Fear: A Study of Fear Through Buddhist Mindfulness

I stumbled upon this book after years of dealing with growing fear, anxiety and anger-related issues that were greatly impacting my private and professional life, robbing me of a good night's sleep and just plain making life miserable. When I bought this book, I was battling moderate depression that was transitioning to severe depression, I knew I had to act fast before it completely incapacitated me. I noticed in the comments that someone had recovered from a moderate depression and I had also heard talks by Thich Nhat Hahn online which attracted my interest with their 'unconventional' approach. I was ready to put any good advice into practice and not just for the short term. Not only was the mere reading of this book comforting and relieving for me, but the exercises it introduces helped me transform fear in an unconventional way. Though in the presence of intense emotions, perhaps even in a panic attack, my first reflex was to run, to find a way to escape, the exercises suggest meeting it head on - but not with aggression or in a challenging manner as proposed by some of the inevitably flawed techniques I have tried - but with compassion, curiosity and concern. Thich Nhat Hahn suggests that we observe our emotions, acknowledge them - even handle them with the concern we would for a crying baby through deep listening - and begin to work our way back into the present moment, back to ourselves. By sticking to the exercises in this book and filling my mind with good food for thought (reading more books on this subject, watching dharma by Thich Nhat Hahn on youtube), I moved from being consumed by despair, fear, frustration and the psychosomatic illness that accompanies it to being on the road to recovery. About four and half weeks after starting the book and encountering 'Thay's' approach to 'the art of suffering' I am working again at full capacity, sleeping through the night for over two weeks now, restoring harmony to my relationships and starting to enjoy life again, which is no small feat considering where I started only a month ago. I am also experiencing a clarity of mind that I have almost never experienced. As my back was up against a wall, I started practicing his exercises right away and multiple times every day in a gentle and cautious fashion. I believe that this and good food for thought were what got me back on track - without drugs or any other treatment of any kind. I have read many books on how to deal with fear, phobias and panic attacks, still my depression and anxiety continued to advance and cripple my life even further. I stumbled upon the books by Thich Nhat Hahn quite literally in my darkest hour. I hope that my story can give others in crisis and despair the hope to carry on. Barely a month after starting this book, I am largely restored, but still have a ways to go so I will be continuing to practice and to gain insight through introspection, mindfulness and reading more Thich Nhat Hahn not to mention others like him. As I regain my strength, I am compelled to share this experience to help others suffering like I did.

Thich Nhat Hanh is gifted in the way that he is able to share his thoughts about a tough subject in a calm, simple, easy to understand manner. Do not hesitate to get this book. I got this book because I was dealing with the aftermath of my first-ever panic attack several months ago. I have never pegged myself as being an anxious person, but I got anxiety and fearful thinking as a bonus after the ordeal. I was on a personal developmental journey the last year and a half, but the last few months was the real challenge. I had to rely on myself and build resilience on my own, even though I had a great support group of family and friends. It was one of those things that I knew deep down inside that whatever I did moving forward, I would have to walk this path alone. It was scary because I never relied on myself like that. In the beginning, it was riddled with self-doubt, anxiety, and a lot of fear. I was scared of the concept of 'death' from a very early age. I didn't understand it, and quite frankly, it's not a topic that is brought up at the dinner table. So, I never really got a chance to explore this concept. Not to get dramatic, but I thought I was dying when I had my panic attack. I had to peel a lot of layers to get to the very core of all my anxiety and fears, and that was due to the concept of death. I wanted to live my life powerfully, fearlessly, full of love and gratitude but it would be very short-lived. Paradoxically, to live well, one must also make friends and be at peace with death. This book artfully approaches this topic. There's one sentence in that particular chapter that empowered me like no other books I have read combined. The following day after reading 'Fear', I felt peace and contentment that I hadn't felt in a very long time. Of course, I still face moments from time to time where I feel anxious or fearful, but I am better equipped to handling those situations and as with anything in life, it takes practice to get better. I am eternally grateful that Thich Nhat Hanh imparted his wisdom.

This book gives practical exercises that are helping me deal with anxieties endemic to modern life. What I admire about the author’s techniques, is that they do not require purchases of equipment or programs; all that is required is the ability to breath, the desire to practice the techniques recommended, and an open mind. Highly recommended.

Why are we afraid? Well, for one thing, we are all afraid deep down of one thing-annihilation ( well, to be honest, I was afraid of trying to spell annihilation also !) We are afraid of many things really-being unloved, going broke, losing our jobs. Really though, if you ask yourself the question, why am I afraid of being made fun of? Let's get to the bottom of this. If someone makes fun of me, that means they don't like me. If they don't like me, then others won't like me. If others don't like me, I will have no one. If i have no one, I will be miserable and alone. If i am miserable and alone, I will die. If seems dramatic when I write it all down, but if you really dig deep, this is the real reason why we feel bad when someone doesn't "love" us. If i get fired, I'm unloved. If you get dumped, you feel unloved. Being loved is one of the basic human needs. We all have this basic desire to just survive. Stop looking at every moment of suffering as something that drums up old feelings. The past is gone. When we get anxious, we live in the future, When you are depressed, you live in the past. Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us to be mindful. To accept our past. To realize, we are all pieces of the same puzzle. He reminds us , we will die. Everyone we love, will die. Absolutely nothing is permanent. We can't take anything with us, yet every day we try and accumulate more. More money, more fame. We do this because we believe the more we have, the better we will feel. The better we feel, the less we will die. This is obviously not true. Once you accept impermanence, and accept the fact that one day, we will get old and die, then you will really find peace, It's not from accumulation. Peace comes from acceptance of the inevitable. This all may sound morbid, but this is the essential beliefs of Buddhism. There is no birth and no death. Anyway, I am probably getting a bit deep for this review. I think any read by Thich is a great read. He has a calming style in his writing and his books put things in perspective. I prefer his "Miracle of Mindfulness," but i think this is a quick easy read that is a nice addition to anyone's spiritual journey. The reason I took a star off is because I think it gets a little weird at points. There are some good meditations in here, but there are points where he says, sit down, and talk to your inner child by pretending they are sitting across from you. Maybe some may enjoy this, but I just felt strange attempting to do it. Anyway, I hope you all find peace in your never ending journey!

I have read some of Thicht Nhat Hahn's writings in the past and have viewed many of his talks on You Tube. I recently purchased his book and read many of the customer reviews on the page for this book. One indicated that he was preaching a false doctrine. It should be voiced, that the Teacher, never spread this around, nor claimed to be a prophet of any religion. Your average Buddhist, does not even believe in God. There is no need too. When one is Buddhist, they are at one with everything around them and mindful of their surroundings in a profound way. This way is made reality, through being mindful of all life and understanding that life fully. They do not need to pursue God, for they recognize that all life is important and know that they are special to the world. Thicht Nhat Hahn helped me over come my depression and other mental problems through his talks on You Tube. This book is very helpful to me. I find it unfortunate that such a narrow minded review has been posted on this page. It is also unfortunate, that such a great man, could be slandered in a such a way. I feel sorry for those who will not open their minds to the wisdom of other teachers from other points of view. They are only harming themselves and blinding themselves to wisdom that will be helpful to them and their lives.

Freedom from fear is at the heart of the Buddha’s teaching, and the basis of happiness. Hahn reflects on the nature of fear in the cycle of desire and suffering, “If we’re still running after the object of our desire, then we still have fear. Fear goes together with craving.” The nature of suffering is ignorance, or improper view, of the impermanent nature of self and the world around us, which is continuous and transient. Breathing meditations are recommended throughout the book, including concentration and watering the seeds of positive mental formations. Concentration burns away affliction with the cultivation of insight. It burns deeply into the afflictions of negative mental states such as anger, fear, delusion and despair. Fear without comprehension breeds much suffering. “The notion of non-being creates a tremendous amount of fear.” As Thich Nhat Hahn asserts, there is no death, only continuation. “Nothing is created and nothing is lost.” That is why non-fear is the best gift you may give, to yourself or anyone else. As Buddhists, it is necessary to liberate our parents and ancestors within, as well as our children, to achieve true happiness. This is a reflection upon interbeing. Metta meditation relieves fear and is a practice of loving kindness as well as interbeing. The practice of mindfulness is the capacity to be understanding and the foundation to be loving.

This is a fantastic book. I am not a Buddhist, but this is one of my absolute favorite books and can easily be the main guide for how you live your life. It doesn't just cover fear, it covers all difficult emotions and gives you a tips for taking care of them. I wish I read this 20 years ago. I have read this book at least 7 times. Note: I have had a life long struggle with anxiety and this is the most helpful book I have ever read with regards to managing anxiety and I have read many books on the subject.

I really have enjoyed reading Thick Nhat Hanh. I really love the wisdom of Buddha. What I enjoy most about Thich Nhat Hanh writing is he is also very spiritual and respects the Christian faith. He to is connected to Christians. I myself Love the teaching of Jesus and I find that Thich Nhat Hanh writing helps me grow in my faith both in understanding the Creators love, & the teaching of both Jesus & Buddha. Most importantly he dose not sway someone to believe what he does but rather he encourages the reader in their faith (whatever that is: Christian, Buddhist or other), and thier relationship with the creator by being mindful, being present in every moment and facing their fears. This book addresses many different kinds of fears, from personal relationships to dealing with death. Understanding our own fears gives us freedom to love more deeply every person we meet. After all the greatest Universal Law and commandment ever given is to LOVE -ONE-ANOTHER. I hope you find deep peace and love in his book. I highly recommend it.

Book arrived in standard packaging same as previous orders of books. Delivery time is slightly longer than usual expectations but I have never lost a shipment from bookdepository yet. Only need to manage my own expectations of fear of losing my order.

Another excellent book from Thich Nhat Hanh. This acclaimed author offers the calm wisdom of someone who has been practising Mindfulness for a long time, and who has learned the true benefits of it. His method of teaching is straight forward, and easy to understand. His life experiences add to the authenticity of his teachings, and when reading his books, there is the sense that one is in the presence of a true teacher. In this book, he offers a very tender-hearted way of working with fear, with gentle teachings and firm encouragement. He shows us that fear is something that we need not be afraid of.

Very well written, with lots of good advice. You will get to know yourself better as you read the book.

Es un libro sencillo y bello. La lectura es calmada y el mensaje es claro. Todo muy bien resumido y centrado en ofrecer un mensaje de paz al lector. Apetece leer y practicar de manera tranquila, sin prisas. Creo que es una buena manera de iniciarse en algo tan sencillo y complicado como prestar atención a tu respiración.

A beautifully written book that offers practical wisdom/steps to deal with your fears. The first thing I felt was the genuineness of the author - written in simple language, the book immediately gives us a sense of devotion the author has, to really help a person overcome her fear. I started to feel very peaceful, even as I was reading the simple, yet effective and powerful prayers. Here too, "mindfulness" plays a big part and forms the key to Thich Nhat Hanh's writings, his philosophy. Though a quick read, a one time read isn't enough as this 'conversation' will take us through our deepest fears, our most vulnerable self and to properly digest these perspectives ; a few re-reads might be required..