I think Shambhala can be a very strong force as a social example of how you can try to live a life balanced in terms of both the spiritual and the secular.
Shambhala teachings say we all have the potential to accomplish our enlightened nature – our basic goodness.
Shambhala does have unique teachings, as do many Buddhist traditions. For example, certain teachings within Shambhala have to do with raising the personal windhorse, or the energy of the individual, so a person has good fortitude to be able to live a good life.
I think we are very environmental people. We need to be supported environmentally. Books very much have that imprint on the mind.
Certain teachers have tremendous amounts of experience. They are articulate, and they give wonderful discourse. But at some point along the road, they themselves learned from and studied a book.
A lot of times people do spiritual practice just for themselves. I try to turn that a little bit. I try to make spiritual practice more a part of the community. I write about infusing people with compassion.
If we are going to live in a society, there has to be an attitude where people really do care for others.
Shambhala is a tradition where there were rulers, kings, and powerful people who actually were very benevolent and kind. They got things done, and they didn’t abandon their tradition.
People sometimes don’t like organized situations. Sometimes people need to be left alone more. Sometimes people need environmental support.
My books definitely are ambassadors, as you called them. They express what the vision is, what the purpose is.
People can be trained in certain principles, but then they actually have to apply them and try them out.
As a leader, people push you. They really want to keep pushing you until you get aggressive. Then they say, “Oh, see, it doesn’t work.”
You need to become more genuine to who you are. So, people pushing you can help take you to the level where you really understand the principles and enter them into action.
Your regular teachers will get mad at you. If you keep asking something again and again, they will get tired of saying the same thing. A book will not do that. A book always will be there for you. In whatever you want, the book will be there.
Many people think spirituality has nothing to do with success or accomplishing – that it’s something you do with removal, with leaving the world.
Poetry is a language for when you can’t quite write prose about something, you can’t quite say it, but if you do a poem, it kind of gets to the point.
Ultimately, as individuals we each have to ask ourselves to be courageous and apply certain principles.
What is amazing is how stuck people are in their own habits. It is really hard to get people out of their habits. But once they shift, it also is amazing how rapid the progress can be.
Fundamentally, Buddhism is for the awakenment and benefit of beings. So, you can’t say, “Oh, you can’t have it because you’re not ready for it.” That goes against the fundamental principle.
You have people who are good at English but don’t have the training in Buddhism or Shambhala, or they have the training but are not good in English. Getting that mixture is really rare.
For me, language and how I use it are very important. I held back on doing a poetry book, walking the fine line between trying to be helpful and just putting more junk out there.