Wednesday Night Book Course: The Path of the Great Eastern Sun
Part Three: Great Eastern Sun, the Wisdom of Shambhala
Starting Wednesday, May 19, 2021
Ten Wednesdays from May 19 to July 28, 2021, 7 - 9 pm ET
No class Wednesday, July 7
Led by Derek Kolleeny and Warner Dick
Download the syllabus here.
Suggested offering: $100 or $10 per class on a drop-in basis*
Open to those who studied Shambhala, Sacred Path of the Warrior with us in Part Two of this series or an equivalent. For more information email derek@westchestermeditationcenter.org
In this course we will continue our year-long exploration of the unique path of meditation and insight developed by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche focused on transforming fear into bravery by cultivating our inherent vulnerability and intelligence. This path, which he called The Path of the Great Eastern Sun, serves as a profoundly skillful complement to the traditional Buddhist path which he also widely presented in many seminars and books.
The emphasis of the Great Eastern Sun teachings is on developing genuine confidence based upon gentleness and intelligence, and cultivating courageous engagement with the larger world, thereby actively participating in societal transformation. The vision is to bring about the manifestation of enlightened society in our lifetimes, as in the legendary land of Shambhala—a mythical central Asian nation where everyone practices meditation and kindness.
In this segment of the course, we will focus on the third and final book in the series, Great Eastern Sun, the Wisdom of Shambhala, by Chögyam Trungpa. Great Eastern Sun is a continuation of the material presented in Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior, covered in Part Two. While Shambhala was an exploration of human goodness and its potential to create an enlightened society, Great Eastern Sun centers on the question, “Since we’re here, how are we going to live from now on?” The main themes are trust, renunciation and letting go, explored in many different ways, with an emphasis on how the practitioner works with these aspects of their path in order to help others. It compliments Shambhala Sacred Path of the Warrior, but delves more deeply, and in a more direct, unfiltered voice, conveying the lively spirit of the original talks that are the source for each chapter.
This path is particularly applicable to the challenging times we are living through, when basic human kindness and bravery grounded in openness and tenderness are so desperately needed.
Please order a copy of the book, Great Eastern Sun, the Wisdom of Shambhala, available from the publisher, Shambhala Publications, and other book sellers.
* WMC maintains a policy of making our programs affordable to all. Those with limited income please offer what you can afford on our donation page.
