This glossary is compiled from the writings and teachings of the Venerable Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, the Dorje Dradul of Mukpo, and his students. To study these teachings in depth, one may attend Shambhala Training weekends and read Trungpa's book, "Shambhala, Sacred Path of the Warrior", (Shambhala Publ., 1984), from which the material in this glossary is derived. This document is referenced in accordance with MLA guidelines for academic citations. The book is transcribed from talks by Chogyam Trungpa. Most of the grammar and spelling is from oral transmission, thus it is not in perfect English. It is left as is from the the publication. But if there are errors in this citation, please report to: Philip S. Rosemond, glossary editor, compiler and web administrator.

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AUTHENTIC PRESENCE: (Tibetan "wangthang"); a "field of power." "The basic idea of authentic presence is that, because you achieve some merit or virtue, therefore that virtue begins to be reflected in your being, your presence. So authentic presence is based on cause and effect. The cause of authentic presence is the merit you accumulate, and the effect is the authentic presence itself." (pg 159) "Authentic presence brings meekness, perkiness, outrageousness and ultimately achieves inscrutability. (See The Four Dignities of the Warrior's Path" Naturally, the apprentice warrior must go through training. (See "Shambhala Training", starting with the right attitude to life, … experiencing delight and leading your life elegantly. Pain and depression, as well as pleasure, may be source materials for study. A sense of wholesomeness makes life worth living; a sense of genuineness brings confidence. (Personal) Outer Authentic Presence: "Because you achieve some merit or virtue, therefore that virtue begins to be reflected in your being, your presence." "If a person is modest and decent and exertive, then he will begin to manifest some sense of good and wholesome being to those around him." (pg 159, 160-61)
Inner Authentic Presence: "...the inner meaning of authentic presence... is connected...to the path of Shambhala warriorship. Inner authentic presence...is connected to the realization of primordial space, or egolessness."
CAUSE: Letting Go"The cause or the virtue that brings inner authentic presence is emptying out and letting go. Inner authentic presence comes from exchanging yourself with others, from being able to regard other people as yourself, generously and without fixation. An experience of non-fixed mind; mind without fixation. So the inner merit that brings inner authentic presence is the experience of non-fixed mine, mind without fixation." ...
RESULT : Genuiness. "a person who has inner authentic presence...has an overwhelming genuineness, which might be ...frightening because it is so true and honest and real. You experience a sense of command radiating from the person of inner authentic presence." "on one hand authentic presence is the result of a gradual, developmental process of letting goof ego fixation. On the other hand, it is also the result of an instantaneous, magical, process of letting go of fixed mind. The two are always working together. ... the abrupt and spontaneous process that brings authentic presence is raising windhorse." (pg 159-160) "In order to sustain {the} glimpse and manifest that presence fully, there is a need for discipline. ... This process is called the warrior's path of the four dignities.

ARROGANCE: "When you are fully gentle, without arrogance and without aggression, you see the brilliance of the universe." "You develop a true perception of the universe. The basic obstacle to gentleness is arrogance. Arrogance comes from hanging on to the reference point of me and other. You may have studied the principles of warriorship and Great Eastern Sun vision, and you may have received numerous teachings on how to rest in nowness and raise your windhorse, but if you regard those as your personal accomplishment, then you are missing the point. Instead of becoming gentle and tamed, you could become extremely arrogant. ... 'I am beginning to accomplish something, so I am big deal.'" (pg 116) "We tend to think that the threats to our society or to ourselves are outside of us. We fear that some enemy will destroy us. But a society is destroyed from the inside, not from an attack by outsiders. ... In reality the only thing that can destroy us is within ourselves.. If we have too much arrogance, we will destroy our gentleness. ... then we destroy the possibility of being awake, and then we cannot use our intuitive openness to extend ourselves in situations properly. Instead we generate tremendous aggression. Aggression desecrates the ground altogether. ... The space becomes like an opium den, thick and heavy. ... when the room is filled with you and you trip, no sensible person is attracted to that space. Even you aren't. ... When the environment is full of arrogant self styled people, the dralas are repelled. "But...what happens if a warrior, someone who embodies non-aggression, freedom from arrogance, and humbleness walks into that room...quite often the occupants of that room feel funny". "...they can't...have any fun and games anymore, because someone who won't collaborate in their deception has walked in. ... so usually they will leave. The warrior is left alone, sitting in that room. ... Then after a while a different group of people may walk in, looking for a fresh room, a clean atmosphere. .. gentle people who smile without arrogance or aggression. ... It may be slightly more rowdy than in the opium den, but the air is cheerful and fresh. .. the dralas will begin to peek through the doors and windows .. and one by one they enter. .. Because that atmosphere is without arrogance, the dralas begin to join in and share their greater sanity." (pg 117) "when you are fully gentle, without arrogance and without aggression, you see the brilliance of the universe." (pg 119)

AWAKENED HEART: (Sanskrit: "Bodhicitta") "Awakened Heart comes from being willing to face your state of mind." When you awaken your heart in this way you find, to your surprise, that your heart is empty. Through the practice of meditation and sitting still you find that your heart is empty; you are looking into outer space." By simply letting yourself be, as you are, you develop genuine sympathy towards yourself. When you awaken your heart this way, you find, to your surprise, that your heart is empty. You find that you are looking into outer space. What are you, who are you, where is your heart? If you really look, you won't find anything tangible or solid." (pg 44-45)

BASIC GOODNESS: "If we are willing to take an unbiased look, we will find that, in spite of all our problems and confusion, all our emotional and psychological ups and downs, there is something basically good about our existence as human beings. We have moments of basic non-aggression and freshness...it is worthwhile to take advantage of these moments...we have an actual connection to reality that can wake us up and make us feel basically, fundamentally good." (see Warrior) "The realization that we can directly experience and work with reality." (pg 29-33) "In the ordinary sense, we think of space as something vacant or dead. But in this case, space is a vast world that has capabilities of absorbing, acknowledging, and accommodating...if you look into it, you can't find anything. If you try to put your finger on it, you find that you don't even have finger to put! That is the primordial nature of basic goodness, and it is that nature which allows a human being to become a warrior, to become the warrior of all warriors." (pg 155) (see Warrior, Sacred Space)"...when you relax more and appreciate your body and mind, you begin to contact the fundamental notion of basic goodness in yourself. So it is extremely important to be willing to open yourself to yourself. Developing tenderness towards yourself allows you to see both your problems and your potential accurately. You don't feel that you have to ignore your problems or exaggerate your potential. That kind of gentleness towards yourself and appreciation of yourself is very necessary. It provides the ground for helping yourself and others." (pg 35-36) "The way to begin is with ourselves. From being open and honest with ourselves, we can also learn to be open with others. So we can work with the rest of the world, on the basis of the goodness we discover in ourselves. Therefore, meditation practice is regarded as a good and and in fact excellent way to overcome warfare in the world: our own warfare as well as greater warfare." (pg 41) (see Meditation)

BOW AND ARROW: "Bow...[represents Action]...skillful means to propel; "Arrow....(represents Intelligence)..."intelligence sharp and penetrating. Together they represent skillful intelligence. When the arrow of intellect is joined by with the bow of skillful means, then the warrior is never tempted by the seductions of the setting-sun world." "This principle of the bow and arrow is learning to say 'no' to ungenuineness, to say 'no' to carelessness and crudeness, to say no to lack of wakefulness. In order to say 'no' properly you need both bow and arrow...gentleness, which is the bow...sharpness, which is the arrow. Joining the two together, you realize that you can make a distinction: you can discriminate between indulging and appreciating. You can look at the world and see the way things actually work. Then you can overcome myth - which is your own myth." (pg 72)

"The DORJE DRADUL, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, (1939-1987) was widely admired as a mediation master, teacher, and artist. He was the author of many books on buddhism and the path of meditation, including " Cutting Through Spiritual Matierialism", " The Myth of Freedom", and " Meditation in Action". Trungpa Rinpoche was born in eastern Tibet. An incarnate lineage holder in the Kagyu and Nyingma schools of Tibetan Buddhism, he was Supreme Abbott of the Surmang Monasteries, where he received, at age 18, the degree of Khyenpo (comparable to a doctorate in theology, philosophy and psychology). As part of his education in Tibet, he also studied and practiced traditional arts such as calligraphy, poetry, dance, and thangka painting.

Trungpa Rinpoche also founded the Naropa Institute [now Naropa University], as innovative university that combines contemplative studies with a liberal arts curriculum. Shambhala Training was founded in 1976, and...[he]... developed a number of programs that apply the Shambhala principles to traditional ikebana, and kyudo (archery).

Chogyam Trungpa moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1986. He died there the following year on April 4." (pg 201-202)

Karma Choling (Barnet VT) Shambhala Shrine. (Photo by Michael Davis)

DRALA: (Tibetan: "dra", enemy or opponent; "la", above): "beyond the enemy". "Unconditioned wisdom and power of the world that are beyond any dualism, therefore Drala is above any enemy or conflict. It is wisdom beyond aggression. It is the self existing wisdom and power of the cosmic mirror that are reflected both in us and in our world of perception." "One of the key points in discovering drala principle is realizing that your own wisdom as a human being is not separate from the power of things as they are... reflections of the unconditional wisdom of the cosmic mirror. ... When you can experience those two things together...then you have access to tremendous vision and power in the world...connected to your own vision, your own being. We actually perceive reality. Any perception can connect us to reality properly and fully." (pg 103)

"The dralas are elements of reality-water of water, fire of fire, earth of earth-anything that connects you with the elemental quality of reality, anything that reminds you or the depth of perception. Dralas [are] in the rocks...trees...mountains... a snowflake or a clod of dirt. What ever is there...those are the dralas of reality. when you make that connection...you are meeting the dralas on the spot. (pg 105) "The basic definition of Drala is 'energy beyond aggression'." (pg 108)

INVOKING DRALA: "If we are thoroughly trained in the disciplines of warriorship,then by invoking the drala principle, we can reawaken that intimate connection to reality." ... "When you invoke drala, you begin to experience basic goodness reflected everywhere-in yourself, in others, and in the entire world." ... you begin to view the universe as sacred world." (126) "You see that you can actually organize your life in such a way that you magnetize magic, or drala, to manifest brilliance and elegance in your world. The way to do this is divided into three parts, which are called the three ways to invoke drala." (pg 109)

There are various levels of experiencing drala. The primordial or ultimate level of drala is experiencing directly the wisdom of cosmic mirror." "The inhabitants of the cosmic mirror." (pg 174) Ultimate Drala "the imperial rulers of Shambhala, who are called the Rigden Kings are the inhabitants of the cosmic mirror. They are the primordial manifestation of the wisdom of vast mind, the ultimate wisdom of drala. Therefore they are referred to as ultimate drala. Ultimate Drala has three characteristics [or qualities]."

[Three Qualities of Ultimate Drala]:

"The best and only way to invoke Drala is by creating an atmosphere of bravery." (pg 108) "By invoking the external and internal drala principles, you raise a wind of energy and delight in your life. You begin to feel natural power and upliftedness manifesting in your existence. Then, having raised your windhorse, you can accommodate whatever arises in your state of mind. There is no problem or hesitation of any kind. So the fruition of invoking secret drala is that having raised windhorse, you experience a state of mind that is free from subconscious gossip, free from hesitation and disbelief. You experience the very moment of your state of mind. It is fresh and youthful and virginal. That very moment is innocent and genuine. It does not contain doubt or disbelief at all. It is gullible, in the positive sense, and is completely fresh. Secret Drala is experiencing that very moment of your state of mind, which is the essence of nowness. You can actually experience being able to connect yourself to the inconceivable vision and wisdom of the cosmic mirror on the spot. At the same time, you realize that this experience of nowness can join together the vastness of primordial wisdom with both the wisdoms of past traditions and the realities of contemporary life. So in that way, you begin to see how the warrior's world of sacredness can be created altogether." (pg 114-115) "Bravery means you are not giving in even to any potential doubt; in fact, there is no room for any doubts whatsoever in this realm. (see Bravery)

EGOLESSNESS: "...training yourself to be a warrior is learning to rest in basic goodness, to rest in a state of complete simplicity...that state of being is called egolessness. Egolessness is very important to the Shambhala Teachings. It is impossible to be a warrior unless you have experienced egolessness. Without egolessness, your mind will be filled with yourself, your personal projects and schemes. Instead of concern for others, you become preoccupied with your own 'egofullness,' The colloquial expression of someone who is "full of himself" refers to this kind of arrogance and false pride." (pg 70) [Egolessness is] "resting in basic goodness, resting in a complete state of simplicity", the truth of non-reference point"..."The fruition of the warrior's path is the experience to primordial goodness, or the complete, unconditioned nature of basic goodness. This experience is the some as the complete realization of egolessness, or the truth of non-reference point." NON-REFERENCE POINT: "The discovery of non-reference point, however, comes only from working with the reference points that exist in your life. By reference points here, we simply mean all of the conditions and situations that are part of your journey through life: washing your clothes, eating breakfast, lunch and dinner, paying bills. ...you have reference points that are connected with how you express your emotions." (pg 154) "The principles of warriorship are concerned...with learning to appreciate...those mundane reference points. But then, by relating with the ordinary conditions of your life you might make a shocking discovery...while doing any little ordinary thing, that reference point might bring an experience of non-reference point...When you put on your make up, you might discover that you are putting cosmetics on space. You are beautifying space, pure nothingness." "The warrior, fundamentally, is someone who is not afraid of space."(pg 155) "The setting sun world is afraid of space, afraid of the truth of non-reference point. In that world, people are afraid to be vulnerable. They are afraid to expose their flesh, bone, and marrow to the world outside. They are afraid to transcend the conditions or reference points they have set up for themselves. In the setting-sun world, people believe, absolutely, in their reference points...But what are they protecting themselves from? Space." (pg 153-54)

ENLIGHTENED SOCIETY: "If we want to help the world, we have to make a personal journey." "Shambhala vision is not trying to create a fantasy world where no one has to see blood of experience a nightmare. Shambhala vision is based on living on this earth that nurtures your existence. Even though you may be living in a city in the twentieth century, you can learn to experience the sacredness, the nowness, of reality. That is the basis for creating an Enlightened Society." (But) "it is up to us to find the meaning of Enlightened Society." (pg 97-98) (see Great Eastern Sun") "Shambhala vision is not purely a philosophy. It is actually training yourself to be a warrior. It is learning to treat yourself better, so that you can help to build an enlightened society." (pg 81)

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EXERTION: "The sense of exertion is not speedy, aggressive or heavy handed; rather your are relaxed and energized. You are constantly inquisitive, but your awareness is also disciplined, so you accomplish every activity without difficulty, and you inspire those around you to do the same." (pg 165)

FEAR: "Fear can take many forms." "We are petrified of our death. We are afraid we can't handle the demands of the world. We feel that our own lives are overwhelming and confronting the rest of the world is more overwhelming. Then there is the abrupt fear, or panic, that arises when new situations occur suddenly in our lives." (pg 47) (see The Setting Sun Vision")

FEARLESSNESS: "Acknowledging fear is not a cause for depression or discouragement. Because we possess such fear, we also are potentially entitled to experience fearlessness. True fearlessness is not the reduction of fear, it is going beyond fear" "...is being able to respond accurately to the phenomenal world altogether. In order to experience fearlessness, it is necessary to experience fear. (Fearlessness is) "going beyond fear, beginning when we examine our fear our anxiety, nervousness, concern and restlessness." (pg 49) "fear evolves into fearlessness naturally, very simply, and quite straightforwardly." (pg 50)

FOUR DIGNITIES OF THE WARRIOR'S PATH: There is a developmental process for deepening and furthering authentic presence. ...called the warrior's path of the four dignities. (The) "developmental path of deepening and furthering authentic presence"... "This path is connected with how to incorporate more and more space into your world, so that ultimately you can achieve the realization of the universal monarch. As your world becomes more and more vast, obviously any notion of self-centered, egotistical existence becomes increasingly remote. So the path of Four Dignities is also connected with realizing egolessness. The four dignities are meek, perky, outrageous and inscrutable." (pg 161) (see Dignity and warrior)

Meek The Warrior of the Meek: (Tibetan, "Tak") (Represented by "Tiger") Meek…means resting in a state of simplicity, being uncomplicated and, at the same time, approachable. Whether others are hostile or friendly, the warrior of meek extends a sense of kindness to himself and mercy to others. …you are never seduced by trivial situations. …your awareness allows you to refrain from activities that dim the vision of the Great Eastern Sun. Three stages of Meekness:

1. …the warrior is modest, his mind is never bloated by poisonous arrogance. …Modesty here means feeling true and genuine. …self-contained but … awareness shines out with tremendous inquisitiveness … You begin to see things as natural messages. The warrior's awareness is always joined with discipline. Therefore you don't miss anything; you see every detail. … clear[s] the ground in such a way that the universe begins to be come a part of you. "Tiger is basically experiencing a humble an gentle state of being." (pg 163-164)
2. Meekness is the expression of unconscious confidence. The analogy of a Meekness is a Tiger in his prime, who moves slowly but heedfully through the jungle. Tiger expresses a combination of self-satisfaction and modesty .. with mindfulness. ... he is relaxed. … there are no problems. His movements are like waves; he swims through the jungle. [Tiger is] the analogy for the warrior's confidence. … is a natural state of awareness and mindfulness in the way he conducts his affairs.
3. … because there is no hesitation the warrior's mind is vast. ... uplifted and sees beyond the limits of the sky. … vastness comes from seeing the greatness of you own spot, your own particular place. .. ambition and a poverty stricken state of mentality are overcome. …. You actually are able to jump into that vast and powerful ocean of magic…

The fruition of meekness is that, because the warrior possesses extraordinary exertion, he is able to accomplish what purposes or objectives he is trying to fulfill. … not speedy, aggressive, or heavy-handed. .. but relax and energized. . the Warrior of the Meek has abandoned gain, victory, and fame. … meekness has vision and confidence. … a natural sense of fulfillment which does not beg from others." (164)

Perky Warrior of Perky: ("Seng") (Represented by) "Snow Lion is uplifted and youthful energy." "Snow Lion is vibrant, energetic and also youthful. He roams the highlands where the atmosphere is clear and the air is fresh. .. surround[ed by] wild flowers, a few trees,…boulders and rocks. [It] has a sense of goodness and cheerfulness. .. unconditional cheerfulness, which comes from ongoing discipline." Two stages of Perky:

1. … uplifted and joyful mind. … a continual state of delight not caused by anything. A joyful mind … perkiness is due to meekness.
2. … the warrior of Perky is never caught in the trap of doubt. Occurs when mind and body are synchronized. .. rests in a state of trust that comes from meekness. Never…enters..'the lower realms':…living purely for the sake of survival., … animal instinct … or poverty mentality. … possesses all the goodness of the higher realms": …being clear and precise… . … always aware and never confused as to what to accept and what to reject. … humble and uplifted, as well as fundamentally youthful." (pg 165-167)

Outrageous The Warrior of Outrageous: ("Khyung") (Represented by) "Garuda, is being daring and entering into situations without hope or fear." "Possessing the strength and power of warriorship. … achievement of fearlessness, which means going completely beyond fear. In order to overcome fear it is also necessary to overcome hope. … has nothing to hope for, and [ergo] nothing to fear. … and therefore fearlessness is achieved."

… the analogy … is a good, self-existing sword-desire to sharpen it will make it dull. … outrageousness is accomplishment without a sense of accomplisher…warrior of outrageous has tremendous mercy for others….providing whatever is needed." (pg 167-168)

Inscrutable The Warrior of Inscrutable: ("Druk") (Represented by) "Dragon, is the experience of fulfillment and un-contrived, spontaneous achievement." … "is energetic, powerful and unwavering." Two Categories of Inscrutable: The State of Inscrutability: [because] "fearlessness has been achieved, … you develop gentleness and sympathy, … non-committal, but with a sense of humor. …. Like the state of being a dragon who enjoys resting in the sky among the clouds and the wind. However, that state is not static. …dragon abides in the sky in the summer, and hibernates in the ground during the winter."

[There is] "some feeling of predictability within the context of predictability … a settling down in your confidence: solid but relaxed … open and fearless … wakefulness and intelligence … self contained and confident….sense of genuineness [without] deceiving yourself or others. Settled. State of wholesomeness. … Question and answer occur simultaneously and therefore inscrutability is continuous. … inscrutability responds with deadly accuracy [beyond] aggression… but [with] basic confidence. The expression of inscrutability is how [it] manifests itself in action. The main point is being somewhat non-committal, but seeing the project through to its end. … at the same time, you are very loyal to others, so that you always accomplish your project with sympathy for them."