"The root of true confidence," says meditation and dharma teacher Pema Chodron, "grows from unconditional friendship with ourselves, to train in gentleness, and to trust in our natural intelligence to navigate life." She is an American-born Tibetan Buddhist nun and author of many books including The Wisdom of No Escape. She is profiled in S&P's Living Spiritual Teacher Project.
On this 2-hour program on 2 CDs, which also includes an exclusive interview with her, Chodron presents a 3-step method for helping us work with fear and uncertainty by cultivating unconditional confidence. She calls this elusive quality "tender-hearted bravery" and insists that it can be nurtured through meditation. Mastery of this practice enables us to become "spiritual warriors" in the face of challenge and change.
Chodron sees the root of confidence as gentleness toward oneself. We are "Bodhisattvas in training as we move toward freedom by probing our shaky tenderness." Once we see that the seed of enlightenment is in everyone and that we can be courageous, it is possible for us to square off against physical pain, illness, death, and groundlessness.
