Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior

If you love non-fiction and are interested in Buddhism, a great introduction is “Shambhala: The Sacred path of the Warrior.”

This is by a Buddhist, Chompke, who is known for bringing Buddhist concepts into the United States and offering a Western perspective about the philosophies of what this particular type of thought includes.

With this book, you get into the basic concepts of meditation. Shambhala is actually a specific meditation technique used as a philosophy (not attached to actual Buddhism). The idea with it is to recognize good in everything and to reach enlightenment. This is done through consistent and specific discipline in meditation practices.

When you start getting into this book, you will start to see not only specific ways to approach meditation, but also philosophies behind it and ways to improve little things in your life by recognizing what is happening. This is because the practice is used for you to be grounded in reality first, recognizing yourself and your inner being. It is from this that you can let go of all thoughts, reach emptiness and as a result, reach enlightenment.

What I love about this book is that all of these concepts are defined, divided and put back together in a way that is specific for the Western culture. Since most of us (meaning me) have never been introduced to these specific concepts, Shambhala is a definite way to make sure that the basic ideals are reached, both through the book and the practice.

And, if you really want your interest perked, you can go to Shambhala training centers located around the US to get intensives on the practice. I’ll warn you though, meditation pillows are not comfortable. :) But, it’s fun anyway.

One Response to Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior
  1. Bonnie Hayes
    May 27, 2008 | 10:03 pm

    Wow, that sounds really awesome. I have never really gotten eastern philosphy. It’s almost like you have to be there to truly understand the impact of their culture. This sounds like a book that really empowers the West to understand the depths of meditation.