#splendidness

The sense of splendidness arises from feeling our wealth. We have confidence in our inherent goodness—the beating heart of each individual and all humanity. This confidence is conveyed by the Tibetan word ziji, which conventionally refers to a person’s beauty and healthiness—in general, an aura of brightness and vitality. The first aspect of the word—zi, means splendor, the ability to shine. Splendidness is like a halo, which is traditionally depicted as a bright light surrounding saintly individuals, reflecting their embodiment of goodness. When we are brave enough to have confidence in basic goodness, we are on the journey back to our natural and inherent glory.

As spiritual practitioners in this materialistic and prideful age, we might associate shininess with worldliness, and feel that we should abandon anything shiny. However, the Shambhala teachings present goodness as our base, and splendidness as the natural state of being. It is neither spiritual nor worldly, but inherent— there to be uncovered. Although it may be easiest to access in the stillness of meditation, the glow of splendidness is present always and everywhere. Connecting to our splendidness is connecting to the ground of goodness. We are not abandoning the world; rather, with splendidness we use the full spectrum of our mind and our emotions. Nor does splendidness mean that every day is sunny. It means that goodness is our ground—as we cry and as we laugh. That is a basic sense of splendidness.