Emotional Rescue ─ How to Work With Your Emotions to Transform Hurt and Confusion into Energy That Empowers You

In this life-changing book, acclaimed Buddhist teacher Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche shows how to free yourself from being a slave to your emotions by harnessing—rather than falling victim to—their power.

Emotions bring color and meaning to our lives, but they can also put us on an exhausting roller-coaster ride that takes us to blissful peak states, the depths of delusion and despair, and everything in between. People are driven by their emotions to marry and to murder (sometimes the very person they chose to marry!). It is only by learning to relate to our emotions skillfully that we benefit from their richness and glean wisdom, rather than letting them control us. Emotions get their power from a simple but deep-seated source: our lack of self-knowledge. When we bring awareness to our experience of emotions, something truly amazing happens—they lose their power to make us miserable.

In this book, renowned Buddhist teacher Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche leads us through the three steps of his Emotional Rescue Plan. First, Mindful Gap is the practice of creating a safe distance between you and your emotions, which gives you the psychological space to work with their energy. Clear Seeing involves recognizing the bigger picture. Finally, Letting Go is the practice of releasing stressful physical and emotional energy through physical exercise, relaxation, and awareness. With each step, you become increasingly familiar with the inner workings of your emotions, seeing straight to the heart of your anger, passion, jealousy, and pride; even ignorance and fear become transparent. With time and practice, anxiety and doubt give way to trust and confidence.

Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche is a leading Buddhist teacher in North America. ("Rinpoche" is an honorific reserved for highly respected reincarnate Buddhist teachers.) Born in 1965 at Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim, a small state in northeastern India, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche was recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa as a reincarnate lama of the Nyingma tradition. He is the founder and president of Nalandabodhi, an international network of Buddhist study and meditation centers, and of Nitartha International, a nonprofit educational corporation dedicated to preserving the contemplative literature of East Asia. Rinpoche is most active at Nalanda West, in Seattle, Washington, which offers public programs and events by teachers from many traditions that support a meaningful, contemplative life. His previous books includeRebel Buddha: A Guide to a Revolution of Mind. A lover of music, art, and urban culture, Rinpoche is also an avid photographer, accomplished calligrapher, poet, and visual artist.