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These lines are excerpted from Trungpa Rinpoche's will, which you can read here: CTR's Spiritual will Barbara executes the calligraphy; music and video by Steve Gorn

Here is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to remember—and be haunted by—Trungpa Rinpoche's parting words to his students.

In April 2007, Barbara Bash executed a calligraphy of these lines from Trungpa Rinpoche's spiritual will for the 20th anniversary of Rinpoche's parinirvana.

She has donated this beautiful work as a combined fundraiser for the Chögyam Trungpa Legacy Project and the Chronicles of CTR. We would like to thank Barbara for her generosity.

These limited-edition 17" x 22" archival prints are perfect for your home or local center.

This is a limited edition of one hundred 17" x 22" archival giclée prints, including twenty five signed by the artist.

Following is an excerpt from a letter by the Warrior General, Martin Janowitz, about this calligraphy.

23 January 2008

Dear Center Directors,

. . . I recently read (after some year’s gap) the ‘Spiritual Will’ of the Vidyadhara, posted on the Chronicles of Chögyam Trungpa and originally dictated to Sarah Levy in 1984. Even though I was familiar with this document, his words touched and surprised me with its continued poignancy, leaving me feeling somehow both over-full and yet, entirely empty. This ‘living’ will was indeed alive with his unique energy, reminding me of the intensity of his compassion and commitment to transform this dangerously sun-setting world into its Great Eastern potential. As he said near the close of this will, “Born a monk, died a king – Such thunderstorm does not stop. We will be haunting you along with the dralas. Jolly good luck!” Indeed.

Those words have percolated in my experience since first I heard them a few years before his death. In the will he describes two alternate prospective realities- if Shambhala ‘is’ or ‘is not’ fully realized. In some ways I have long felt that the better way to think about this is not to consider them alternates at all, but rather as two co-emergent sides of the same coin- the kingdom both is and is not realized at any and every moment. On the one hand we have so much more to learn, do, achieve and fulfill. At the same time, the key to an actual ‘kingdom’ view is to connect and manifest the energy of sacred world, the essence of Shambhala, right now on the spot, to ‘be’ the Kingdom, rather than look forward to it. This is in accord with the Druk Sakyong’s teaching and certainly the way he always manifested- as the full-fledged Sakyong of the Kingdom of Shambhala, not en route. In this, he established the ground for the lineage of Sakyongs. It is therefore no surprise that Sakyong Mipham has presented and manifested quite strongly throughout the world as Sakyong, ‘turning the flower outward’ with increasing power and engaged in ever widening circles of impact. I have also noted that in recent months, he has, more strongly than ever before been calling on Shambhala to enact the view, practices and actions of sacred world, ramping up our actualization of Kalapa, the forms, practices and manifest reality.

With all this as background, I was delighted to learn that Barbara Bash, calligrapher and one of the artistic treasure holders of Shambhala, was commissioned to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the parinirvana of the Vidyadhara with a calligraphy of the very lines from his will cited above, ‘Born a monk…’ I was further excited to hear that Barbara has donated this beautiful work as a combined fundraiser for the Chögyam Trungpa Legacy Project and the Chronicles. It occurred to me that this reminder would be a wonderful adornment to our centers around the world, encouraging and reminding us where we come from and of our heart legacy. I therefore encourage you take a look at the Chronicles website, where you can see the calligraphy and its story. The cost is nominal ($125 or $200 Can/US if signed), but the blessings and enrichment limitless. Ki Ki So So!

Best to you all, on this, the cusp of the new Shambhala year, and the next cycle in our shared adventure,

Marty Janowitz
Warrior General