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. We may imagine the enemy coming with spears and machine guns to kill us, massacre us. In reality, the only thing that can destroy us is within ourselves. If we have too much arrogance, we will destroy our gentleness. And if we destroy 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.

From Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior, pages 117 to 118.

This month’s quotes are from Chögyam Trungpa’s best-selling work, Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior. These quotes have been chosen to highlight material related to an online program of study and practice that features this classic and begins in October. The nine-week course will be led by a number of Shambhala Publications’s authors, many of whom were close students of Chögyam Trungpa. This program will involve close reading of the book, along with meditation practices and inspiration for how these teachings apply in 2020. The teachers are Carolyn Gimian, the editor of the book; Michael Carroll; Judy Lief; Susan Piver; Larry Mermelstein; and David Nichtern (whose book is published by Wisdom Publications). The course is free, with a requested donation. To register or learn more about the course, go to: The Wisdom Seat