From Fear to Fearlessness

Teachings on the Four Great Catalysts of Awakening

By: Pema Chödrön

Narrated by: Pema Chödrön

Where will we look when we are afraid? How do we find strength? In what can we place our trust? According to Tibetan Buddhism, there are four noble aspirations, known as the Four Great Catalysts of Awakening, which we can call on to cultivate strength and openness in any situation.From Fear to Fearlessness brings us into the company of beloved teacher Pema Chödrön to discover and cultivate these four immeasurables: maitri (loving-kindness), compassion, joy, and equanimity. They are our greatest antidote to fear, teaches Ani Pema. By practicing them, we begin to experience a supreme steadfastness and peace independent of conditions. Join the best-selling author of When Things Fall Apart to learn:

• How self-acceptance overcomes the judging mind
• Using honesty as a conduit to the parts of ourselves that need kindness and love the most
Maitri: the meditation practice that multiplies love
• And more!

The definition of an enlightened being is one who is completely fearless, teaches Pema Chödrön. With guided meditations, rare heart teachings, and Ani Pema's trademark humor, here is a timeless path from fear to fearlessness.

Note: Excerpted from the full-length audio course The Noble Heart.

©2007 Pema Chödrön (P)2007 Pema Chödrön

So useful and applicable in my life. Love her teachings.

Listened to it on audible several times. Each time I gained a better insight. It made me feel excited about living an expansive and joyous life and also helped me recognize when I limit and close myself to this joy.

Yes!

I love Pema! She's awesome! She's wise! She's funny! I laughed, I cried, I grew. What's not to love! Thank you Pema!

Always changed by Pema

I always get so much out of Pema's teachings and almost go into a trance listening to her voice. I am always changed by her.

Compassion exercises taught to do for ourselves and others

Ani Pema explains carefully and thoroughly how and why to do tong len, compassion exercises, for ourselves and our friends and not-so-friends. As always, her teaching is clear, full of real world examples and feels appropriate for daily life. Another gem.

Pithy and Most Helpful

One of Ani Pema's best! She offers many practical and employable teachings. Especially meaningful is her talk on compassion.

This is what you need to do to understand this bok

OKay, the first chapter is very good (50 min),
Then you get confused.
Then the last chapter is good (50min).

You have to read it TWICE so you could understand what the first chapter is really all about, after you read the last chapter.
The last chapter is KEY to understand the first chapter.

At first I didn't understand how you become from fear to fearlessness, since she doesn't give you it like you are 10 years old.
I thought she don't discuss it at all. But only after reading it for the second time! I GOT IT!

Fearlessness = Enlightenment = flexible fluid free mind
Fear = Non-Enlightenment or EGO = rigid fixed frozen mind

In order to get from Fear to fearlessness you need to experience the fear which is analogous to FROZEN STREAM
and MELT it to FLUID STREAM, only then, you get enlightened and you will experience fearlessness.
This is much similar to the HOLE theory which states that only after you experience the HOLE or suffering or FEAR, you heal it, and then you become WHOLE or ENLIGHTENED or FEARLESSNESS.

I got the Idea here that FEAR is like RAIN. ONLY when you accept that it is happening, your mind becomes fluid and the fear is melted away. Just like in the NOVEL DUNE.
TRY to see FEAR as if you are suddenly getting totally wet by RAIN. The fear is happening, I am afraid, now what?

Crucial topic

I truly view teachings by Pema Chodron as medicine. It seems to assist me in placing all things in my day into prospective.

Pema is authentic

I love this author and all of her material. I can sense her genuine knowledge through her own experience of subjects discussed. She continues to be a real inspiration to my practice!

I couldn't relate to this one...

I've had a mixed experience with Pema Chödrön. Out of all the books and audiobooks I've read or listened to, I found she had this kind of naïvety that I felt kept her from really understanding certain issues. Her advice ends up feeling so unsuitable and uninformed that if I were speaking with her in person, I'd probably just give a blank stare, squeeze out an "okay, thanks," and walk away knowing not to ask her something so serious again. With titles like "The Places That Scare You" and "From Fear to Fearlessness," you'd think she'd understand extreme fear and trauma enough to speak about it with perspective, but that wisdom just doesn't feel like it's there. I know a good intent is, and a willingness to help, but she just isn't suited for the job because on a certain level, she just doesn't seem to understand. This shows in the relative lightness of the books -- where fear is more about not telling your spouse something embarrassing, rather than dealing with abuse or PTSD, serious depression or anxiety. Now I'm not saying this book couldn't help you -- it may. Just be cautious about assigning it the job of helping with something serious. These books she writes seem like suggestions more for normal life issues, not for when all hell breaks loose. In those cases, I'd say go elsewhere to someone either more experienced, with more personal understanding, or who isn't shy about really digging down at that awful stuff -- because that's where you need to go to fix it, trust me.