The dragon enjoys resting in the sky among the clouds and the wind. According to tradition, the dragon abides in the sky in the summer, and hibernates in the ground during the winter. When the spring comes, the dragon rises from the ground with the mist and the dew. When a storm is necessary, the dragon breathes out lightning and roars out thunder. This analogy gives us some feeling of predictability within the context of unpredictability.

From “Authentic Presence,” in Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior, page 169.

If you are in the Boulder, Colorado area, you are invited to attend a reception to celebrate the Installation of the Smoke Dragon Painting by Chogyam Trungpa.

On Friday, September 20^th, there will be a reception to celebrate the installation of Chogyam Trungpa’s Smoke Dragon Painting at the Nalanda Campus of Naropa University at 63rd and Arapahoe. The reception is planned from 4 to 7 pm. It is open to all and there is no charge!

The Smoke Dragon is one of Trungpa Rinpoche’s extremely rare paintings.  It is the largest painting he did. It was a gift to the Chogyam Trungpa Institute in 2019 by his wife, Diana Mukpo. Due to the interruption of the Pandemic, it is only now being permanently installed at the Nalanda Campus. Please join us in celebrating the arrival of the Smoke Dragon to Naropa in the Year of the Dragon! And please invite your friends as well!

THE SMOKE DRAGON