crazy monkey mind

The mind is like a crazy monkey, which leaps about and never stays in one place. It is completely restless and constantly paranoid about its surroundings. The training, or the meditation practice, is a way to catch the monkey, to begin with. That is the starting point. Traditionally, this training is called shamatha in Sanskrit, or shi-ne in Tibetan, which means simply “the development of peace.” When we talk about the development of peace, we are not talking about cultivating a peaceful state, as such, but about simplicity. - chogyam trungpa rinpoche

this from his latest book “The Tea Cup and the Skullcup” recently released: a unique collection of his talks comparing zen and tantric buddhism. i should note that chogyam trungpa is no longer alive, but his students edited a series of talks for this book.

though if you believe in the tibetan version of tulku reincarnation, you could say that his next incarnation is alive - he’s a teenage boy named choseng trungpa rinpoche living in surmang, tibet. i donated a small amount last year to help build a school in his region of tibet, a very poor area, and he sent me a small red cord that he had braided. it feels incredibly odd and special to have this small trinket in my office that this remarkable young man wove - halfway around the world.

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