Chögyam Trungpa was born in Tibet in 1940 and died in 1987. He was a pivotal figure in the presentation of the dharma to the Western world. As the founder of the Naropa Institute, he was respected as a meditation master, scholar, and artist. The excerpts in this superior work edited by Carolyn Rose Gimian have been drawn from his books by Shambhala over the last 30 years. Here are 40 selections from 14 different sources. The editor singles out "being" and "how to be" as the touchstones of his Buddhist vision.

In Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior, Chögyam Trungpa writes: "A great deal of the chaos in the world occurs because people don't appreciate themselves." In many of his writings, this Buddhist teacher explores the riches of human goodness and the necessity for human beings to be gentle with themselves. But he also explicates the sources of pride in exploring what he calls "spiritual materialism": "Ego is able to convert everything to its own use, even spirituality."

The reader will find evidence here of the author's unique perspective on creativity: "Transcending aggression is the root of all the artistic talent one can ever imagine." Chögyam Trungpa writes cogently about "crazy wisdom," which he sees as a unique blend of perceptiveness, fearlessness, and bluntness. The book also contains many thoughtful and practical passages on compassion, generosity, the six realms, healing, the teacher-student relationship, and the sacred path of the warrior.