Beyond Facing Ourselves

Once we decide to look at ourselves, we may experience ourselves as wretched, in the most profoundly degrading situations, or some of us may have brilliant andgood situations happening, too. Whatever arises, we look at ourselves, either based on hope or fear, whatever there may be. The important point is looking atourselves, finding ourselves, facing ourselves, giving up our privacy and inhibition. Once we have done that, we turn to the good side of things. We begin to realizethat we have something in us which is fundamentally, basically good -- very good. It actually transcends the notion of good or bad. Something worthwhile,wholesome and healthy exists in us. But don't jump the gun and try to get ahold of that first. First, let's look. If we actually face ourselves properly and fully, we will find that something else exists there, something beyond facing ourselves.

From Talk One of "Warriorship in the Three Yanas," an unpublished seminar given by Chogyam Trungpa at the Rocky Mountain Dharma Center, August 22,1978.