A Shambhala warrior, like a windhorse warrior, is a metaphor for the Buddhist ideal of the bodhisattva. A bodhisattva is any person who has aroused the compassionate wish to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. She or he strives to fearlessly alleviate the suffering of others by acting out of compassion while filled with insight into the radical inter-existence of all phenomenon. This kind of warrior engages in a battle that is not between the good guys and the bad guys – because ‘the line between good and evil runs through the landscape of every heart’ – but is dedicated to dismantling the weapons of separation and destruction that are mind-made.

Below is a short talk by Joanna Macy describing what her teacher, Dugu Choegyal Rinpoche, told her about the Kingdom of Shambhala and Shambhala warriors.

Janna Macy (born May 2, 1929), is an environmental activist, author, scholar of Buddhism, general systems theory, and deep ecology. She is the author of eight books. (Wikipedia)