THE PLACES THAT SCARE YOU Books by Perna Chodron Awakening Loving-Kindness Comfortable With Uncertainty No Time to Lose The Places That Scare You Practicing Peace in Times of War Start Where You Are When Things Fall Apart The WISdom ofNo Escape To the Sixteenth Karmapa. Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and ChCJgyam Trungpa Rinpoche, who taught me what it means to be fearless. Shambbala Publications, Inc. Horticultural Hall 300 Massachuseru Avenue Boston, Ma.....chusens 02115 www.sl....nbluzja.com e 2001 by Perna COOdron Epigraph on page 116 from "Timely Rain" by ChOgyam Trungpa. from Timely Rain by Chogyam Trungpa. C 19720. 1983. 1998 by Diana J Mukpo. Reprinted by arrangement with Shambbala Publications, Inc., Boston, MA, 0211S. Four Limitless Ones chant as presented in appendix 2 is translated by tbe Nalanda Translation Committee. Transiation of The Root Tat uf tly Snom Points of Tmining :hI! Mind e 1'}31, 1986 by Cbiigyam Trungpa; revised translation e 1993 by Diana J. Mukpo and the Niilanda TranslatIOn Committee. All rights reserved. No part of tbis book rnav be reproduced in any form or by an)' means, electronic or mechaniul. including photocopying, recording. or by any information storage and retneval ,)"tem. without permission in writing from the pUblisher. The author's proceed. from this book will be donated to Garnpo Abbey. Pltasant Bay. Nova Scotia, Canada WE 2PO. Cover photograph by Michael Wood 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 PRINTED IN SINGAPORE Distributed in the UnIted States by Random House. Inc., and In Canada by Random Hou� of Canada Ltd F,rs t Mas< Markel Edition: March 2007 ISBN-13: �78-1-59030-449-S The sale of this book without its cover is unauthorized. If you purchased this book without a was cover, you should be aware that it reponed to the publisher as "unsold and destroyed.» Neither the author nor the publisher has received payment for the sale of this "stripped book." The Places That Scare You A GUIDE TO FEARLESSNESS IN DIFFICULT TIMES PEMA CHODRON * SHAMBHALA Boston 2007 Confess your hidden faults. Approach what you find repulsive. Help those you think you cannot help. Anything you are attached to, let it go. Go to places that scare you. -ADVICE FROM HER TEACHER TO THE TIBETAN YOGINI MACHIK LABDRON CONTENTS 1. Acknowledgments xi Prologue 1 T he Excellence of Bodhichitta 3 2. Tapping Into the Spring 3· The Facts of Life 4· Leaming to Stay 5· Warrior Sl ogans 6. Four Limitless Qualities 7· Loving- Kindness 8. Compassion 9· Tonglen 10. Finding the Ability to Rejoice 11. Enhancing the Training in Joy 11 22 31 50 54 63 70 87 12. Thinking Bigger 90 13· Meeting the Enemy 97 14· Fresh Start 105 15· Strength 108 16. Three Kinds of Laziness 116 IX CONTENTS 17· Bodhisattva Activity 122 18. Groundlessness 131 Neurosis 19. Heightened 20. When the Going Gets Rough 21. The Spiritual Friend 22. The In-Between State Concluding Aspiration APPENDIX: 140 145 151 158 163 Practices The Mind-Training Slogans ofAtisha The Four Limitless Ones Chant 165 169 Loving-Kindness Practice 170 Compassion Practice 171 The Three-Step Aspiration 173 Bibliography 175 Resources 179 Books by Perna ChOdriht 183 x ACKNOWLEDGMENTS HERE ARE FIVE PEOPLE whom I particularly to thank for helping bring this book to life: T want my monastic brother T ingdzin Otro, whose work on my talks was invaluable; Tamar Ellentuck, who was an excellent and loyal secretary to me through some very difficult times; Gigi Sims, transcriber extraordinaire; my good friend Helen Tworkov, who gave me the per­ fect place to write; and most of all, my longtime friend and editor, Emily Hilburn Sell, who put her whole heart into this book, extending herself with fearless warriorship. I would also like to thank the many other people who have transcribed my talks over the past five years: Migme ChOdron, Lynne Van de Bunte, Eugene and Helen Tashima, Susan Stowens, Alexis Shaw, Bill and Eileen Fell, Rohana Greenwood, and Barbara Blouin. I wish to thank Soledad Gonzalez for her loving­ kindness. My profound appreciation goes to J6ko Beck and Ezra Bayda, whose work has had a major influence on me. In particular I want to acknowledge Ezra's influence in the chapter on meditation. Xl