Basic Goodness

One of the most fundamental principles of the Buddhist and Shambhala traditions is that the true nature of human beings is basic goodness. As my teacher, Chögyam Trungpa, said, “This is not a matter of talking yourself into believing that everything is okay; you are genuine and good just as you are.” It is the simple, direct appreciation of being alive that is common to everyone. It is a perspective of richness, wholeness, that nothing in our fundamental being is flawed or missing. Acknowledging our own basic goodness means taking the attitude that there is something fundamentally, essentially right with us. How we feel about ourselves as a person doesn’t need to depend on the quality of a particular golf shot or the outcome of a round.

©2002 Dr. Joseph Parent (P)2016 Audible, Inc.