The Myth Of Freedom And The Way Of Meditation

Featuring a new foreword by Pema Chödrön, this Tibetan Buddhist classic explores the meaning of freedom and how we can attain it through meditation Freedom is generally thought of as the ability to achieve goals and satisfy desires. But what are the sources of these goals and desires? If they arise from ignorance, habitual patterns, and negative emotions, is the freedom to pursue these goals true freedom—or is it just a myth? In The Myth of Freedom and the Way of Meditation, Chögyam Trungpa explores the true meaning of freedom, showing us how our attitudes, preconceptions, and even our spiritual practices can become chains that bind us to repetitive patterns of frustration and despair. He also explains how meditation can bring into focus the causes of frustration, and how these negative forces can aid us in advancing toward true freedom. Trungpa's unique ability to express the essence of Buddhist teachings in the language and imagery of contemporary American culture makes this book one of the best, most accessible sources of the Buddhist doctrine ever written.

Featuring a new foreword by Pema Chödrön, this Tibetan Buddhist classic explores the meaning of freedom and how we can attain it through meditation Freedom is generally thought of as the ability to achieve goals and satisfy desires. But what are the sources of these goals and desires? If they arise from ignorance, habitual patterns, and negative emotions, is the freedom to pursue these goals true freedom—or is it just a myth? In The Myth of Freedom and the Way of Meditation, Chögyam Trungpa explores the true meaning of freedom, showing us how our attitudes, preconceptions, and even our spiritual practices can become chains that bind us to repetitive patterns of frustration and despair. He also explains how meditation can bring into focus the causes of frustration, and how these negative forces can aid us in advancing toward true freedom. Trungpa's unique ability to express the essence of Buddhist teachings in the language and imagery of contemporary American culture makes this book one of the best, most accessible sources of the Buddhist doctrine ever written.

The classic guide to enlightened living that first presented the Buddhist path of the warrior to Western readers—with a new foreword and cover presentation. This timeless classic presents a vision of basic human wisdom that synchronizes the mind and body—what Chögyam Trungpa called the sacred path of the warrior. This discipline embodies characteristics that many cultures, regions, and spiritual traditions throughout time have found valuable. The sacred warrior conquers the world not through violence or aggression but through gentleness, courage, and self-knowledge, discovering the basic goodness of human life and radiating that goodness out into the world for the peace and sanity of others. That’s what the Shambhala teachings are all about, and this is the book that has been presenting them to a wide and appreciative audience for more than thirty years. This book is part of the Shambhala Pocket Library series. The Shambhala Pocket Library is a collection of short, portable teachings from notable figures across religious traditions and classic texts. The covers in this series are rendered by Colorado artist Robert Spellman. The books in this collection distill the wisdom and heart of the work Shambhala Publications has published over 50 years into a compact format that is collectible, reader-friendly, and applicable to everyday life.

This classic teaching by a Tibetan master continues to inspire both beginners and long-time practitioners of Buddhist meditation. In Meditation in Action, Chögyam Trungpa teaches that meditation is based on trying to see what is, rather than trying to achieve a higher mental or physical state. Trungpa describes the life of the Buddha, emphasizing that, like the Buddha, we must find the truth for ourselves, rather than following someone else's example. Meditation in action might also be called "working meditation," for it is not a retreat from the world. Rather, it builds the foundation for tremendous compassion, awareness, and creativity in all aspects of a person's mind or behavior. Trungpa shows that meditation extends beyond the formal practice of sitting to build the foundation for compassion, awareness, and creativity in all aspects of life. He explores the six activities associated with meditation in action—generosity, discipline, patience, energy, clarity, and wisdom –revealing that through simple direct experience, one can attain real wisdom—the ability to see clearly into situations and to deal with them skillfully, without the self-consciousness connected with ego.

Meditation master Chögyam Trungpa demystifies the Tantric tradition of Buddhism in this accessible guide for curious students Based on the author’s talks at Naropa University, this volume introduces the reader to the principles of tantra, based on the practice of meditation, which leads to the discovery of egolessness. Trungpa Rinpoche provides a direct and experiential picture of the tantric world, explaining the importance of self-existing energy, the mandala principle, the difference between Buddhist and Hindu tantra—stressing the nontheistic foundation of Buddhism. The role of the teacher and the meaning of tantric transmission are also presented. Written for the student of Buddhism rather than the scholar, Journey without Goal demystifies the vajrayana and at the same time affirms the power and sacredness of its ancient teaching.

Warning: Using this book could be hazardous to your ego! The slogans it contains are designed to awaken the heart and cultivate love and kindness toward others. They are revolutionary in that practicing them fosters abandonment of personal territory in relating to others and in understanding the world as it is. The fifty-nine provocative slogans presented here-each with a commentary by the Tibetan meditation master Chogyam Trungpa-have been used by Tibetan Buddhists for eight centuries to help meditation students remember and focus on important principles and practices of mind training. They emphasize meeting the ordinary situations of life with intelligence and compassion under all circumstances. Slogans include, "Don't be swayed by external circumstances," "Be grateful to everyone," and "Always maintain only a joyful mind." This edition contains a new foreword by Pema Chodron.

Lessons on the true purpose and power of meditation, from one of the great masters According to the Buddha, no one can attain basic sanity or enlightenment without practicing meditation. It is the essential spiritual practice—and nothing else is more important. In The Path is the Goal, Chögyam Trungpa teaches us to let go of the urge to make meditation serve our ambition; thus we can relax into openness. We are shown how the deliberate practice of mindfulness develops into contrived awareness, and we discover the world of insight that awareness reveals. We learn of a subtle psychological stage set that we carry with us everywhere and unwittingly use to structure all our experience—and we find that meditation gradually carries us beyond this and beyond ego altogether to the experience of unconditioned freedom. The teachings presented here—all in Trungpa's concise, accessible style—provide the foundation that every practitioner needs to awaken as the Buddha did.

Second volume of a compilation of Ch'ogyam Trungpa Rinpoche's Vajradhatu Seminary teachings in three volumes.