Shambhala Resources
Books on Buddhism
and Buddhist Meditation
(Many descriptions
extracted from the Shambhala Publications website, see
above)
The Venerable Chögyam Trungpa,
Rinpoche
The Myth of Freedom and The Way of
Meditation
This is one of the best books for a person
wishing to learn the essential ideas of Buddha's way and the role
meditation plays on the path. It is especially suited for Westerners, for
whom the idea of freedom is precious and considered a fundamental human
right. Chögyam Trungpa suggests that if we remain unaware of the
ignorance, habitual patterns, negative emotions and other psychologically
destructive elements in our lives, we will continue to live as their
slave, making our freedom a myth. The author discusses how attitudes,
preconceptions, and even spiritual practices can chain us to negative
patterns of frustration and despair. He then explains how meditation can
help bring the causes of our enslavement into focus and help us attain
real freedom.
Meditation in Action
Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche did not teach meditation as
something that happens on a cushion for a few minutes per day. Rather, he
taught that the foundation laid by meditation practice allows us to expand
our awareness toward building compassion, community and creativity in all
areas of our life. The whole of life can become part of our meditation
practice.
Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism
The now classic Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism
is the record of two series of lectures given by Trungpa Rinpoche in
1970-71. "First discussed are the various ways in which people involve
themselves in spiritual materialism, the many forms of self-deception into
which aspirants may fell. After this tour of the sidetracks along the way,
the broad outlines of the true spiritual path are discussed. The approach
presented is a classical Buddhist one--not in a formal sense, but in the
sense of presenting the heart of the Buddhist approach to spirituality.
Although the Buddhist way is not theistic, it does not contradict the
theistic disciplines. Rather the differences between the ways are a matter
of emphasis and method. The basic problems of spiritual materialism are
common to all spiritual disciplines."
The Path Is the Goal: A Basic Handbook of
Buddhist Meditation
The basic meditation practice
taught by Trungpa Rinpoche, shamatha-vipashyana, originated in
the Mahamudra tradition of the Kagyü school of Vajrayana Buddhism. This
practice combines the mindfulness of shamatha with the insight of
vipashyana. This book reveals the basis of meditation as well as the
difficulties that arise for those who practice it. The difficulties are
not, however, to be seen as problems, but as opportunities, as the very
basis of the practice. Whether the meditator experiences aggression,
fantasies, boredom, or loneliness, each is discussed as being part of the
path of meditation.
The Heart of the Buddha
This compelling
collection of essays, talks, and seminars by Chögyam Trungpa presents the
basic teachings of Buddhism as they relate to everyday life. The book is
divided into three parts. In "Personal Journey," the author discusses the
qualities of openness, inquisitiveness, and good humor that characterize
the enlightened Buddha-nature in everyone. In "Stages on the Path," he
presents the three vehicles--Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana--that carry
the Buddhist practitioner toward enlightenment. In "Working with Others,"
he describes the direct application of Buddhist teachings in such areas as
relationships, children, and money. Chögyam Trungpa's great appreciation
of Western culture combined with his deep understanding of the Tibetan
tradition makes these teachings uniquely accessible to Western readers.
Ani Pema Chödrön, Acharya
Start Where You Are
With insight and humor,
Pema Chödrön presents down-to-earth teachings on how we can overcome our
own suffering as well as the suffering of others. This is only possible,
the author says, if we "start where we are," embracing rather than pushing
away the painful aspects of our lives
When Things Fall Apart
The beautiful
practicality of her teaching has made Pema Chödrön one of the most beloved
of contemporary American spiritual authors-- among Buddhists and
non-Buddhists alike. This book is a treasury of wisdom for going on living
"when things fall apart"--when we are overcome by pain and difficulties
Other Authors
Entering the Stream: An Introduction to the
Buddha and His Teachings
Edited by Samuel Bercholz and
Sherab Chodzin Kohn. This is the companion book to Bernardo Bertolucci's
film Little Buddha. It provides perhaps the best one-volume
introduction to all the contemporary Buddhist traditions. The anthology is
written by those who have studied and practiced in the traditions
described. The book includes histories, discussions of meditation, and a
synopsis of the Theravada, Mahayana, Zen and Vajrayana (Indo-Tibetan)
Buddhist traditions.
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The Venerable Chögyam Trungpa,
Rinpoche
Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the
Warrior
In this practical guide to enlightened
living, Chögyam Trungpa offers an inspiring vision for our time,
based on the figure of the sacred warrior. In ancient times, the warrior
learned to master the challenges of life, both on and off the battlefield.
He acquired a sense of personal freedom and power - not through violence
or aggression, but through gentleness, courage, and self- knowledge. The
Japanese samurai, the warrior-kings of Tibet, the knights of medieval
Europe, and the warriors of the Native American tribes are a few examples
of this universal tradition of wisdom. With this book the warrior's path
is opened to contemporary men and women in search of salf-mastery and
greater fulfillment. Interpreting the warrior's journey in modern terms,
Trungpa discusses such skills as synchronizing mind and body, overcoming
habitual behaviors, relaxing within discipline, facing the world with
openness and fearlessness, and finding the sacred dimension of everyday
life. Above all, Trungpa shows that in discovering the basic goodness of
human life, the warrior learns to radiate that goodness out into the world
for the peace and sanity of others. The Shambhala teachings - named for a
legendary Himalayan kingdom where prosperity and happiness reign - thus
point to the potential for enlightened conduct that exists within every
human being. "The basic wisdom of Shambhala," Trungpa writes, "is that in
this world, as it is, we can find a good and meaningful human life that
will also serve others. That is our true richness.
Great Eastern Sun: The Wisdom of
Shambhala
The journey that began in Shambhala: The
Sacred Path of the Warrior reaches a new level of intimacy and depth
in this book, based on talks Chögyam Trungpa gave in the last ten years of
his life.
Trungpa possessed uncanny insight into our deepest fears, and how these
are heightened by the pressures of today's society. He addresses many of
them here: the speed and alienation of modern life; depression;
materialism; aggression, anger, and anxiety; and a crippling lack of
self-worth.
Trungpa also held an unshakable belief in human goodness and our
ability to create an enlightened human society. His most ardent message is
that each of us is a genuine and powerful individual who can help this
world. Throughout the book, he evokes the image of a spark or dot of
goodness that is always available to us—the fuse for igniting warriorship
in our lives. In every line of this extraordinary and uplifting
collection, he challenges us to embrace life and to find the Great Eastern
Sun, the spark of sacredness and health in every moment.
Jeremy Hayward, Acharya
Perceiving
Ordinary Magic: Science and Intuitive
Wisdom
This book
offers penetrating insight into the nature and process of perception
through a skillful interweaving of the concepts of the new physics,
evolutionary biology, and cognitive psychology with the profound insights
of meditative traditions. We are shown how we may go beyond the harsh and
narrow limits of beliefs and habitual patterns of thought and behavior to
awaken fresh perception that is fearless and compassionate, experiencing
the sacredness of the ordinary world.
Jeremy Hayward and Karen
Hayward
Sacred World: A Guide to Shambhala
Warriorship in Daily Life
This is the first book to
offer step-by-step instruction in Shambhala warriorship. Combining
Buddhist mindfulness practice and pre-Buddhist shamanic teachings,
Shambhala warriorship training teaches ways to call on powerful, natural
energies for personal and collective transformation. It shows us how to
use everyday situations to unite mind, body, and emotions in a harmonious
whole.
The Haywards illuminate the powerful and elegant philosophy behind
warriorship with practical guidelines, meditations, personal insights,
anecdotes, and mindfulness exercises to guide the reader on the warrior's
path, which ultimately leads to self-liberation and harmony with the
world.
The Haywards are uniquely qualified to present these teachings: close
friends and students of Chögyam Trungpa, they helped him present the
teachings of Shambhala warriorship through the Shambhala Training program,
with which they continue to work closely today.
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Generally Recommended
Books
The Venerable Chögyam Trungpa,
Rinpoche
Dharma
Art
"Dharma art" refers to creative
works that spring from the awakened meditative state, characterized by
directness, unselfconsciousness, and nonaggression. Trungpa Rinpoche shows
that dharma art provides a vehicle to appreciate the nature of things as
they are and express it without any struggle or desire to achieve.
Acharya Judith Lief
Making Friends with Death
In Making
Friends with Death, Buddhist teacher Judith Lief, who's drawn her
inspiration from The Tibetan Book of the Dead, shows us that
through the powerful combination of contemplation of death and mindfulness
practice, we can change how we relate to death, enhance our appreciation
of everyday life, and use our developing acceptance of our own
vulnerability as a basis for opening to others. She also offers a series
of guideline to help us reconnect with dying persons, whether they are
friends or family, clients or patients.
Lief highlights the value of relating to the immediacy of death as an
ongoing aspect of everyday life by offering readers a variety of practical
methods that they can apply to their lives and work. These methods
include:
- Simple mindfulness exercises for deepening awareness of
moment-by-moment change
- Practices for cultivating loving-kindness
- Helpful slogans and guidelines for caregivers to use
Making Friends with Death will enlighten anyone interested in
coming to terms with their own mortality. More specifically, the
contemplative approach presented here offers health professionals,
students of death and dying, and people who are helping a dying friend or
relative useful guidance and inspiration. It will show them how to ground
their actions in awareness and compassion, so that the steps they take in
dealing with pain and suffering will be more effective.
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Samadhi Cushions
Samadhi Cushions makes
high-quality cushions and other supplies for meditation practice. In
addition to the traditional zafus commonly used in the Zen tradition,
Samadhi makes cushions especially designed for Western meditators who find
it difficult to sit in the lotus position. Meditation need not be
uncomfortable.
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The Shambhala Sun Magazine
The Shambhala Sun Magazine is an
entertaining, provocative, and practical resource for those interested in
Buddhism, the Shambhala Path, the meeting of art and spirituality, and a
lot more.
The Shambhala Training Online
Glossary
The Shambhala
Training Online Glossary provides definitions of terms used in the
Shambhala Path of spiritual warriorship. It was put together by Philip S.
Rosemond of the Seattle Shambhala Center.
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Last updated 1 April 2002
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