Smile at Fear: Awakening the True Heart of Bravery

Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's profound teachings on fearlessness and warrior spirit, compiled and introduced by Pema Chödrön—a transformative exploration of how to cultivate genuine bravery by facing fear directly, awakening the warrior heart, and living with authenticity and courage in a world of uncertainty, creating one of the most essential works on fearlessness in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition.

Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche (1939-1987), the pioneering Tibetan Buddhist teacher who brought Shambhala teachings to the West, delivered these teachings on fearlessness and the warrior path throughout his life. After his death, his student Pema Chödrön compiled and introduced this collection, making his profound insights on fear and bravery accessible to contemporary readers. The book explores the Shambhala warrior tradition—not a warrior who conquers others but one who conquers fear, cultivates gentleness and compassion, and lives with authentic courage and presence.

What you'll discover:

• The nature of fear and how it limits our lives and awareness
• Smiling at fear—meeting it directly rather than avoiding or fighting it
• The Shambhala warrior path: cultivating bravery, gentleness, and authentic presence
• How meditation practice develops fearlessness and awareness
• The relationship between fear and ego, and how letting go creates freedom
• Windhorse—the energy of basic goodness and unconditional confidence
• Living with uncertainty and groundlessness as a path to awakening
• Pema Chödrön's personal reflections on applying these teachings

Trungpa's central teaching is radical: we don't overcome fear by eliminating it but by facing it directly, even smiling at it. Fear arises from our attempt to protect the ego, to maintain solid ground in a groundless world. When we stop fighting fear and instead meet it with openness and curiosity, it loses its power over us. This is the warrior's path—not conquering enemies but befriending our own experience, including fear, and discovering the fearlessness that comes from letting go of the need for security and control.

What makes this book essential for your contemplative library is its vision of fearlessness as a spiritual path. Trungpa teaches that genuine bravery isn't the absence of fear but the willingness to be present with whatever arises—fear, uncertainty, groundlessness—without trying to escape or solidify our experience. This requires meditation practice, which trains us to stay present with our experience rather than constantly seeking distraction or comfort. Through this practice, we discover windhorse—the natural energy and confidence that comes from connecting with our basic goodness.

Pema Chödrön's introduction and commentary throughout the book provide context and personal reflection, making Trungpa's sometimes challenging teachings more accessible. She shares how these teachings have shaped her own practice and life, offering a bridge between Trungpa's profound insights and contemporary readers' experiences. The result is a book that honors the depth of the Shambhala tradition while remaining practical and relevant to anyone seeking to live with greater courage and authenticity.

The Shambhala warrior tradition emphasizes gentleness alongside bravery—the warrior's strength comes not from aggression but from tenderness, openness, and compassion. This vision of warriorship is deeply needed in our time: the courage to face difficulty without hardening, to remain open in a world of uncertainty, and to act with compassion and wisdom rather than fear and aggression.

Smile at Fear has become an essential text in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition and a beloved guide for anyone seeking to cultivate genuine fearlessness and authentic living. It stands as one of Trungpa's most accessible and transformative works, offering timeless wisdom on fear, courage, and the warrior path.

Perfect for: Readers of Pema Chödrön and Chögyam Trungpa, students of Shambhala Buddhism and warrior training, those working with fear and seeking genuine courage, practitioners of meditation and contemplative practice, readers interested in Buddhist psychology and fearlessness, anyone facing uncertainty and groundlessness, students of humanistic and transpersonal psychology, and contemplative readers seeking wisdom on authentic living and the warrior spirit.

This paperback edition presents Chögyam Trungpa's profound teachings on fearlessness, compiled and introduced by Pema Chödrön—a transformative guide to awakening the warrior heart and living with genuine courage.