[OceanofDharma] Quotes of the Week: Warrior Versus Seer

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week

October 26, 2008 

WARRIOR VERSUS SEER

The warrior is a practitioner like the bodhisattvas, great Mahayana practitioners dedicated to helping others. The seer is a man of wisdom like the buddhas, who see the situation as it is but don't have to enter into manipulative actions of any kind at all. In the case of the warrior, there's still duality. Even though it may not be the duality of awareness of oneself as ego, there is still the duality of action and the object of action. That's where bravery comes in -- not to hesitate because you see action as it is; not to interpret in terms of concepts, but try to work with action itself and go along and along. Somehow that doesn't mean struggle. Absolute warriors, ideal warriors, don't struggle. They just proceed along because they know their work, they know their abilities. They don't question it. Their actual inspiration comes from the situation as it is. If the situation becomes more and more overwhelming and powerful, that much more energy goes along with it. It's like judo: you use the situation as your power rather than trying to fight with it.

From "The Bardo of Dreams," in TRANSCENDING MADNESS: THE EXPERIENCE OF THE SIX BARDOS, pages 114 to 115.


Of interest to readers:

    Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, prominent Buddhist teacher and the author of What Makes You Not a Buddhist, will be teaching a public seminar in Halifax, Nova Scotia, November 28 to 30. Rinpoche will comment on Transcending Madness: The Experience of the Six Bardos, Chogyam Trungpa's book on the bardo states and the six realms. Khyentse Rinpoche's dynamic style and brilliant intellect, as well as his deep appreciation for Chogyam Trungpa's teachings, are sure to make this a memorable weekend.

The program begins Friday evening, November 28, and runs until the afternoon of Nov. 30. For more information on registration, phone 902-420-1118, x 10, or go to: http://www.halifax.shambhala.org/eventdetails.php?id=2764

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used by permission.

OCEAN OF DHARMA QUOTES OF THE WEEK now has 6,291 subscribers.

Please send comments on and contributions to OCEAN OF DHARMA QUOTES OF THE WEEK to the list moderator, Carolyn Gimian at: carolyn@shambhala.com. 

Carolyn Rose Gimian

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week: teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Taken from works published by Shambhala Publications,  the Archive of his unpublished work in the Shambhala Archives, plus other published sources.
TO SUBSCRIBE visit the Chogyam Trungpa website by clicking on the following link: http://OceanofDharma.com
TO UNSUBSCRIBE: < http://lists.shambhala.com/mailman/listinfo/dharmaocean>,
         < mailto:dharmaocean-request@lists.shambhala.com?subject=unsubscribe >