Falling is Flying: The Dharma of Facing Adversity

What do you do when everything falls apart?

“Instead of trying to discipline your mind with ill will, fault-finding, guilt, punishment, and fear, use something far more powerful: the beautiful kindness, gentleness, and forgiveness of making peace with life.”—Ajahn Brahm

“In free fall, nothing is solid and there is nothing to hold on to. There is no way to control the experience. You have to surrender, and with that surrender comes the taste of liberation.”—Master Guojun

Most of us tend to live each day as if it will be just another day—like nothing will change. It always comes as a shock when we lose a job, a loved one, a relationship, our health—even though we’ve seen it happen again and again to those around us. Once we finally realize we’re not immune, then we wonder: what now? How do we continue when the terrain suddenly gets rough?

Meet your companions for this rocky part of the path: Ajahn Brahm and Chan Master Guojun—one a teacher in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, the other in the Chinese Zen tradition. These two beloved meditation masters share personal stories and anecdotes from their own experiences of dealing with life’s pitfalls. You’ll learn from their honest, generous teachings how you can live fully—even flourish—even when the road ahead looks steep and lonely.

Personal, poetic, instructive, and often laugh-out-loud funny, this is inspiring advice for people from all walks of life.

“Falling is Flying is truly unique because it offers a rare glimpse into the personal lives of two living Buddhist masters. With unflinching honesty, Ajahn Brahm and Chan Master Guojun share the struggles they’ve faced, even after becoming monks and respected teachers. Throughout the book, we see how, instead of turning away in aversion from adversity, they’ve used it as a stepping stone for finding the peace and happiness we all seek. I love this book and recommend it most highly!” —Toni Bernhard, author of How To Be Sick

Ajahn Brahm (Ajahn Brahmavamso Mahathera), born Peter Betts in London in 1951, is a Theravada Buddhist monk. Ajahn Brahm grew up in London and earned a degree in theoretical physics from Cambridge University. Disillusioned with the world of academe, he trained as a monk in the jungles of Thailand under Ajahn Chah. A monk for over thirty years, Ajahn Brahm is a revered spiritual guide and the abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery, in Serpentine, Western Australia—one of the largest monasteries in the southern hemisphere. He is also the spiritual director of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia, and spiritual adviser and inspiration for Buddhist centers throughout Asia and Australia. His winning combination of wit and wisdom makes his books bestsellers in many languages, and on his teaching tours Brahm regularly draws multinational audiences of thousands. He’s the author of The Art of Disappearing: The Buddha’s Path to Lasting Joy, Mindfulnes, Bliss, and Beyond: A Meditator’s Handbook, Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung: Inspiring Stories for Welcoming Life’s Difficulties, Don’t Worry, Be Grumpy: Inspiring Stories for Making the Most of Each Moment, Kindfulness, and Bear Awareness: Questions and Answers on Taming Your Wild Mind.

Master Guojun was born in Singapore in 1974 and ordained as a monk under Ven. Songnian of Mahabodhi Temple, Singapore. He is one of the youngest Dharma heirs of the renowned Chan master Sheng Yen. He has practiced meditation intensively since 1997. He has studied Tibetan Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism, as well as various aspects of the Mahayana tradition. Master Guojun is also a spiritual and guiding teacher of Chan Community Canada and Chan Indonesia. He was the abbot of Dharma Drum Retreat Center in Pine Bush, New York, from 2005 to 2008. He is the author of Essential Chan Buddhism, which has been published in several languages, and Chan Heart, Chan Mind. He is currently the president of Mahabodhi Monastery in Singapore.