Being a practitioner in the everyday world is a source of inspiration but also a great challenge. As tantrikas, we aspire to be changchub sempas. Changchub sem means active compassion, and ‘pa’ (an abbreviation of pawo – dPa’ bo) means warrior. The changchub sempa therefore, is the awakened mind warrior we aspire to be, where the ‘war’ we wage is that of developing kindness and openness.
The warrior-like quality of the changchub sempa comes from their intimacy with death. Death is not feared because it is seen as being simply the natural outcome of birth. This knowledge is what makes the warrior fearless, and this fearlessness gives them the freedom to act without the crippling effects of self-protective referentiality. The warrior is simply open to what is and sensitive to the needs of others.
page 115, Illusory Advice, Ngakma Nor’dzin & Ngakpa ’ö-Dzin, Aro Books Worldwide, 2016, ISBN: 978-1-898185-37-6
No comments:
Post a Comment