The Legend of the Shambhala Warrior
The situation facing our youth and indeed all of humanity is serious and overwhelming. We have money and power continuing to flow into the hands of the very wealthy, the resources of the earth are being over consumed by 25-30% and increasing every year, our global population is on track to double again by 2050, not to mention terrorism and war at our doorstep, environmental degradation and nuclear holocaust threatening all life on earth.
TLS takes the stance that only powers beyond our normal day to day thinking processes have the capacity to "save the day" much in the manner of the super heroes created by artist visionaries. Age old legends from spiritual cultures such as ancient Tibet foresee extremely similar crisis and profoundly similar responses.
According to the legends of Tibet, there once existed a Kingdom of Shambhala. It was a prosperous and healthy place. Peace existed there for centuries and society was filled with seekers who exemplified the spirit of the land. These ancient activists were called Shambhala Warriors. These warriors' battles were with the self, they were constantly holding themselves to the highest standards of personal integrity, using the weapons of compassion, wisdom and meditative contemplation to govern their society.
We believe that the legends of the Shambhala Warriors parallel the mission of The Leadership School. We believe that the most powerful response to today's chaos is to become Spiritual Warriors. We include both women and men, young and old in the vision of committing to this difficult but honorable path. The whole Curriculum for Sustainable Living is based on this level of commitment. From the Department of Sustainable Thinking to the Institute of Appropriate Technology, we request our students earnestly engage themselves in their own personal growth
It is said by the present day Tibetan teachers that the old teachings predicted this time of ultimate chaos.
"There comes a time when all life on Earth is in danger. At this time great powers have arisen, they have wasted their wealth on weapons of unfathomable devastation. It is at this point that the Kingdom of Shambhala emerges. You cannot go there, because it is not a geopolitical entity. It exists in the hearts and minds of the Shambhala Warriors. They have no banners, no barricades and no home turf. They move on the terrain of the barbarian powers. Great moral and physical courage is required of these men and women. These warriors go right into the citadels and bunkers where the weapons are stored. Weapons in every sense of the word.. They're going into the corridors of power where decisions are made, in order to dismantle the weapons that threaten all life on Earth. These weapons are man made; they arise out of our choices, our relationships and our life styles.
At this time the Shambhala Warriors go into training. They focus their energy on the elements of compassion and the wisdom of the interdependence of all phenomena. Compassion moves people to open up to the pain of the world, to take part in the healing of the world. This by itself is not enough; one must also look into the interdependence of all beings and all things. Our battles are not between good and evil, the line between good and evil runs through the landscape of every human heart."
This metaphor from the ancient ones is a blueprint for today's seekers who are looking more and more urgently for answers to the global storm. The only thing we have control over is ourselves. Now is the time to dedicate ourselves to a life of integrity and truth. A clear and powerful beginning to that is to engage yourself in our Vision workshops, the beginning steps to becoming the man or women of your dreams.
