"Fearless Mind" is a book that explores the scientific perspective of analyzing the mind and practical methods for changing one's life through the story of a young practitioner's growth.
The Stanford Compassion Cultivation Program introduces specific ways to change your life simply by opening your heart and focusing on your goals.
This program has levels from beginner to advanced, making it useful for both beginners and those seeking to reach deeper levels of meditation.
"The Fearless Mind" will serve as a valuable guide for readers who wish to live a healthy, balanced life, free from the depression, anxiety, and fear that weigh them down.

Compassion is a feeling that arises when we encounter the suffering of others and wishes for their suffering and pain to disappear.
…compassion is originally like a mother’s love for her child.
At its core, compassion is a response to the inevitable suffering and sorrow that no human being can avoid.
--- p.22-23

It has been scientifically proven that compassion has a positive effect on our brain.
When we genuinely help others, our brains release more endorphins, which give us a feeling of well-being. This phenomenon is called the “helper’s high.”
Research shows that when we consciously show compassion to others, the reward center in the brain region associated with compassion is activated.
The brain systems at work at this time are the same as when we think of delicious foods like chocolate.
--- p.50

Happiness does not come from avoiding pain and sorrow, but from remaining calm and accepting what is right now, even in the face of unavoidable suffering.
Accepting the truth frees us from suffering and allows us to live a life of compassion for ourselves and others.
Of course, I know that it is not easy to accept this truth.
But if you know how difficult it is to struggle to escape from unavoidable pain, you will have to agree that accepting the truth and practicing understanding, patience, and compassion are worth the effort.
--- p.101

To overcome the psychological resistance to showing mercy, we must first eliminate fear.
…through practice, we can learn to overcome anxiety and effectively cope with pain, sadness, fear, and more.
Instead of fighting or pushing away, we look into those feelings, accept them, and treat them with warm understanding.
This is a completely different approach to life.
First, we must abandon the self-defensive attitude that has been ingrained in us for a long time.
To do that, you need a ‘fearless mind.’
--- p.105

Here are three meditation techniques to cultivate compassion.
The first thing to do is to calm your mind.
Next, you develop your concentration by practicing focusing on one object.
Finally, raise the level of awareness so that you can observe your thoughts, feelings, and actions occurring in this moment as they are, without exaggeration.
--- p.129

If you focus your mind, you can control the mind that runs wild.
Then, you can use your inner strength, which could otherwise be wasted, for more valuable purposes.
More importantly, we learn to focus on what we truly value.
By looking carefully, we can gain a deeper understanding of our own and other people's situations.
… … Without empathy and understanding, compassion cannot arise.
--- p.148

It's not about not getting hurt, but about learning to care for yourself through those hurts, and about developing the strength to face the coming days with courage, even when you're disappointed and hurt.
Only by opening our hearts can we learn from everything we experience, and only then can we more wisely navigate the challenges we face in life.
This is the infinite, unconditional, and lasting sense of security that can be obtained when one opens one's heart.
It is a stability that is clearly different from the extremely limited stability that comes from closing your mind.
--- p.154

If we didn't receive enough care as children, we have to start from scratch as adults.
This is not an easy task, but it is entirely possible.
Because we already have these two ingredients: suffering experience and compassion as part of our nature.
We can't change our parents, and we can't undo our childhood experiences.
But we can learn other ways to regulate our emotions and cultivate self-compassion through training.
--- p.173

When we talk about compassion, emphasizing self-compassion first is similar to the safety announcements on airplanes.
“If you are traveling with children, please put on your mask and then help them.” The strength of will, the courage of heart, and the depth of wisdom you have for others all depend on how much compassion you have for yourself.
--- p.191p

Just as I am happy when others wish me happiness, and just as I am comforted when others feel pain in my sorrow and suffering, so too are others like me.
So I too will feel joy in the happiness of others and empathize with the sorrow and pain of others.
--- p.206

As social animals, we naturally seek help from others to regulate our emotions.
…the best medicine to calm the mind is a warm hug and smile from a loved one, and an open heart from someone who will listen quietly to you.
As you practice compassion and strengthen your relationships with those close to you and form secure attachments, you will then have the opportunity to change your habitual ways of regulating your emotions.
--- p.230

The Tibetan word gom also means 'familiar'.
It is about internalizing and making your own the right way to see, feel, and deal with the world through continuous repetition.
Things that require patience and conscious effort at first will eventually become second nature and you will be able to do them without even trying.
--- p.240

Whether or not we choose to live by empathy and compassion is largely a matter of choice.
When you make compassion your life principle, everything changes: how you view yourself and the world, your attitude toward the world, the things you pursue, and the way you act.
Through the practice of compassion, we can discover our own kind nature.
But it takes a lot of effort and time for compassion to become a habit.
--- p.251

The happiness and suffering we experience are all determined by our relationships with other people.
So why not start living with other people right now?
Why hesitate? There's no better time to start anew.
Time does not wait.

--- p.271