CUTTING THROUGH FEAR

A Tibetan Buddhist nun, the author explains the history and practice of Chöd, the method used by Tibetan Buddhists to embrace and dissolve fears, worries, and troublesome needs. Though the approach shares some features with Western psychotherapy, it relies more on awareness than effort to work these problems out. Face your conflicts, and they will become integrated into the whole of your being, sometimes appearing again, but in a healthy knowing context, rather than being surprising or overwhelming. The meditations offered may take practice; some of the graphic symbolism will take some adaptation. But overall these ideas are similar enough to Western notions of conflict resolution and healing catharsis to make sense to Westerners. A deeply sensible approach to fears that Buddhists and non-Buddhists will understand. T.W. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 02]