Choosing to be a Warrior for the Human Spirit
A Path of Contribution
Warrior vision is an affirmation and a celebration of human life,
suggesting that in the midst of great chaos and confusion,
the Warrior is one who can appreciate and promote
the goodness of human existence.
– Chögyam Trungpa
When Warriors Arise
In all civilizations, there are times when something of great value needs protection. At these historic moments, a small group of people devote themselves to protecting and defending what is threatened. Often they use weapons of war but there are countless examples of Warriors who protected people, community, places, and values with peaceful, nonviolent means. Warriors for the Human Spirit join this tradition of peaceful warriors, armed with only two “weapons”– compassion and insight.
Numerous cultures have foretold this age of destruction. Joanna Macy has taught this ancient Tibetan prophecy for decades: “There comes a time when all life on Earth is in danger. Great barbarian powers have arisen. Although these powers spend their wealth in preparations to annihilate one another, they have much in common: weapons of unfathomable destructive power, and technologies that lay waste to our world. In this era, when the future of sentient life hangs by the frailest of threads, the Shambhala warriors go into training in the use of the weapons of compassion and insight.”
This time is now, the perfect storm of climate and human-created catastrophes, insatiable greed, fear-based self-protection, escalating aggression and conflict, rising injustice, indifference for the well-being of others, and intensifying uncertainty. Now is the time for the Warriors to arise to protect the human spirit and the spirit of life.
Who is a Warrior?
The Warriors arise when the people need protection. We step into this role of contribution and service, learning to assess what is possible and what is not. We are broken-hearted in witnessing what is being lost. We are exhausted from efforts that can no longer bear fruit. Yet we have abiding faith in the human spirit, in the capacity of people to be generous, creative, and kind no matter what is happening around them. It is our faith in the human spirit that inspires us to undertake the discipline of training to be of service for this time.
Warriors are people who focus their lives and work on making a difference. It is service to others that gives meaning to their lives far beyond petty definitions of happiness and self-satisfaction. They are of all ages, faiths, professions, and cultures. Depending on their age, they have contributed in many different ways or are aspiring to contribute
The Berkana Institute has been training Warriors since 2015.
Choosing to Be a Warrior for the Human Spirit
This is a self-paced exploration of why these times demand Warriorship, what it means to commit to this role, and opportunities to learn and experience the benefits of practice. This exploration uses The Warrior’s Songline, a journey guided by voice and sound that creates a penetrating, provocative, and often mystical experience for the listener. The Songline leads you on a personal journey at a reflective pace, engaging dwelling mind, rather than analytic mind. You will learn the basic skills of Warriorship: stable mind, more inclusive perception, and the capacity to respond with awareness rather than react emotionally when triggered. Warriors learn to see clearly so they can act wisely.
The Program
This program gives you the experience of Walking the Songline with Meg. The training progresses through ten segments; each segment contains several Songline audio tracks followed by a video to explore your experience in depth. In these videos, Meg offers teachings and guidance for what you have just encountered, providing time to reflect and integrate your experience. Additionally, essential practices are given in supplemental videos at different points in the program for you to learn and do. A Practice Manual is provided to further support you.
The essential practices of Warriorship are developed: Facing reality, defining your path of contribution, meditation, clear seeing, mind/body awareness, pacifying your reactivity, transcending doubt and fear, and developing community.
To further support your learning, Meg hosts a monthly Zoom call on the third Wednesday at 7pm Eastern. These 60-minute sessions are designed for you to ask your questions; Meg will respond, offer additional teachings, and be delighted to get to know you!
If you’re curious about entering Warrior Training, please listen to the following tracks. These songs introduce you to the learning experience of The Warrior’s Songline.
Track 2: This is a Songline
Track 5: Warriors Today
Track 9: Who Carried You Here?
Please take your time to do the two contemplations offered in track 9. They can help you discern whether you want to step forward onto the Warrior path.
- Who called you here?
- What called you here?
Level One Tuition:
$324 – all digital
$354 – all digital + print book (US only)
This training includes:
–The Warrior’s Songline audio – downloadable mp3
–The Warrior’s Songline e-book – downloadable pdf
(All digital assets + printed book available to ship within US for $354 )
-10 videos filmed on Songline locations in Utah – watch online or download mp4s
-Practice Manual – downloadable pdf
-Videos for Core Practices: Meditation; Mind-Body Awareness; Taking Your Seat
-Six months of 60 live Q&A Zoom session with Meg. After that time, we encourage you to ask about and join the next level of Warrior Training. All sessions will also be recorded for reference and to accommodate those who can’t join live and made available to everyone (beyond the 6 months).
Self-Paced Schedule
You begin and complete this program at your own pace. Take your time.
Monthly Q&As
Six monthly one-hour Zoom sessions with Meg typically scheduled on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7pm Eastern. All sessions are recorded and made available for viewing at your convenience.
What is the Work of Warriors?
Wherever we are, whatever our work, Warriors train to offer ourselves in these essential ways:
- We strive to embody the best human qualities of compassion, generosity, and clear-seeing. Our presence serves as a reminder and role model to others for who they are.
- With our leadership, we bravely stand in contrast to the current practices and dynamics of this age. We know what must be built and preserved to create good human lives and societies, and we embody this wisdom in our work.
As leaders, we train in the skillful means to:
- Refrain from using fear and aggression to accomplish our ends
- Maintain a stable mind even in situations of contention and conflict
- Use direct perception to see more clearly so we may act more wisely
- Stay aware of our biases, judgements, and triggers in order to diminish their influence on us
- Focus our efforts on the work that needs doing, not the work we want to do
- Endeavor to create Islands of Sanity wherever possible
- Maintain a keen sense of humor
- Rely on moments of grace and joy
- Offer and receive support from the community of Warriors