These very ordinary aspects of your mind don’t have anything to do with metaphysical belief systems. They are simply the interior part of your lived experience. Meditation is the practice of getting more familiar with them, of deepening your understanding of how your mind works and how its different moving parts condition your experience of the world—for better or for worse.

The practice of mindfulness allows us to separate the felt energy of emotions and their physical components from the heavy layer of conceptual interpretation that we add on top of them. This ability is what I like to call emotional objectivity.

The so-called “three fierce mantras” are mottoes attributed to a 12th-century Tibetan master. They express, very concisely, an undaunted spirit …

Repeating them to yourself may give you some courage in trying times. They are:   Whatever is coming, come! However it goes, so be it! Nothing whatsoever is necessary.  

These three mantras have a gritty determination to them. They show a willingness to accept any and all experience unconditionally. Even if you don’t feel like you have the same level of determination, you can still repeat them to yourself whenever you need a quick dose of bravery or a reminder to bring a fearless spirit into your