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Smile at Fear
- Awakening the True Heart of Bravery
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman, Karen White, Steven Crossley
- Length: 3 hrs and 59 mins
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Smile at Fear
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Summary
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, of financial hardship, or of losing a loved one. Chögyam Trungpa shows us that most of us suffer from a far more pervasive fearfulness: 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.
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 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 this audiobook, he offers the insights and strategies to claim victory over fear.
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What listeners say about Smile at Fear
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- LINKGEO
- 24-07-15
Accessible Buddhist mentality
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes. Gives alternative and practical advice on dealing with a common modern day issue
What did you like best about this story?
The humor the author uses to relate the subject to the listener regardless of there geographical location be it the East or West
Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favourite?
Only a Narrator in this book. The voice was pleasing to listen too and very apt for the subject matter
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Noo. I felt it was better to split the book into smaller chunks to absorb the subject better. I listened in about four sittings.
Any additional comments?
Excellent listen, more practical and useful than one might imagine, easily absorbed by people with little or no history in Eastern philosophy and teaching
7 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Libby from London
- 20-05-21
so good
I loved this. Chogyam Trungpa explains things in such an honest, humorous and lucid way. This book in particular develops a narrative of ideas in a clear and progressive manner that it helped me recognise the universal truth of what he was describing in my own experiences. This is immensely reassuring and gives me confidence and a willingness to trust the dharma. Samsara is something to be embraced and used because its traps and pitfalls can be used as fuel for greater understanding, its loneliness as fuel for compassion, and fear as the stepping stone to fearlessness.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- D.Fish
- 17-01-19
Not what I was expecting (10x better)
simply put, this book is easily digestible, accessible and an enjoyable read. well performed too.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Savvy
- 14-06-18
Couldn’t get into it.
The narrator did a good job but unfortunately the book itself wasn’t something i could relate too. Bit of a weird teaching!
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Llew Watkins
- 23-03-22
Excellent wisdom and inspiration
Love this though I personally found the narrator to be quite irritating. The text itself is excellent, straightforward and profound at the same time as well as very entertaining.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Roxana Iulia
- 13-02-22
Good book
A lot of information about fear, how to tackle it and also understand where it comes from.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- ZK
- 08-01-22
Lovely narrator voice
Definitely a book that I will be listening to again and again. Very insightful. 👌🏻
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Z. L. Reynolds
- 06-12-21
One of the best things I have ever read
The narration is a bit odd but this is one of the best books I've 'read'. I'm gonna look for more books by this author. Amazing stuff!
1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 05-10-21
Some good content, but some distracting elements.
The narration is problematic; it sounds quite wry and almost sarcastic, where the material suits a more powerful and grounded voice. there are some obscure references and examples used to make points, which doesn't help with the clarity of the message.
The strength is in the assuredness of the overall message; It promotes a strength based on gentleness, patience and understanding. There are also some basic messages repeated frequently that will work. 'Just Meditate' would be one of them, and it doesn' try to make this any grander an event than it needs to be: there's some basic instruction anyone could follow, then you simply do it every day. It's this kind of thing that works best.
I think there are more engaging books on the topic of improving oneself, reimagining the World and interacting with others that are more concisely written and presented. This is by no means a bad text, just maybe more of a companion to works by Eckart Tolle, Alan Watts and the like.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Luke Michaelson L
- 05-10-21
describes a long journey in a short narration.
this is a how to with very little religious crap.
explains how to meditate, and some of the issues.
this is a good introduction to meditation and Buddhism. and is very well narrated, which kept me engaged and not wanting to switch off.
occasionally though I did have to go back 30 seconds, but I think this is because of my lapse of attention. fearlessness within fear is a good idea but remaining unattached to fear while witnessing it, is a lifetimes work. thanks for the book being free I was able to listen to it and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will be listening to it again for the nuggets of realisation and instructions, that I missed the first time around. Again thank you for the producer of this book for making free to audible, you have done a good service which I thank you for. All the best to those that read this and hopefully we meet along the path to realisation and enlightenment.
Remembering that we are here to learn to be ourselves more and not run away has helped me and I hope it helps you. Peace
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sara
- 18-12-14
Essential & Powerful
I started out listening to this recording at bedtime. It seemed to me at first to be a peaceful way to wind down and relax after a stressful day. Well--I hate to admit it but that ended up not working out. Instead, I was activated and kept wide awake listening and hanging on every word. I found myself wishing repeatedly that I had a light on, a pen and paper to take notes.
The message presented in this book is a primary and powerful teaching. Necessary information needed to cope with and live in a scary world. This book deserves wide awake time and the several full listen throughs I have devoted already. Completely worth the time and attention required. A recommended listen.
96 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- C. Hoyt
- 26-06-15
You will only like if you are ready.
I found this book to be brilliant. The analogies and the history and the culture in which the author speaks from spoke to my heart directly. It's difficult. It's hard. And at times it felt like it made me go insane. But through that darkness I was able to experience a lightness I have never experienced before. I've had little glimpses here and there, but now the teachings seems to hang like a weather pattern. Sure storms come and go, but there's a calmness, and acceptance, and a delight. I would not recommend this book for new practitioners, but for one who has been on the path for some time and is looking for something challenging, something with meat per se, and ready to launch to the next level of awakening. May this book bring you happiness and help ease your suffering.
42 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Gillian
- 15-01-15
Would've Been Great if I Had Some Experience..."
I got this book because it addresses fear, (I have trouble ordering coffee, for gosh sake: "No, really, sir. I asked for a SOY mocha," etc. etc.) and I wanted to go at it from a different angle.
I think there were great concepts there, it was soothing, everything was okay.
But, really? A week later? I honestly can't tell you a thing about it, and that's not the book's fault. It's just that my mind jackrabbits around too much to hold onto anything. I have far too little experience with mindfulness/meditation, with focus.
I think other people who already practice meditation and are able to focus their thoughts will find this book to be wonderful, eye-opening, soothing. And maybe one day, after some taming of the hamsters running around in my brain, I'll be one of them. Alas, not at the moment
34 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Justin
- 01-05-16
Metaphor upon metaphor
I have not yet understood this text; perhaps it isn't the right time for me yet.
If you are considering this text, please note that Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche seemed to have a penchant for using metaphor to describe virtually any and all aspects of Buddhism and Buddhist practice. In this way, the text becomes perhaps unnecessarily esoteric. Using metaphors such as "wind horse" and "the setting sun world" when clearer terminology are immediately available in English adds a step of translation that is at times frustrating.
I'm certain that it is just my ignorance and immaturity that leads me to write such a critical review, but if it finds resonance with you, perhaps consider "Breath Sweeps Mind" as a clearer and entirely different approach to discussing meditation and facing one's fears.
22 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Troy
- 19-03-15
Abstract, Yet Practical
There is much about Eastern philosophy that I find to be abstract, but I also find that the more I directly engage with it, the more practical it becomes. One of my hobbies is the study of Western (Medieval and Renaissance) martial arts, which relies more on direct application of the system, but not so much on the higher philosophies or mindsets as with the Eastern counterparts. For my part, this is the biggest reason why I find a disconnect between Arthurian chivalry and real world knighthood. Western systems concentrate on "I hit you, you hit the floor," with any strategy directed towards that singular goal. Conversely, any Eastern system embraces the idea of victory of self that leads to victory over situation, which I find most helpful to my own studies, on and off the "battlefield." This book takes that premise and goes even further.
This book is a real treasure. It defines the idea of the warrior in a way the Western world never truly developed (as a being at one with peace itself through compassion) and applies it both in spiritual terms and in terms of putting a weapon in your hand. The result is a system of thought that not only helps you to evolve as a person, but also a system that evolves with you, leading you to new discoveries that reinforce the lessons. I can't help but knowingly smile when obvious or perceived weaknesses in the Western system are pointed out by comparison of the material presented here. On its own, this is an amazing collection of wisdom. When used in conjunction with or merely compared to Sun Tzu's The Art of War or Morihei Ueshiba's The Art of Peace, the building blocks of enlightenment seem to put themselves together even faster. I'm not sure the Buddhists would appreciate such use of their lessons, but for purposes of my own personal development, I am beyond pleased with the concepts this solidifies and/or opens for me.
21 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 02-11-18
Smug and condescending voice
Hard to absorb the message of peace when the narrator sounds like he is annoyed by how stupid the listener is. It's as though he could follow each sentence with "you idiot".
16 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Angela
- 07-01-15
Word!
This book reminds you of who you are and it helps you step in & stay in your rightful position in the universe. What's better than that?
15 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Diana G. Butler
- 01-11-15
changed my life. freedom from fear is true freedom
The author gives the lessons in such simple terms it is the ultimate aha moment that ends with a tear of gratitude and a peaceful warrior awakened
14 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Jovan
- 17-01-15
really loved this book
you won't be disappointed very wize words and very deep. very good price as well
6 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 29-09-17
Overly.... Utterly metaphorical.
Looking for my next Audible title, I was awake and drinking coffee in the enlightened forest excited for the next leg of my journey. I was standing in the damp wood before dawn. I wanted to find a field. Here I knew that the bright rays of the eastern sun would be raising. It would dry my mental loincloth.
I stood, as always, in contemplation regarding which region of the landscape of mental discourse I would explore.
Would I go west, and pluck from the young but abundant branches of modern science? This fruit is always so uniform. It undergoes rigorous inspection after all. Each grower having two jobs, as they do, one of growing their own fruit and the other of inspecting for flaws in the neighborhood crops.
No! Today I would go to the east. To the old wood. Here, the trees are so mature. No genetic modification and they have proven nourishing for countless generations. This is the very origin of the seeds grown in the west. Perhaps having a worm here or there. But utterly delicious to a mind whose teeth are rotting from the perpetual dose of high fructose mental corn syrup in our modern discourse and discord.
I selected this field. It was compelling. Offering the fruit for which I have been searching and seems so rarely to be found.
But alas..... If you find this style of writing irritating you won't like this book. It's not that the metaphor is indecipherable it's just continuous and seems a little superfluous. Sometimes a metaphor helps and sometimes (called Most) you can just say it.
But Chogyam Trungpa doesn't agree with me there.
5 people found this helpful