Three Ways of Great Eastern Sun
February 20, 2021
The Dharma Study Group discussed Chapter 7 of the Shambhala The Sacred Path of the Warrior on 2/15/2021. In this post, facilitator Tom McCann gives some personal insight on the text.
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Chapter 7 is most notable for descriptions of the Cocoon. It also includes further information about applications of the Great Eastern Sun (GES). In paragraph 10, Chogyam Trungpa describes three separate ‘ways’ of the GES. These are sometimes ambiguous until one references chapter 6 again and sees that the GES is not a concept, but rather, it is based on our actual experiences.
Three Ways of Great Eastern Sun:
1. GES illuminates the way of discipline:
- My experience includes seeing the GES as training and teaching practices.
2. GES creates an atmosphere in which we can move forward:
- For me, the training and teachings have provided fresh views of life situations enabling me to become ‘unstuck’ from messy thinking.
3. GES provides the means to take advantage of life in the fullest way:
- Actually seeing and learning that my life experiences are fundamentally good, past, present and predictably into the future, has been to experience fresh sense of freedom in everyday life.
You are always facing east, moving forward on the “rays of light coming towards you that almost seem to provide a pathway for you to walk on.” [Chögyam Trungpa, page 63]
The Dharma Study Group meets on Sundays at 7 p.m. through March 7th.
https://minneapolis.shambhala.org/program-details/?id=467345
