Trungpa, Chogyam. Ocean of Dharma: The Everyday Wisdom of Chogyam Trungpa. Boston & London: Shambhala Publications, 2008.

At the St. John’s Shambhala Centre we have a discussion group every Wednesday night after meditation. A quote from Ocean of Dharma: The Everyday Wisdom of Chogyam Trungpa is circulated via e-mail in advance. We read it aloud and contemplate it, read it aloud again, and one by one, go around the circle, saying whatever comes to mind in relation to the quote, then open it up to further discussion.

The discussion is like the many facets of a diamond reflecting its brilliance.

Lifetimes after lifetimes
It could look like that
Rolling by like mala beads
Death and birth
Birth and death
One before the other
Then another after
Now one leads
Now one follows
All in their appointed orders
Good karma, bad karma
Leading and following
Tearing up time
One and the same

Pleasing sounds of clicking beads
Holy fragrance of lifetimes past
Released by thousand year old incense
Rising on thin streams of smoke
The discipline of every moment
Visions of smoke and butter lamps
The guilelessness of hearts’ simplicity
Faith is the heart of what we do

Whose nose is it that smells this now
Whose mouth and stomach starved for food
Whose skin burned and whose skin shivered
Whose eyes cry tears both then and now
Whose bottom presses rocks for comfort
Whose sweat washes the fruits for the children
Whose voices cry for others’ pain
Many pitches merge in devotion
Many voices chant with us

A great ocean of devotion
Filled with love of many disciples
Holding together on windy seas
Praying not to lose their shape
Cracking up on rocky shores
Of panic stricken continents
Not to let the hot sun drink our moisture
We need the moisture to make our tears

Where’s the bliss I heard about
I counted the beads and did the chants
Where is it? Why can’t I find it?
Is it before each moment of lonliness?
I take refuge in crazy wisdom

To follow the path of crazy wisdom
Which was laid out for us so clear
A red ribbon road of endless curves
Blood red, we have to face it
We take refuge in crazy wisdom

Even if the day is lightless
Even if the night is darkless
With every being known or unknown
With every being seen or unseen
Open to all we do not know
We have faith in crazy wisdom

Madeline
January 2010
Nova Scotia

[-Faith is the heart of what we do- is from a
a recent post from Brian Ali.]

[I heard the words darkless and lightless somewhere;
I don't remember where.]

Doubtless there are many who would be horrified by this…. “How dare they?…. who are you to presume to blah blah blah”. Personally, I think it is brilliant. And about time!!

I’d like to share the excellent experience I have had with book classes. There is no bureaucracy to deal with in offering book classes; they can be done from your room, flat or home. And a book class does not cost any money.

I have done three of them: two on Shambhala Sacred Path of the Warrior and one on Training the Mind. Chapters 1-10 of Sacred Path are the backbone of Shambhala Training levels l – V, so this book class was extremely attractive and helpful to the people doing those levels. It provided another format to go more deeply into the material. These classes were all very rich, lively and fun.

After one of the Sacred Path classes no less than eight of the fifteen participants took refuge! To be sure, they were doing other programs as well, but I know that the relaxed atmosphere and intimacy provided by book class contributed to their decision to take that step.

I would study the chapter ahead of time, prepare 15-20 minutes of remarks, and then open it for discussion. In that relaxed atmosphere the most brilliant beginners’ mind insights were revealed and shared by all of us.

I started off the classes myself because that’s what was comfortable and useful for the participants. However, I think if I go further with this format and do it more frequently then a participant may volunteer now and then to take the lead. I hope for that as that will give people the confidence to hold book classes on their own. No permission or credentials are needed for book classes. One may use any book that has been published to get together and discuss among friends.

I think lying is a subset of fear. We are generally experiencing a low level background anxiety which may become a kind of paranoia sometimes. Most of us are ever ready to lie, to put a curve on the truth, in order to protect ourselves from this constant feeling of threat. So, I think lying is an expression of fear and ignorance.

Amen Madeline. You have said it. My experience too. And “deadening” is the word, absolutely.

Your following paragraph is just as sharp and true. Many thanks.

I think it is generally understood that people’s views need to be heard. However there are the outer, inner and secret ways of hearing.

On the outer, one may offer their email address, even their phone number to everyone. One may listen and read everything. One may feel, “Good, that person has been heard. Mission accomplished. Good bye. Hang up. Delete. However that is only one third of the leadership person’s job if s/he is committed to a more enlightened level of communication.

On the inner, that leadership person has much work to do. S/he needs to contemplate deeply, for as long as it takes, the questions: what is this devoted student telling me, does it sound true or not, could this really be a helpful piece of advice even if it means changing something which I previously believed was right and have already implemented. Since that leadership person has more of an overview of how things are functioning s/he needs to see how and where good suggestions can be implemented, and work on the path of skillful means to do the on the ground work of implementation. And very important, this person needs to respond to the person who has made the effort and often courage to express themselves to hierarchy. I have had the experience all to often, of spending hours of heartfelt contemplation and typing to offer what my intelligence tells me is useful, and hearing absolutely nothing back. Not even a thank you. That kind of silence in our spiritual organization is worse than deafening. It is deadening.

On the secret, that leadership person needs to feel deeply and genuinely grateful that anyone is sending ideas. Every mind is brilliant, every sangha heart beats mantra and pumps the rigdens’ blood. Every one in our line has been soaked in the love blessings of drala. Leadership people are blessed to receive all this. They need to reciprocate accordingly so that the flow of enlightened energy will not be cut.

In the spirit that “visualization without implementation is hallucination” (I am quoting somebody here, but I don’t remember who m .).

m. from
Nova Scotia