<< Hailed the “East-meets-West Rennaissance lama,” Sakyong Mipham runs marathons to keep his body sharp, and to raise money to reconstruct a monastery in Surmang, East Tibet. (Robyn Stubbs, 24 hours)

Descendant of a legendary Tibetan warrior-king and son of a Buddhist pioneer who led 300 people out of Tibet in 1959, Mipham's latest book, Ruling Your World: Ancient Strategies for Modern Life, aims to bring a modern twist to the ancient teachings of Shambhala.

"If you look at the ancient texts, they were all talking about taking care of those around you [in order] to be successful. In modern times, it's very individual, and that creates a very disharmonious situation," says the Sakyong.

And if even for 10 minutes a day, quiet meditation without mentally veering into the past or the future would do everyone a world of good.

"[The mind] is just like the body and needs to be exercised. It's like drinking water, you drink it everyday and it's healthy," he says.

"I want to present the message of living that has existed for generations, based upon compassion and understanding and the intent to care for those around us," he says, adding compassion, love, and intelligence are far superior to aggression when it comes to solving family and social issues.

Mipham is speaking tonight at a public book signing at UBC's Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20, and available at the Vancouver Shambhala Centre, Banyan Books, and at the door.

Tomorrow, the Sakyong is hosting a Ruling Your World workshop from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Plaza 500 Hotel (12th and Cambie). Tickets are $100 from the above locations, and pre-registration is recommended. See www.mipham.com for workshop details.