent potential to be sacred warriors. And by doing so, we will help contribute to make the world a better place to live in. Trunpa says that instead of trying very hard to change other people, our society, our families, and situations, we should first change ourselves and our negative attitudes first. It is only when we change our innermost selves and our myopic views of life that we can make a difference and geniunely help transform our society to a better place to live in. When we choose to be sacred warriors, that will be our lifelong existentialist quest. Be prepared for a new way of living human existence.

Shambhala: The Sacred path of the Warrior is a book I read on whimsy. I read this book originally because of the relationship Trungpa had with Allen Ginsberg. I was curious so I picked up a copy of this book. It was enlightening because this is the real deal unlike a lot of the half baked Zen Buddhism invoked by many beatnik types. One need not drop acid to gain wisdom here. If you want the hokey, trippie hippie Buddhism, forget this book. Trungpa is writing of an ancient code of warriorship. It is an inward, spiritual journey drawn from the Tibetan warrior culture. One who reads this and learns the lessons it teaches will be assisted in overcoming self doubt and negativity. This is not a book of violence. It is really a guide towards overcoming violence. It is about learning mastery over oneself. I was inspired to be better after reading this book. It made me believe in the possibility of transcendence. That is saying something, too. It is a very motivational book.

When I saw the title of the book, I thought it was going to be pretty hokie. First, I picked it up in the library, and after one cursory reading, I had found some simple stuff that affected me tons. It affected me because it was so simple to implement right here and now. No funky sanskrit here. Highly practical. Although I had been meditating for many years and also had some experience practicing the way of mindfulness, the techniques in this book opened me right up!

Need I summarize or paraphrase any more of this wonderful book? Need I tout the wisdom contained in this small volume any more than what has already been said by the other dozen or so reviews? I wish to offer a different perspective, if I may: that of a martial artist and a warrior. I have been a student of Korean and Japanese martial arts for well over a decade, with special emphasis on the spiritual and philosophical side of the arts. The Japanese concept of Bushido, the way of the warrior, has been an especially powerful guiding force in my life, as well as in the lives of many of my fellow martial arts students, philosophy students, and close loved ones. Duty, honor, humility, and loyalty, as taught in Bushdo, are among the cornerstones of this way of life and mode of thought; and these concepts do, indeed, mean virtually everything to the modern-day warrior.

So where does this work fit in? It can quite easily and effectively influence all people's lives for the better. This book teaches that we can become free of our fear in order to become "gentle and genuine". Thus awakening the goodness inherent within her/himself, the warrior becomes free to help those around her or him to achieve such enlightenment.

Reviews such as these simply cannot do such teaching proper justice. The impact it has on warriors in today's world is extremely deep, on a personal and emotional level. Heck, it even made me cry a couple times! So, to summarize, this book is indeed a boon for all people, regardless of faith. But it is my sincere belief that to a true warrior, martial artist or not, this book is absolutely essential for defining one's path, choosing which wars to fight, and ultimately for seeking peace.

Many people have already reviewed this book; I only want to share this: Out of all the dozens of self-improvement texts I have read, this one stands high above all the rest in my opinion.

Basically, instead of telling you how wonderful and successful your life will be if you do everything the author tells you (as is the usual theme in this kind of books); you are told that 1) you are wonderful as you are; and 2) in order to experience this wonderfulness, you must renounce selfishness and become completely open to the suffering of the world.
This is a very un-Western viewpoint, and very very fresh to me - like a gust of salty cool wind into a stale smokey room.

If you are ready for some fresh air, buy this book!

The Shambhala teaching as developed by the late visionary and adventurer Chogyam Trungpa, in my view, has three qualities to commend.

_Shambhala_, when practiced earnestly and with attention (as you would when learning any new skill), really does empty people of their neuroses, leaving good-hearted people to freely do their thing in the company of friends. Good work if you can get it.

It's accessible. Compare Trungpa Rinpoche's prose in _Shambhala_ to, say, Tarthang Tulku's in _Time, Space, and Knowledge_ (a vision born, in a sense, as Shambhala's twin). Trungpa Rinpoche here sacrifices some precision for improved directness and accessibility, trusting his readers to work out the complexities and nuances on their own, or among friends. In other words, _Shambhala_'s surface transparency does not give you license to be lazy in your inquiry. It just gives you a tidy laboratory in which to begin.

Lastly, you can go somewhere with this stuff, because the set of skills and vocabulary Trungpa Rinpoche introduces to you is relevant to the muggle world and the magical one. You're free to see how _Time, Space, and Knowledge_ and _Shambhala_ mutually illumine one another, and to compare the curiously mirrored circumstances under which each body of knowledge arose and continues to arise. Check out how Tenzin Wangyal's practice of the Five Warrior Syllables (do a google search) may support your aims as a warrior in sitting meditation, or in your aikido training, or whatever inquiry you've led yourself into. Why not? You're still learning, you're still golden. Ever read Guenther's _Matrix of Mystery_?

Final notes: Some reviewers below have mentioned Trungpa Rinpoche's wild, self-destructive behavior as a source of concern. (He wasn't too concerned about it, but I think we ought to be.) Get the facts; he was, in fact, an alcoholic, and a spiritual genius, and a great teacher. The chapter "How do you Make Yourself a Body Without Organs?" in Deleuze and Guattari's _A Thousand Plateaus_ can give you some insight into what Trungpa Rinpoche was working at.

Have fun!

"The Shambhala teachings are founded on the premise that there is basic human wisdom that can help to solve the world's problems. This wisdom does not belong to any one culture or religion, nor does it come only from the West or the East. Rather, it is a tradition of human warriorship that has existed in many cultures at many times throughout history". - Chogyam Trungpa

The book looks at the principles of warriorship, and this is non-aggressive, no swords and daggers here.

I read this book and it was like having spent my whole life walking from place to place. Then one day being given a bicycle to travel around. And one night, whilst asleep, dreaming of the awesome speed I was now able to travel at, someone sneaks into my garage and fits a turbo charged, jet powered, rocket engine.

I would recommend this book to anyone, and have been doing, if you are reading this now then your search is complete, there is no need to go any further. Put it in your shopping basket and get ready for the rollercoaster ride of your life.

I recently read this book as part of a class in a local Shambhala center. The book, which is a sort of "Bible" for members of the Shambhala community, represents a collection of talks he gave over the years in which he defined many of the basic teachings that have become part of the Shambhala training.

My biggest disappointment in this book was how little grounding there is in Buddhism. There is a little overlap, but most of the book uses very different concepts and terminology that did not resonate with core Buddhist principles. Second, the book didn't seem well organized to me; it had a stream-of-consciousness feel that was difficult to follow.

I really wanted to like this book but ultimately just wasn't able to connect with it. For understanding Shambhala Buddhism, I'd encourage reading the two books by Chogyam Trungpa's son, Sakyong Mipham, and also anything written by Pema Chodron. To read more about Buddhism in general, I'd encourage trying Thich Nhat Hanh; Henepola Gunaratana; Jack Kornfield; Gil Fronsdal; Suzuki Roshi.

After several years of studying Shambhala Warriorship (beginning with this book), I am still unable to reconcile Trungpa's behavior with his teachings...and probably never will. Still, I can't deny the tremendous impact his work has had on my life. As another reviewer said, "By all means buy the book." I only want to add that if Trungpa's words speak to you, look for a Shambhala Center in your area. No book can compare to the Shambhala Training program, which gives indepth teaching and practice in this book's basic concepts. You'll also find like-minded others who seek to create enlightened society in this dark age.

this is a well written modern guide book by a buddhist master. he goes well beyond the old sectarian views of religion and brings the reader into the picture in clear focus. he challenges us to be all we can be and to understand more deeply than before the wonders and joys of being fully human. this is a wonderful research and development tool for the independent thinker. the author challenges us to do good and trust our innermost instincts and intuitions. and he provides many tools and ideas to help us be successful spiritual warriors. [warrior = "one who is brave."] this is timeless wisdom all wrapped up in the universal laws of harmony. anyone who reads and takes this book to heart may well walk a little taller, see a little clearer, listen more, talk less, feel joy.