Review of Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior

This book is a great foundational read for the Shambhala lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. There are many important topics covered by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. I have read about some of these in other places, but some were new to me.

The idea of warrior-ship initially seemed to be the complete opposite of Buddhism. Chögyam Trungpa, however, allayed my fears with an excellent explanation of this concept. The remainder of the book, of course, describes the path to becoming one of these warriors.

What the book lacks in practical instruction it makes up for in laying a solid groundwork for beginning and continuing on the path of a warrior.

I enjoyed this book for many reasons, not least of them is the clear, easy-to-read writing style of the author. Don't misunderstand that to mean simple to achieve.

I came at this a little backward, I think. It seems that others have read this one first, and only then moved on to read other books by Chögyam Trungpa and others from this lineage (e.g. Pema Chödrön). I started by reading Pema Chödrön's work and slowly made my way to Chögyam Trungpa.

Does that matter? I have no idea. I have gained a lot from this way and so I assume it didn't break me.

If you're new to Shambhala, Tibetan Buddhism, or Buddhism in general I recommend this book.

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