The mishap lineage : transforming confusion into wisdom Chögyam Trungpa

All of us experience obstacles as part of our journey, in life and on the spiritual path. In many cases, we think of them as purely something unpleasant to overcome, or as a mistake that needs correcting. Here, Chögyam Trungpa takes a radically different approach to such obstacles, teaching that unexpected chaos, confusion, and emotional upheavals can actually be used as fuel for the journey—an energy that can transform confusion into sanity and wisdom. He illustrates this transformative principle through telling the lively history of the Trungpa tulkus (a lineage within the Kagyü tradition of Tibetan Buddhism), of which he was the eleventh incarnation. Trungpa referred to his lineage as the "Mishap Lineage" because of the ups and downs and colorful lives that were typical of his predecessors, and true of his own life as well. The stories of the Trungpas are seen as a guide for the practitioner’s journey and help us to understand how important lineage and community remain for us today. All of us experience obstacles as part of our journey, in life and on the spiritual path. In many cases, we think of them as purely something unpleasant to overcome, or as a mistake that needs correcting. Here, Chogyam Trungpa takes a radically different approach to such obstacles, teaching that unexpected chaos, confusion, and emotional upheavals can actually be used as fuel for the journey-an energy that can transform confusion into sanity and wisdom. He illustrates this transformative principle through telling the lively history of the Trungpa tulkus (a lineage within the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism) of which he was the eleventh incarnation. Trungpa referred to his lineage as the "Mishap Lineage" because of the ups and downs and colorful lives that were typical of his predecessors, and true of his own life as well. The stories of the Trungpas are seen as a guide for the practitioner's journey and help us to understand how important lineage and community remain for us today. The concept of lineage in Tibetan Buddhism is demystified in this study of the author's own tradition of reincarnated teachers. Chögyam Trungpa was the eleventh tulku in the lineage of the Trungpa tulkus. Here, he presents the stories of the lives of the Trungpas as a point of departure for the discussion of the principles that guide a practitioner's journey on the path. The historical framework helps us to understand how we can relate to the idea of lineage and community in the modern context of a spiritual journey. Many other aspects of Tibetan Buddhism are connected to lineage--reincarnation, various religious practices, as well as the view of the path as a whole. These teachings are presented in an extraordinarily intimate and personal manner such that the reader receives the stories and wisdom as heart advice. --Publisher's description