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Watch: The Power of Vulnerability Is vulnerability the same as weakness? “In our culture,” argues Dr. Brené Brown, “we associate vulnerability with emotions that we want to avoid such as fear, shame, and uncertainty. Yet we too often lose sight of the fact that vulnerability is also the birthplace of joy, belonging, creativity, authenticity, and … Continue 

Shambhala London in July: The Path of the Warrior

This month we have a series of articles exploring the notion of Warriorship. Of course this being Shambhala the term ‘warrior’ is not identified with war and violence, however it does rely on fearlessness. To quote Chögyam Trungpa, “the first principle of warriorship is not being afraid of who you are.” It takes bravery to meditate because it’s uncomfortable. … Continue 

Heroism in Everyday Life

The novelist Sir Angus Wilson was my teacher and my friend and in 1997 I wrote a short book about his work. Born in 1913, he lived through WW2 working in the Japanese decoding section at Bletchley Park (where, curiously my future step-mother was also working). He had a breakdown while there and started writing … Continue 

Meeting a Warrior: Chögyam Trungpa

It’s hard to say exactly when I met Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche – was it when I read his first book Meditation in Action or when I heard his voice on tape? Or was it when I bumped into a smallish, strange Tibetan man dressed in khaki army clothes in the corridor of a hotel in Lake Louise? Trungpa’s books … Continue 

Warriorship in Relationships

There is a scene in The Karate Kid, towards the beginning of the film, where Mr Miyagi walks into a room past Daniel (the karate kid) who has a black eye and is kicking up and down through the air: ‘Ooooh karate!’ Mr Miyagi says, and with faint irony: ‘learn from books?’ In my last article, for the … Continue 

Discovering the Dorje Kasung

The motto of the Dorje Kasung is ‘Victory over War’. War represents the struggle with the three poisons identified by the Buddha: passion, aggression and ignorance. Victory is being willing to face these poisons and obstacles and meet them head on with insight and loving kindness. The Dorje Kasung is modelled on the ancient tradition … Continue 

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Watch: Doubt When Lesley Hazleton was writing a biography of Muhammad, she was struck by something: the night he received the revelation of the Koran, according to early accounts, his first reaction was doubt, awe, even fear. And yet this experience became the bedrock of his belief. Hazleton calls for a new appreciation of doubt … Continue 

children meditation

Creating Community – Insights from our Families

As the days get longer, and the warmth of the early summer sun draws us outside, it feels like a time to gather with friends and connect, relax, and share. This act of coming together is as important as the projects and paths that we engage in throughout the year – our work activities, our … Continue 

Celebrating Youth

We tend to think of celebration as an explosive mark in time, a release of energy in response to a specific context. However in the Shambhala teachings there is the provocative invitation to celebrate our existence, whatever pleasure or pain we may be feeling, all of the time. There is a work by the French … Continue 

Refuge Ceremony - Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels of Buddhism, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

Taking Refuge

A mild, dry late December Sunday. I woke with an unusual sense of anticipation and well-being after one of those so-so Christmas parties, all chit chat and ever-so-slightly forced cheer. What’s happening? Then I remembered. Refuge Ceremony! I and seven other refugees, all familiar from previous events, gathered at the center for a couple of … Continue