Smile at Fear: Awakening the True Heart of Bravery

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Many of us, without even realizing it, are dominated by fear. We might be aware of some of our fears—perhaps we are afraid of public speaking, financial hardship, or losing a loved one. But in this book meditation master Chögyam Trungpa shows us that most of us suffer from a far more pervasive form of fear: the fear of ourselves. We feel ashamed and embarrassed to look at our feelings or acknowledge our styles of thinking and behaving; we don’t want to face the reality of our moment-to-moment experience. It is this fear that keeps us trapped in cycles of suffering, despair, and distress.

Chögyam Trungpa offers us a vision of moving beyond fear to discover the innate bravery, trust, and delight in life that lies at the core of our being. Drawing on the Shambhala tradition and on Buddhist teachings, he explains how we can each become a spiritual warrior: a person who faces each moment of life with openness and fearlessness. “The ultimate definition of bravery is not being afraid of who you are,” writes Chögyam Trungpa.

In language that is fresh, accessible, and startlingly direct, this book explains:

   • how the practice of sitting meditation can help us to uncover our inherent confidence and bravery,
   • how fear and embarrassment about ourselves keep us trapped in cycles of suffering,
   • the wisdom of loving-kindness and nonaggression,
   • how true invincibility depends on becoming more open and vulnerable.

Here are the essential insights and strategies that will allow us to finally claim victory over fear.