Recalling Chogyam Trungpa

Fabrice Midal

Shambhala Publications, Dec 13, 2005 - Religion - 504 pages

In wide-ranging essays and interviews, contributors from the fields of Buddhist practice and scholarship, philosophy, the arts, and literature examine the work of a modern genius—the Tibetan Buddhist meditation master Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche (1939–1987). A pioneer in introducing Buddhism to the West, Trungpa Rinpoche had a distinct knack for breaking down the cultural, historical, and ideological barriers that make any such transmission so difficult today. His skill at communicating in a living language to Western students, while remaining faithful to the traditional origins of Buddhism, was paired with an understanding of the modern world of unusual relevance. As a result, his activities in a wide range of areas—including psychology, education, theater, poetry, visual arts, translation, publishing, interreligious dialogue, the creation of a path of spiritual warriorship, and the founding of the first Buddhist university in North America—offer penetrating insights into the meaning of Buddhism for our world and our culture. This anthology is a testimony to the continuing influence of his unique qualities and work as a revitalizing force in spheres both spiritual and secular.

Contents

• Introduction: 1
• The Legacy of Chögyam Trungpa: 11
• Celebrating Chögyam Trungpa: 19
• At the Heart of the Western Mandala: 35
• Spiritual Materialism: 57
• Interreligious Dialogue: 67
• A Spiritual Master in the Age of Democracy: 83
• A Buddhist Military: 101
• The Need for Place: 111
• Reading Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism: 139
• Let East Meet West and the Sparks Will Fly: 143
• Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoches Perspective on Sutric Buddhism: 163
• Chögyam Trungpa as a Siddha: 197
• Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in Great Britain: 221
• The Establishment of a Pure Monastic Tradition in the West: 243
• Chögyam Trungpa and the Tibetan Book of the Dead: 259
• The Development of Maitri Space Awareness Practice: 273
• The Theater Legacy of Chögyam Trungpa: 289
• TopsyTurvy Times with Trungpa: 305
• Chögyam the Translator: 317
• The Teaching of Shambhala: 329
• The Origins of Shambhala Training: 337
• The Influence of the Epic of King Gesar of Ling on Chögyam Trungpa: 347
• Trungpa Rinpoche and Zen: 381
• The Body of Reality: 403
• Father of Tibetan Buddhism in the United States: 413
• A Meeting of Minds: 419
• Displaying the Everyday and Living the Display: 439
• Fulfilling the Aspirations of the Vidyadhara: 451
• Testimony and Reminiscence: 461
• Books by Chögyam Trungpa: 473
• About the Contributors: 475
• Back Cover: 482

About the author

Fabrice Midal is a professor of philosophy at the University of Paris. He holds a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Paris, Sorbonne, and teaches the dharma in France and elsewhere in Europe. A practicing Buddhist in the tradition of Chögyam Trungpa, he is well known in Buddhist circles in France and has published books on religious topics with major French publishers, among them several titles on Tibetan Buddhism.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Recalling Chogyam Trungpa
• Author: Fabrice Midal
• Publisher: Shambhala Publications, 2005
• ISBN: 0834821621, 9780834821620
• Length: 504 pages
• Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Religious; Religion / Buddhism / General; Religion / Essays