How does Shambhala Training work with ego fixation?
The fixation of ego is manifested in the words I am. Then there is the conclusion: “I am . . . happy” or “I am . . . sad.” There is the first thought (I) and the second thought (am), and finally the third thought is the conclusion. “I am happy,” “I am sad,” “I feel miserable,” “I feel good”— whatever the thought may be. The Shambhala idea of responsibility is to drop am. Just say, “I happy,” “I sad.” I know there’s a bit of a linguistic problem here, but I hope that you can understand what I’m saying. The point is to be responsible to others, without self-confirmation. To put it slightly differently, suppose your name is Sandy. There is “Sandy,” and there is the “world.” You don’t need a verb between them as confirmation. Just be kind to others. Sandy should be genuine. When she is the real, genuine Sandy, she can help others a lot. She may not have any training in first aid, but Sandy can put a Band-Aid on someone’s finger. Sandy is no longer afraid to help, and she is very kind and o
