sitting calmly is a good way to begin

A venerable Tibetan teacher points the way. His instructions presume that we sit quietly to help calm body and mind. Kindly read before clicking on the sound file below —

“The very act of dealing with fear is attaining fearlessness. We don’t do two things—first overcoming fear and then starting on the project of developing fearlessness. All the fears are not going to just magically disappear. We will need to develop stability and insight.

Stability in itself is not sufficient. Feeling a bit more calm and relaxed is not sufficient to overcome the deep sense of anxiety and anxiousness at the core of our being. To overcome it we need insight, which, according to Buddhism, involves profound reflection on our lives.

That includes looking deeply at our fear. Looking deeply shows us its nature and teaches us how to work with it.” *

Sitting calmly. Meditation #3 (13.55 mins.)

* Traleg Kyabgon Rimpoche (1955–2012) was educated by great masters of the four major lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. He taught extensively and is the author of numerous books, including The Essence of Buddhism and Mind at Ease. Source: “Seek a spiritual ground” in Tricycle, 25 May 2017.