Groundless and Free: Taking Refuge with Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
In this episode, we step into the field of remembering through the fierce clarity and grounded wisdom of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Opening a random page in The Heart of the Buddha, I found words that felt like they’d been waiting just for me—just for this moment. Trungpa writes:
“There is no reason we should believe in or expect anything greater than the basic inspiration that exists in us already.”
This simple yet radical insight threads through the entire episode as we explore what it truly means to take refuge—not as escape, but as engagement. Trungpa invites us to let go of the need for external salvation or constant spiritual shopping and instead enter into a living relationship with the present moment, with truth, and with ourselves.
Together, we explore the Three Jewels of Refuge:
The Buddha – as someone to emulate, not idolize.
The Dharma – as a living path of learning and discovery.
The Sangha – as the community of fellow travelers, imperfect and luminous.
We also reflect on Trungpa’s profound teaching that to “take refuge” is to become a refugee from illusion—to surrender the illusion of control and awaken to our basic goodness, our innate freedom.
This teaching has touched my life in countless ways. From finding The Sacred Path of the Warrior by chance to moving to Boulder, Colorado, and studying at Naropa University, Trungpa’s presence has been like a compass—reminding me again and again to return to the simplicity of this breath, this body, this sacred moment.
Whether you're new to the idea of refuge or revisiting it with fresh eyes, I invite you to listen with your whole heart.
May this offering nourish your path and help you remember the light within.
With love,
Julie Anna
🌳 Under the Tree of Serendipity
