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Smile at Fear: Awakening the True Heart of Bravery
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.
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.
124 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
309 people are currently reading
2596 people want to read
About the author
Chögyam Trungpa
166 books814 followersVidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche (Tibetan: ཆོས་ རྒྱམ་ དྲུང་པ་ Wylie: Chos rgyam Drung pa; also known as Dorje Dradul of Mukpo, Surmang Trungpa, after his monastery, or Chökyi Gyatso, of which Chögyam is an abbreviation) was a Buddhist meditation master, scholar, teacher, poet, and artist. He was the 11th descendent in the line of Trungpa tulkus of the Kagyü school of Tibetan Buddhism. He was also trained in the Nyingma tradition, the oldest of the four schools, and was an adherent of the rimay or "non-sectarian" movement within Tibetan Buddhism, which aspired to bring together and make available all the valuable teachings of the different schools, free of sectarian rivalry.
Trungpa was a significant figure in the dissemination of Tibetan Buddhism to the West, founding Naropa University and establishing the Shambhala Training method, a presentation of the Buddhadharma largely devoid of ethnic trappings. In 1963, he moved to England to study comparative religion, philosophy, and fine arts at Oxford University. During this time, he also studied Japanese flower arranging and received an instructors degree from the Sogetsu school of ikebana. In 1967, he moved to Scotland, where he founded the Samye Ling meditation centre.
Shortly thereafter, a variety of experiences—including a car accident that left him partially paralyzed on the left side of his body—led him to give up his monastic vows and work as a lay teacher. In 1969, he published Meditation in Action , the first of fourteen books on the spiritual path published during his lifetime. The following year he married Diana Pybus and moved to the United States, where he established his first North American meditation centre, Tail of the Tiger (now known as Karmê-Chöling) in Barnet, Vermont.
In 1986, he moved to Nova Scotia, Canada, where hundreds of his students had settled. That Autumn, after years of heavy alcohol use, he had a cardiac arrest, and he died of heart failure the following Spring. His legacy is carried on by his son, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, under the banner of Shambhala International and the Nalanda Translation Committee.
Trungpa was a significant figure in the dissemination of Tibetan Buddhism to the West, founding Naropa University and establishing the Shambhala Training method, a presentation of the Buddhadharma largely devoid of ethnic trappings. In 1963, he moved to England to study comparative religion, philosophy, and fine arts at Oxford University. During this time, he also studied Japanese flower arranging and received an instructors degree from the Sogetsu school of ikebana. In 1967, he moved to Scotland, where he founded the Samye Ling meditation centre.
Shortly thereafter, a variety of experiences—including a car accident that left him partially paralyzed on the left side of his body—led him to give up his monastic vows and work as a lay teacher. In 1969, he published Meditation in Action , the first of fourteen books on the spiritual path published during his lifetime. The following year he married Diana Pybus and moved to the United States, where he established his first North American meditation centre, Tail of the Tiger (now known as Karmê-Chöling) in Barnet, Vermont.
In 1986, he moved to Nova Scotia, Canada, where hundreds of his students had settled. That Autumn, after years of heavy alcohol use, he had a cardiac arrest, and he died of heart failure the following Spring. His legacy is carried on by his son, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, under the banner of Shambhala International and the Nalanda Translation Committee.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
April 13, 2011
I keep this book active on my phone's Nook application so when I need an injection of wisdom, it's there. My favorite line so far: "...fearlessness is unconditional because you are neither on the side of success nor on the side of failure. Success and failure are your journey."
February 14, 2012
I have read many books on Buddhism - both Tibetan and Zen - but this is my first read by Chogyam Trungpa. People tend to gravitate towards certain teachers, and I simply find Trungpa's style of teaching too confusing due to the overuse of analogies and metaphors.
Smile at Fear was an inspiring read until Chapter 7, where it became repetitive and ceased to make any logical sense - again, due to mixed metaphors. While some students respond to this style of teaching, I, personally, prefer logical, straightforward presentations of spiritual or philosophical thought.
That said, my biggest and most important takeaway from the book is to re-establish sitting meditation into my daily practice. The one analogy I did appreciate was that of saddling the wild mind like a rider trains and saddles his/her horse.
As Trungpa so eloquently states: "We always try to do something with ourselves, rather than simply be with ourselves. If you cannot be with yourself, you cannot find out who you are or where you are. In that case, the essence of what you are is impossible to find."
He continues, "Cultivating mindfulness is the attitude that allows us to see ourselves and our world quite accurately and precisely." Meditation is critical in helping us to develop the discipline of mindfulness. Chapter Two presents a wonderful introduction to sitting meditation.
For those interested in the Shambhala path, Smile at Fear is likely a good introduction to Buddhist concepts and the importance of establishing a practice of meditation and mindfulness. While I do not regret reading this work, I have gained a clearer understanding of Buddhism and mindfulness through other teachers such as Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and Ven. Henepola Gunaratana.
Smile at Fear was an inspiring read until Chapter 7, where it became repetitive and ceased to make any logical sense - again, due to mixed metaphors. While some students respond to this style of teaching, I, personally, prefer logical, straightforward presentations of spiritual or philosophical thought.
That said, my biggest and most important takeaway from the book is to re-establish sitting meditation into my daily practice. The one analogy I did appreciate was that of saddling the wild mind like a rider trains and saddles his/her horse.
As Trungpa so eloquently states: "We always try to do something with ourselves, rather than simply be with ourselves. If you cannot be with yourself, you cannot find out who you are or where you are. In that case, the essence of what you are is impossible to find."
He continues, "Cultivating mindfulness is the attitude that allows us to see ourselves and our world quite accurately and precisely." Meditation is critical in helping us to develop the discipline of mindfulness. Chapter Two presents a wonderful introduction to sitting meditation.
For those interested in the Shambhala path, Smile at Fear is likely a good introduction to Buddhist concepts and the importance of establishing a practice of meditation and mindfulness. While I do not regret reading this work, I have gained a clearer understanding of Buddhism and mindfulness through other teachers such as Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and Ven. Henepola Gunaratana.
February 24, 2017
I read this book because I have gained so much insight from Pema Chodron and I needed to learn how to 'smile at fear'. A book is like a river. You never step in the same one twice. The next reading I will pick up, or understand, what I didn't get the first time, or the second, etc. See me smiling.
December 31, 2011
Highly recommended. Caveat: this is not a starter book. If you aren't already knowledgeable on Buddhist teachings, this book isn't for you.
January 3, 2024
This book was a disappointment. It is the first book of this type that I have found wanting. The author is surely an enlightened individual who can teach us all much about how to live our lives. Unfortunately, this book is not the way. His metaphors are stretched beyond comprehension. Perhaps he assumes that we are familiar with his tradition and we know what he means by the Sun in the West or the Sun in the East, but it just doesn't translate. His analogies are hard to follow and don't even make sense. I can't tell if he is trying to help me become fearless or teach me how to help others overcome their fear. This author gives life to the phrase "tortured metaphors."
I did get his main point that we already have the tools to be brave within us if we can focus on our true inner self, develop confidence in our self (recognizing that the self is an artificial construct in its own right) and finding our inner calmness and security. Inner confidence makes for outer bravery. I got the message, I just couldn't bear the method. I humbly admit that I could not finish the book.
For those interested in learning about the powers of meditation and Buddhism, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice by Shunryu Suzuki is an excellent place to start. Though I have studied and practiced meditation for years, I still feel like a beginner. That is a good thing. OM.
I did get his main point that we already have the tools to be brave within us if we can focus on our true inner self, develop confidence in our self (recognizing that the self is an artificial construct in its own right) and finding our inner calmness and security. Inner confidence makes for outer bravery. I got the message, I just couldn't bear the method. I humbly admit that I could not finish the book.
For those interested in learning about the powers of meditation and Buddhism, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice by Shunryu Suzuki is an excellent place to start. Though I have studied and practiced meditation for years, I still feel like a beginner. That is a good thing. OM.
March 29, 2016
Highly encouraging read, especially for someone like me who fears quite a bit. But this poses the idea that instead of fleeing from fear or turning our heads each time it pops up, we instead should face our fear and make friends with it. Sounds simple but is actually quite difficult. This lays the path for getting there, and is quite reassuring along the way.
June 27, 2021
Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful. Probably the first tibetian buddhist work whose premises I can buy into to a significant extent. Contrary to what I personaly found a very solipsist, anti-life thread you commonly encounter in this genre, this one preaches "warriorship". And it does it reasonably well, drawing a hard line against developmentally stunted escapism, voluntary or unconsious. Where else can you find a buddhist work tell you to pretty much emrace the travails of samsara? And do it with dignity? I honestly found that this is exactly the kind of approach which I have found other buddhist works to lack to the extent I found them unreadable. Where else does a tibetian meditation teacher tells you that inner war wit fear is good and you should smile as you enter it?
July 4, 2015
Not sure I can do this book justice. Basically from what I gathered the author is advocating conquering fear through the use of meditation and compassion. Through opening ourselves, making ourselves vulnerable, we learn to receive the challenges of life with a compassionate heart. This doesn't mean we don't suffer or feel pain, but it helps us break out of the cycle of despair.
Surprisingly his concept of non-aggression is not what most would think. He is not advocating Pacifism, but instead if violence is to be employed to do it with compassion for your enemy. Letting yourself feel the pain of taking a life.
Surprisingly his concept of non-aggression is not what most would think. He is not advocating Pacifism, but instead if violence is to be employed to do it with compassion for your enemy. Letting yourself feel the pain of taking a life.
August 13, 2018
There is genuine and deep wealth to be gained by being with our emotions and inviting them to announce their intention and need within our conscious mind. Prescriptive and psychotherapy are invaluable and irreplaceable. At the same time there is room at the table in the discussion of managing mood and being whole by employing meditation, deep awareness, self-talk, and allowing that which comes up to have a voice. Highly recommend.
December 18, 2011
This is a powerful book.
August 10, 2024
Wszystkiego nie zrozumiałam, ale na pewno jest dużo do odkrycia
November 14, 2024
I saw another reviewer use the perfect words for this book: tortured metaphors. Admittedly I only got through one of this book’s three parts, but even that was quite the slog, as the author rambles on about planting the moon of our heart and planting the sun of our mind to conquer fear, and by doing so we become cocoons, and these cocoons are like babies, but babies that we are giving knives. Except we don’t give babies knives, of course, but these aren’t real babies and these aren’t real knives, they are the knives of the warrior-archetype that laughs at fear and does not feel the need to answer violence with hate.
Yes, I did not make those points up. If you need to go on a tangeant to explain that in real life, we don’t give knives to babies, then maybe, just maybe, this whole baby metaphor defeats its own purpose?
I know that there many truths out there which struggle to be identified clearly with words, especially in the fields of religion and philosophy, but I am also convinced that there are better ways to convey them than this. I’m sure if I pored over every word in this book extensively, I could extract some novel meanings and appreciations, but at that point I’m just doing the work the author should be doing, and could have spent my time reading better material which conveys the same ideas.
Yes, I did not make those points up. If you need to go on a tangeant to explain that in real life, we don’t give knives to babies, then maybe, just maybe, this whole baby metaphor defeats its own purpose?
I know that there many truths out there which struggle to be identified clearly with words, especially in the fields of religion and philosophy, but I am also convinced that there are better ways to convey them than this. I’m sure if I pored over every word in this book extensively, I could extract some novel meanings and appreciations, but at that point I’m just doing the work the author should be doing, and could have spent my time reading better material which conveys the same ideas.
August 2, 2016
This is a profound book, capable of initating deep changes that ripple outwards. It's sometimes said that importance of books is really a measure of the reader; of how ready he/she is to receive it. This book found me at a particularly receptive time and resonated deeply. It's not the first book I read on Buddhism or meditation but it is the first book I read on the teachings of Chögyam Trungpa. For some reason, Tibetan Buddishm/Bön tradition seems to speak to me in a way that I struggle to put my finger on: in some ways it is completely foreign and exotic and at the same time closely familiar and innate. It's a bit like discovering a part of yourself that you hadn't realized existed.
June 15, 2016
Through a dark time, feeling lost and empty, hopeless, I picked this book up and it completely rearranged my perspective. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, this book made me realize the true potential resting inside.
"Smile at Fear" is one of the few books I have read over and over. The words of Chogyam Trungpa are like a favorite blanket, one with the warmest hug and most comforting smells, enveloping you in a sense of self love in that present moment.
Presented as "non-secular" (no religious drive) the premise is entirely spiritual. For me, it helped conquer many a demon. I hope it can do the same for you!
"Smile at Fear" is one of the few books I have read over and over. The words of Chogyam Trungpa are like a favorite blanket, one with the warmest hug and most comforting smells, enveloping you in a sense of self love in that present moment.
Presented as "non-secular" (no religious drive) the premise is entirely spiritual. For me, it helped conquer many a demon. I hope it can do the same for you!
August 10, 2022
I found this to be a very intriguing introduction to vajrayana concepts (supposedly practiced in Maldives back in the day)
Honestly, reading this book scared me at times lol. The way the author talks about existence and godlessness, the self and the not self, nothingness and not nothingness; theres an eerie edge with an insane amount of confidence. Id never heard of non-thiestic rhetoric this badass, self-assured, or frightening before lmfao.
"Fearlessness and joy are truly yours. Whether you are capable of holding a thunderbolt with your bare hands is up to you."
Honestly, reading this book scared me at times lol. The way the author talks about existence and godlessness, the self and the not self, nothingness and not nothingness; theres an eerie edge with an insane amount of confidence. Id never heard of non-thiestic rhetoric this badass, self-assured, or frightening before lmfao.
"Fearlessness and joy are truly yours. Whether you are capable of holding a thunderbolt with your bare hands is up to you."
February 4, 2017
Extremely dense. This is maybe the first book that I wish I would have read in a book form instead of audiobook. There were several times when I had to stop the book to give myself time to process some of the thoughts/sentences. I even had to rewind some parts to get all the details. I think I'll have to reread this book.
March 2, 2014
For those interested in Buddhism, Trungpa has something useful to offer. I didn't like the style with all the metaphors and repetition, though. Trungpa takes the more mythical approach, where I personally would prefer the more clean-cut psychological one.
October 4, 2010
I liked the message the book was trying to get across but overall it was too abstract for my taste so it was a bit of a chore to read.
January 13, 2016
Absolutely ridiculous, impractical, theoretical garbage. A waste of money. Lacking inspiration. Don't buy if you are the pragmatic hands-on type. Even 1 star is too much.
Absolute waste of money.
Absolute waste of money.
May 20, 2017
I probably would have enjoyed this more if the narrator's voice hadn't been so pretentious and condescending.
December 2, 2022
I like this book, it has some good points, but somehow I feel that all oriental books have an approach where after a couple of paragraphs, you get to find out that the solution is meditation + mindfulness.
Ok, so message understood and I want to emphasize that this book seems better from the meditation point of view than the practical fear related advice. Disclaimer: I love meditation.
On another note, I have a difficulty with oriental philosophy books. They speak in riddles and overuse analogies, which for me creates several problems:
Speaking in riddles: I have experienced several times, an attitude from oriental teachings that go along the lines of "If you don't understand it means you're not ready, go think some more then come back" and that seems to make the speaking in riddles a valid approach.
Overusing analogies: Saying that the moon is masculine and the sun feminine, is odd. The author has some interesting observations on femininity and masculinity, but this does not mean that I necessarily share them. Further, the analogy of man for the moon and woman for the sun, is over-extended. Human beings are not analogies, we are complex creatures and the very notions of femininity and masculinity are IMO unlike any other species, because of how our brain functions. So, we can have some analogies as starting point, but that's it. Once they've served their function they should be jettisoned.
Condescending tone: When you add up speaking in riddles + overusing analogies, and good grief if you don't understand, because if such is the case, then it's your problem. This seems to me condescending as an attitude and is self-defeating as condescension disguises insecurity. I am fine with insecurity, but no need to disguise it behind riddles and condescension.
Ok, so message understood and I want to emphasize that this book seems better from the meditation point of view than the practical fear related advice. Disclaimer: I love meditation.
On another note, I have a difficulty with oriental philosophy books. They speak in riddles and overuse analogies, which for me creates several problems:
Speaking in riddles: I have experienced several times, an attitude from oriental teachings that go along the lines of "If you don't understand it means you're not ready, go think some more then come back" and that seems to make the speaking in riddles a valid approach.
Overusing analogies: Saying that the moon is masculine and the sun feminine, is odd. The author has some interesting observations on femininity and masculinity, but this does not mean that I necessarily share them. Further, the analogy of man for the moon and woman for the sun, is over-extended. Human beings are not analogies, we are complex creatures and the very notions of femininity and masculinity are IMO unlike any other species, because of how our brain functions. So, we can have some analogies as starting point, but that's it. Once they've served their function they should be jettisoned.
Condescending tone: When you add up speaking in riddles + overusing analogies, and good grief if you don't understand, because if such is the case, then it's your problem. This seems to me condescending as an attitude and is self-defeating as condescension disguises insecurity. I am fine with insecurity, but no need to disguise it behind riddles and condescension.
April 27, 2022
There is so much to take in with this book. I really loved all the metaphors BUT could of used less. I found myself getting lost on what he was trying to say in some parts. Maybe they are lessons I haven’t learned yet? Not sure. Some parts really clicked and made since and others I was a bit confused.
October 11, 2023
I read this book because I have gained so much insight from Pema Chodron and I needed to learn how to 'smile at fear'. A book is like a river. You never step in the same one twice. The next reading I will pick up, or understand, what I didn't get the first time, or the second, etc. See me smiling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2023
“when you are riding on the horse you experience oneness. Particularly if you are a good rider free of doubt. “ -Trungpa
November 28, 2024
zen mind did more for me but i feel like if i returned to this in a years time it would actually change my life as i would have more practice and thus a better grasp of what it’s trying to say. with that being said here are some things i pulled from this that really resonate/seem to be useful information that may or may live in my head for the rest of my life. i also finished this last night while i had a cold so by the time i got to the last line and sat up from my bed i was fully having an out of body experience…
- “ignorance in this case means that someone is not able to accomplish his or her present work thoroughly. ignorance ignores what is, because your mind is occupied by either experiences of the past or expectations of the future. therefore you are never able to be now. ignorance means ignoring the present.”
- “in the warrior tradition, sacred outlook is the brilliant environment created by basic goodness. when we refuse to have any contact with that state of being, when we turn away from basic goodness, then wrong beliefs arise. we come up with all sorts of logic, again and again, so that we don’t have to face the realities of the world.”
- “the shaky vulnerability contains an element of sadness, but not in the sense of feeling sad about oneself or feeling deprived. rather, we feel a natural sense of fullness that is tender and sad…instead you feel that you alone can understand the truth of your own loneliness, which is quite dignified and self-contained. you have a full hear, you feel lonely, but you don’t feel particularly bad about it. it is like an island in the middle of a lake.”
- “when you sow a seed or plant a tree, either the seed will germinate, the tree will grow, or it will die.”
- “in this case, riding the horse is like riding somebody else’s mind. it requires complete connection, or working with the other person. isn’t he buddhist tradition, this is called compassion.”
- “when you have a problem appreciating a chrysanthemum or the sunshine, that is a sign of fear…study how fear arises, how it manifests, and how it is actualized. when you begin to understand your fear, then you find that it is almost a big joke rather than a big problem.”
- “this unconditional confidence manifests in our lives as appreciation…”
- “what inspires great eastern sun vision altogether is the notion of being delighted to be human beings. the rising sun has the qualities of an infraction or teenage sun, whereas the great eastern sun is the mature sin, the sun in the sky at about ten in the morning. we are delighted to be who we are and delighted by the situation we are in. we appreciate the coincidences that have led us to this point in our lives.”
- “the fruition of invoking wind horse is symbolized by the universal monarch with a broken heart. such a person is also humble because of his broken heart. he is a real person. but at the same time, there is a lot of presence, in the positive sense. the feeling of this state of being is like looking at where the horizon meets the ocean. you have great difficulty distinguishing exactly here the sea dissolves into the sky. so heaven and earth are one.”
- ashe = principle that manifests basic goodness through its strength and the power of “cutting through,” basic openness/peaceful space (a-), stroke of force (-she)
- ziji = brilliance (zi-), dignity (-ji)
- shunyata = nonexistence, empty/not/no (shunya-), emptiness/no-ness (-ta)
- lungta = windhorse, through the cultivation of the power of lungta (windhorse) comes the inner ability to succeed and flourish as a sentient being
- “ignorance in this case means that someone is not able to accomplish his or her present work thoroughly. ignorance ignores what is, because your mind is occupied by either experiences of the past or expectations of the future. therefore you are never able to be now. ignorance means ignoring the present.”
- “in the warrior tradition, sacred outlook is the brilliant environment created by basic goodness. when we refuse to have any contact with that state of being, when we turn away from basic goodness, then wrong beliefs arise. we come up with all sorts of logic, again and again, so that we don’t have to face the realities of the world.”
- “the shaky vulnerability contains an element of sadness, but not in the sense of feeling sad about oneself or feeling deprived. rather, we feel a natural sense of fullness that is tender and sad…instead you feel that you alone can understand the truth of your own loneliness, which is quite dignified and self-contained. you have a full hear, you feel lonely, but you don’t feel particularly bad about it. it is like an island in the middle of a lake.”
- “when you sow a seed or plant a tree, either the seed will germinate, the tree will grow, or it will die.”
- “in this case, riding the horse is like riding somebody else’s mind. it requires complete connection, or working with the other person. isn’t he buddhist tradition, this is called compassion.”
- “when you have a problem appreciating a chrysanthemum or the sunshine, that is a sign of fear…study how fear arises, how it manifests, and how it is actualized. when you begin to understand your fear, then you find that it is almost a big joke rather than a big problem.”
- “this unconditional confidence manifests in our lives as appreciation…”
- “what inspires great eastern sun vision altogether is the notion of being delighted to be human beings. the rising sun has the qualities of an infraction or teenage sun, whereas the great eastern sun is the mature sin, the sun in the sky at about ten in the morning. we are delighted to be who we are and delighted by the situation we are in. we appreciate the coincidences that have led us to this point in our lives.”
- “the fruition of invoking wind horse is symbolized by the universal monarch with a broken heart. such a person is also humble because of his broken heart. he is a real person. but at the same time, there is a lot of presence, in the positive sense. the feeling of this state of being is like looking at where the horizon meets the ocean. you have great difficulty distinguishing exactly here the sea dissolves into the sky. so heaven and earth are one.”
- ashe = principle that manifests basic goodness through its strength and the power of “cutting through,” basic openness/peaceful space (a-), stroke of force (-she)
- ziji = brilliance (zi-), dignity (-ji)
- shunyata = nonexistence, empty/not/no (shunya-), emptiness/no-ness (-ta)
- lungta = windhorse, through the cultivation of the power of lungta (windhorse) comes the inner ability to succeed and flourish as a sentient being
June 19, 2020
I was gifted this most enlightening book by a dear, enlightened warrior: Lauren Freiman. At the end of the book I was reminded how I admire Ghandi and I wish to watch his 1982 biopic starring Ben Kingsley. I always wanted to see it. Now is the time.
The book is about more than just dealing with fear but about living a peaceful, worthwhile life. It’s about becoming a peaceful warrior and facing yourself by practicing meditation.
Greatness that I received from this book are as follows:
When you see fear, you smile. -Chogyam Trungpa
We must learn to smile at fear.
The fundamental fear we have to work with is the fear of losing ourselves.
Anyone who is interested in practicing meditation is basically a warrior.
The approach of the warrior is to face all those situations of fear or cowardice.
Fear is nervousness; fear is anxiety; fear is a sense of inadequacy, a feeling that we may not be able to deal with the challenges of everyday life at all.
The only way to relax with yourself is to open your heart. Then you have a chance to see who you are. This experience is like opening a parachute 🪂.
Whenever you see a bright and beautiful color, you are witnessing your own inherent goodness. Whenever you hear a sweet and beautiful sound, you are hearing your own basic goodness. Whenever you taste something sweet or sour, you are experiencing your own basic goodness. If you are in a room and you open the door and walk outside, there is a sudden breeze of fresh air. Such an experience may last only a second, but that whiff of fresh air is the smell of basic goodness.
It is worthwhile to take advantage of anything that happens to you that has that particular nature of goodness.
The Buddahs who have already gone beyond, exists in us.
To discover the worthy of your existence:
Be with yourself for a long period of time, spendings lots of seconds, minutes, and hours with yourself.
The recommended technique to be with ourselves fully is the practice of meditation...to lead our lives fully.
The growth of warriorship comes from an absence of laziness.
Vajra means having a diamond-like nature, a nature that is indestructible.
Sacredness comes from developing gentleness toward ourselves.
The genuine warrior becomes truly gentle because there is no enemy at all.
The martial arts are quite interesting, because of their way of dealing with problems and exercising the real art of war.
Monks in some monasteries practiced judo, karate, and other martial arts...to learn to control their minds and to develop a balanced way of dealing with situations without involving oneself in hatred and the panic of ego.
The true practice of the martial arts is developing a state in which one is fully confident, fully knowing what one is and what one is trying to do.
If you want to develop a really effective way of challenging something, you have to develop a lot of loving-kindness or even compassion toward your opponents.
The Whole Point: When you do not produce another force of hatred, the opposing force collapses.
To be without fear is to have great strength. The realization of fearlessness is the genuine martial art.
The term warrior relates to the basic situation of being a human being. The heart of the warrior is this basic aliveness or basic goodness.
When people say they are bored, often they mean that they don’t want to experience the sense of emptiness. For the warrior, fearlessness is the opposite of that approach (of cranking things up to occupy yourself with a search for entertainment).
Laziness is an obstacle.
To be a good warrior, one has to feel sad and lonely, but rich and resourceful at the same time. This makes the warrior sensitive to every aspect of phenomena: to sights, smells, sounds, and feelings. The warrior is also an artist, appreciating whatever goes on in the world.
The warrior’s third tool is actually a weapon connected with developing wisdom (prajna). Prajna is the wisdom of discriminating awareness.
The basic vision of warriorship is that there is goodness in everyone.
Trust, then, is being willing to take a chance, knowing that what goes up must come down, as they say.
Sitting on the horse requires balance, and as you acquire that balance in the saddle, you have more awareness of the horse.
Horses are wonderful animals. Any sculpture of a horse is a sacred symbol. Horses represent the wild dreams that human beings would like to capture.
When you are riding on the horse you experience oneness. The same thing applies to riding your own state of mind, your own state of being. There are doubts of all kinds. Still, there is an overall sense of togetherness or oneness.
Heaven is our state of mind.
Earth is our physical body and surroundings.
When mind and body are joined together properly, there is a sense of joining heaven and earth. This comes from the sitting practice of meditation, to begin with. We have to sit and slow down.
Your posture should be like a king or queen sitting on a throne.
All sorts of entertainments have been developed so that your mind is kept away from your body.
Because you are a warrior, fulfilling your wishes arises in the context of not harming others, not taking advantage of others. And not causing suffering to oneself or others.
Ashe (pronounced Ah-Shay) is the primordial strike OR strength of life.
Ashe is the sense of constant magic that exists in us already. The only thing we have to do is recognize it.
When you have a problem appreciating a chrysanthemum or the sunshine, that is a sign of fear.
When we connect with other human beings, we touch into our creativity as human beings, and we begin to expand our world. That is the expression of fearlessness.
ZIJI is brilliance and dignity put together, which shines out.
The warrior’s way is to pay attention to communication thoroughly.
If necessary, you can actually say to yourself BASIC GOODNESS. It will help.
Acknowledging that human beings possess goodness is the starting point.
When you are being genuine, that state of being is indestructible.
Genuine communication is based on tuning in to the spark of confidence.
Understanding of sacredness can actually ward off attacks of fear and negativity.
Some communication can only take place in gestures. There are a lot of things words don’t say. That is the biggest frustration of human beings.
As you continue your life’s journey through fear and fearlessness, please remember to appreciate your world. The warrior is one who is brave enough to live peacefully in this world. Courage is needed at every stage of life.
The basic definition for Being a Warrior: EMBRACING GOODNESS
What we need to begin with, is to develop kindness toward ourselves, and then to develop kindness toward others.
Mahatma Ghandi embodied virtue and fearlessness. Like Ghandi, we can become fearless and genuine, gentle and daring. But to do so, we have to keep a sense of humor, always.
Our obstacles can be conquered. So we should cry and fight, as long as we know that the warrior’s cry is a different type of cry and the warrior’s battle is a different type of battle. As a warrior without aggression, you are fearless and good. Even in the darkest of the dark age, there is always light. That light comes with a smile.

The book is about more than just dealing with fear but about living a peaceful, worthwhile life. It’s about becoming a peaceful warrior and facing yourself by practicing meditation.
Greatness that I received from this book are as follows:
When you see fear, you smile. -Chogyam Trungpa
We must learn to smile at fear.
The fundamental fear we have to work with is the fear of losing ourselves.
Anyone who is interested in practicing meditation is basically a warrior.
The approach of the warrior is to face all those situations of fear or cowardice.
Fear is nervousness; fear is anxiety; fear is a sense of inadequacy, a feeling that we may not be able to deal with the challenges of everyday life at all.
The only way to relax with yourself is to open your heart. Then you have a chance to see who you are. This experience is like opening a parachute 🪂.
Whenever you see a bright and beautiful color, you are witnessing your own inherent goodness. Whenever you hear a sweet and beautiful sound, you are hearing your own basic goodness. Whenever you taste something sweet or sour, you are experiencing your own basic goodness. If you are in a room and you open the door and walk outside, there is a sudden breeze of fresh air. Such an experience may last only a second, but that whiff of fresh air is the smell of basic goodness.
It is worthwhile to take advantage of anything that happens to you that has that particular nature of goodness.
The Buddahs who have already gone beyond, exists in us.
To discover the worthy of your existence:
Be with yourself for a long period of time, spendings lots of seconds, minutes, and hours with yourself.
The recommended technique to be with ourselves fully is the practice of meditation...to lead our lives fully.
The growth of warriorship comes from an absence of laziness.
Vajra means having a diamond-like nature, a nature that is indestructible.
Sacredness comes from developing gentleness toward ourselves.
The genuine warrior becomes truly gentle because there is no enemy at all.
The martial arts are quite interesting, because of their way of dealing with problems and exercising the real art of war.
Monks in some monasteries practiced judo, karate, and other martial arts...to learn to control their minds and to develop a balanced way of dealing with situations without involving oneself in hatred and the panic of ego.
The true practice of the martial arts is developing a state in which one is fully confident, fully knowing what one is and what one is trying to do.
If you want to develop a really effective way of challenging something, you have to develop a lot of loving-kindness or even compassion toward your opponents.
The Whole Point: When you do not produce another force of hatred, the opposing force collapses.
To be without fear is to have great strength. The realization of fearlessness is the genuine martial art.
The term warrior relates to the basic situation of being a human being. The heart of the warrior is this basic aliveness or basic goodness.
When people say they are bored, often they mean that they don’t want to experience the sense of emptiness. For the warrior, fearlessness is the opposite of that approach (of cranking things up to occupy yourself with a search for entertainment).
Laziness is an obstacle.
To be a good warrior, one has to feel sad and lonely, but rich and resourceful at the same time. This makes the warrior sensitive to every aspect of phenomena: to sights, smells, sounds, and feelings. The warrior is also an artist, appreciating whatever goes on in the world.
The warrior’s third tool is actually a weapon connected with developing wisdom (prajna). Prajna is the wisdom of discriminating awareness.
The basic vision of warriorship is that there is goodness in everyone.
Trust, then, is being willing to take a chance, knowing that what goes up must come down, as they say.
Sitting on the horse requires balance, and as you acquire that balance in the saddle, you have more awareness of the horse.
Horses are wonderful animals. Any sculpture of a horse is a sacred symbol. Horses represent the wild dreams that human beings would like to capture.
When you are riding on the horse you experience oneness. The same thing applies to riding your own state of mind, your own state of being. There are doubts of all kinds. Still, there is an overall sense of togetherness or oneness.
Heaven is our state of mind.
Earth is our physical body and surroundings.
When mind and body are joined together properly, there is a sense of joining heaven and earth. This comes from the sitting practice of meditation, to begin with. We have to sit and slow down.
Your posture should be like a king or queen sitting on a throne.
All sorts of entertainments have been developed so that your mind is kept away from your body.
Because you are a warrior, fulfilling your wishes arises in the context of not harming others, not taking advantage of others. And not causing suffering to oneself or others.
Ashe (pronounced Ah-Shay) is the primordial strike OR strength of life.
Ashe is the sense of constant magic that exists in us already. The only thing we have to do is recognize it.
When you have a problem appreciating a chrysanthemum or the sunshine, that is a sign of fear.
When we connect with other human beings, we touch into our creativity as human beings, and we begin to expand our world. That is the expression of fearlessness.
ZIJI is brilliance and dignity put together, which shines out.
The warrior’s way is to pay attention to communication thoroughly.
If necessary, you can actually say to yourself BASIC GOODNESS. It will help.
Acknowledging that human beings possess goodness is the starting point.
When you are being genuine, that state of being is indestructible.
Genuine communication is based on tuning in to the spark of confidence.
Understanding of sacredness can actually ward off attacks of fear and negativity.
Some communication can only take place in gestures. There are a lot of things words don’t say. That is the biggest frustration of human beings.
As you continue your life’s journey through fear and fearlessness, please remember to appreciate your world. The warrior is one who is brave enough to live peacefully in this world. Courage is needed at every stage of life.
The basic definition for Being a Warrior: EMBRACING GOODNESS
What we need to begin with, is to develop kindness toward ourselves, and then to develop kindness toward others.
Mahatma Ghandi embodied virtue and fearlessness. Like Ghandi, we can become fearless and genuine, gentle and daring. But to do so, we have to keep a sense of humor, always.
Our obstacles can be conquered. So we should cry and fight, as long as we know that the warrior’s cry is a different type of cry and the warrior’s battle is a different type of battle. As a warrior without aggression, you are fearless and good. Even in the darkest of the dark age, there is always light. That light comes with a smile.

August 1, 2018
Look, I am not trying to be funny here, but this book did not help me align my chakra.
I admit, I am not much of a meditator or a yoga person. I don't have anything against it - in fact, I encourage it to find balance in your life and get rid of negative energy. If performed well, it is proven to provide peacefulness in an otherwise chaotic world. However, maybe that's the problem. As much as want to have a moment of peacefulness, my apartment does not have a single room of quietness. I can't turn my mind off and focus on nothingness for even a minute. Even my bathroom echos the pointless arguments my neighbors are having.
Perhaps I can go to library but I even found those to be filled with teenagers and people who don't silence their phones, distracted from their studies from endless "dings" and screen notifications. I just don't want or should be required to leave my home for peacefulness. It is my sanctuary and sometimes I feel like it will never be a good place to reflect on yourself and be in peace with who I am. This is just the way life tend to be.
In terms of this book, I don't know what to think. It is filled with numerous similes/metaphors that I honestly think got lost in translation. For a big portion of the book I went back and reread parts trying to understand the point, but I don't think I got it. I think I got it but I don't know if I fully do.
I think the message of opening ourselves and living in the moment by being fearless of who we are and what we do or say is very important, but I just don't think the advice was presented in the right light.
R.S
I admit, I am not much of a meditator or a yoga person. I don't have anything against it - in fact, I encourage it to find balance in your life and get rid of negative energy. If performed well, it is proven to provide peacefulness in an otherwise chaotic world. However, maybe that's the problem. As much as want to have a moment of peacefulness, my apartment does not have a single room of quietness. I can't turn my mind off and focus on nothingness for even a minute. Even my bathroom echos the pointless arguments my neighbors are having.
Perhaps I can go to library but I even found those to be filled with teenagers and people who don't silence their phones, distracted from their studies from endless "dings" and screen notifications. I just don't want or should be required to leave my home for peacefulness. It is my sanctuary and sometimes I feel like it will never be a good place to reflect on yourself and be in peace with who I am. This is just the way life tend to be.
In terms of this book, I don't know what to think. It is filled with numerous similes/metaphors that I honestly think got lost in translation. For a big portion of the book I went back and reread parts trying to understand the point, but I don't think I got it. I think I got it but I don't know if I fully do.
I think the message of opening ourselves and living in the moment by being fearless of who we are and what we do or say is very important, but I just don't think the advice was presented in the right light.
R.S
October 4, 2013
Breve nota: Chögyam Trungpa (1940-1987) nasceu no Tibete e já foi reconhecido como uma grande mestre reencarnado. Em 1959, para fugir da perseguição dos comunistas chineses, atravessou os Himalaias a pé e chegou à Índia, onde ficou durante anos. De lá foi pra Inglaterra, onde ensinou meditação e, quando se casou, foi para os Estados Unidos e aí permaneceu. Ele foi um dos primeiros mestres tibetanos a ensinar o budismo em inglês, fundou inúmeros centros, teve centenas de discípulos – entre eles, a famosa Pema Chödrön, autora de Quando Tudo se Desfaz – e criou o programa Shambhala de meditação. Não foi pouco, ainda mais para uma curta vida.
Neste livro, organizado por Carolyn Rose Gimian, Chögyam usa a metáfora do guerreiro para mostrar como devemos enfrentar com coragem o medo. Contém alguns exemplos pessoais – que sempre ficam parecendo excessivamente cabotinos fora do círculo de admiração de um mestre – , e inúmeras historinhas edificantes. No final, a mensagem é pra que você medite. O medo sempre estará lá. A coragem pode ser adquirida – mas apenas se houver meditação.
Prefiro o livro de Pema: é mais carinhoso, mais real, mais próximo. Mas não sou discípula de Chögyam, então posso estar equivocada. Cabe a você decidir. Trouxe amostras que talvez o ajudem.
Leia o restante desta resenha com citações e trechos selecionados em: http://asmelhorespartes.blogspot.com....
Neste livro, organizado por Carolyn Rose Gimian, Chögyam usa a metáfora do guerreiro para mostrar como devemos enfrentar com coragem o medo. Contém alguns exemplos pessoais – que sempre ficam parecendo excessivamente cabotinos fora do círculo de admiração de um mestre – , e inúmeras historinhas edificantes. No final, a mensagem é pra que você medite. O medo sempre estará lá. A coragem pode ser adquirida – mas apenas se houver meditação.
Prefiro o livro de Pema: é mais carinhoso, mais real, mais próximo. Mas não sou discípula de Chögyam, então posso estar equivocada. Cabe a você decidir. Trouxe amostras que talvez o ajudem.
Leia o restante desta resenha com citações e trechos selecionados em: http://asmelhorespartes.blogspot.com....
March 27, 2015
The worlds greatest fear, the book suggests is the fear of ourselves. We feel ashamed and embarrassed to look at our feelings or acknowledge our styles of thinking and acting; 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.To conquer the fear, the book suggests every one of us to be ourselves. It suggests us to look at the fear, explore it rather than avoiding it. A fearless person is 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. This book is filled with so many gems like "fearlessness is unconditional because you are neither on the side of success nor on the side of failure. Success and failure are your journey."
Remember this.When you are frightened by something, you have to relate with fear, explore why you are frightened, and develop some sense of conviction. You can actually look at fear. Then fear ceases to be the dominant situation that is going to defeat you. Fear can be conquered. You can be free from fear, if you realize that fear is not the ogre. You can step on fear, and therefore you can attain what is known as fearlessness. But that requires that, when you see fear, you smile.
Highly inspirational and highly recommended in today's world where sense of fear and sense of insecurity prevails everywhere.
Remember this.When you are frightened by something, you have to relate with fear, explore why you are frightened, and develop some sense of conviction. You can actually look at fear. Then fear ceases to be the dominant situation that is going to defeat you. Fear can be conquered. You can be free from fear, if you realize that fear is not the ogre. You can step on fear, and therefore you can attain what is known as fearlessness. But that requires that, when you see fear, you smile.
Highly inspirational and highly recommended in today's world where sense of fear and sense of insecurity prevails everywhere.
November 16, 2020
Trungpa was a con man who formed a cult, in some ways similar to Donald Trump. Contrary to the descriptions of his sexual relations with students provided by other reviewers, he was a predator who, for example, had his cult followers violently sexually assault poets W.S. Merwin and Dana Noane while he watched and taunted them with racist insults. Trungpa's Shambhala successors carried on his hateful legacy - one of them concealed his HIV infection and infected many students, at least one of whom died, and Trungpa's son has been accused of multiple accounts of rape. I attended a tradition Tibetan temple with my family for years and we were always treated with love consistent with the teachings of the buddha and when I asked about Shambhala, I was told that it had nothing to do with buddhism. I recommend reading Andrea Winn's Buddhist Project Sunshine.
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