Standing at the Edge: Finding Freedom Where Fear and Courage Meet

by Joan Halifax, Rebecca Solnit (Foreword by)

Overview

"Joan Halifax is a clearheaded and fearless traveler and in this book…she offers us a map of how to travel courageously and fruitfully, for our own benefit and the benefit of all beings." —From the foreword by Rebecca Solnit

Standing at the Edge is an evocative examination of how we can respond to suffering, live our fullest lives, and remain open to the full spectrum of our human experience.

Joan Halifax has enriched thousands of lives around the world through her work as a humanitarian, a social activist, an anthropologist, and as a Buddhist teacher. Over many decades, she has also collaborated with neuroscientists, clinicians, and psychologists to understand how contemplative practice can be a vehicle for social transformation. Through her unusual background, she developed an understanding of how our greatest challenges can become the most valuable source of our wisdom—and how we can transform our experience of suffering into the power of compassion for the benefit of others.

Halifax has identified five psychological territories she calls Edge States—altruism, empathy, integrity, respect, and engagement—that epitomize strength of character. Yet each of these states can also be the cause of personal and social suffering. In this way, these five psychological experiences form edges, and it is only when we stand at these edges that we become open to the full range of our human experience and discover who we really are.

Recounting the experiences of caregivers, activists, humanitarians, politicians, parents, and teachers, incorporating the wisdom of Zen traditions and mindfulness practices, and rooted in Halifax’s groundbreaking research on compassion, Standing at the Edge is destined to become a contemporary classic. A powerful guide on how to find the freedom we seek for others and ourselves, it is a book that will serve us all.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250101358
Publisher:	Flatiron Books
Publication date:	11/12/2019
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	211,359
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Roshi Joan Halifax, Ph.D., is a Buddhist teacher, Zen priest and anthropologist. She is Founder, Abbot, and Head Teacher of Upaya Institute and Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She received her Ph.D. in medical anthropology and received a National Science Foundation Fellowship in Visual Anthropology, was an Honorary Research Fellow in Medical Ethnobotany at Harvard University, and was a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Library of Congress. She is the founder of the Upaya Prison Project and of the Nomads Clinic in Nepal.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

ALTRUISM

May I do a great deal of good without ever knowing it. — Wilbur Wilson Thoburn

In the early seventies, my passion for biology and the sea led me to serve as a volunteer at Lerner Marine Laboratory in the Bahamas. I assisted a biologist from Brandeis who was researching the ever-so-brief life cycle of the intelligent and wondrous Octopus vulgaris, which we know as the common octopus.

My work afforded me the rare chance to witness a captive female octopus spawn her eggs after she was fertilized. Hundreds of thousands of translucent, teardrop-shaped eggs, each the size of a grain of rice, were spun out of her mantle into long, lacy strands that hung in the water of the aquarium where she was captive. As the weeks passed, she floated like a cloud above them, not hunting or eating, just gently moving the water around the knotted thread of eggs that were slowly maturing. Hovering over her eggs, keeping them aerated, she hardly budged, and her body slowly began to disintegrate, becoming food for her brood as they hatched. The mother octopus died to feed her offspring, her flesh the communion meal for her hatchlings.

I was puzzled and moved by the strange sight of this beautiful creature dissolving before my eyes. Although her sacrifice was not altruism per se, but part of the natural life cycle of her species, this octopus mother brought up a lot of questions for me about human behavior — questions about altruism, self-sacrifice, and harm. When is human altruism healthy? When do we give so much to others that we can harm ourselves in the process? How do we recognize when our altruism might be self-centered and unhealthy? How do we nurture the seeds of healthy altruism in a world where being hurried and uncaring is so often the order of the day? How does altruism go off the rails, over the edge?

In my later work with dying and incarcerated people, and as I listened to the stories of parents, teachers, lawyers, and caregivers in my capacity as a Buddhist teacher, I began to understand altruism as an Edge State. It is the narrow edge of a high cliff, one that allows us a vast view but also one that can erode under our feet.

To act altruistically is to take unselfish actions that enhance the welfare of others, usually at some cost or risk to our own well-being. When we are able to stand firm in altruism, we encounter each other without the shadow of expectation and need lurking between us. The recipient of our kindness may discover trust in human goodness, and we are ourselves enriched by the goodness of giving.

However, when our physical and emotional safety is at risk, it can be challenging to keep our feet planted on solid ground; it's all too easy to lose our footing and freefall into harmful forms of serving. We might help in a way that undermines our own needs. We might inadvertently hurt the one we're trying to help by disempowering them and taking away their agency. And we might "appear" altruistic, but our motivation is not well grounded. These are forms of pathological altruism, as we'll explore.

Standing at the edge of altruism, we gain a view of the vast horizon of human kindness and wisdom — so long as we avoid falling into the swamp of egoism and need. And if we do find ourselves stuck in the swamp, our struggle doesn't have to be in vain. If we can work with our difficulties, we might be compelled to figure out how we got there and how we can avoid falling off the edge again. We might also get a good lesson in humility. This is hard work — but it's good work that builds character and helps us become wiser, humbler, and more resilient.

I. AT THE HIGH EDGE OF ALTRUISM

The word altruism was coined in 1830 by French philosopher Auguste Comte, who derived it from vivre pour autrui, or "live for others." An antidote to the selfishness of living for ourselves, altruism became a new social doctrine based on humanism rather than religion. Altruism was an ethical code for nonbelievers, one detached from dogma.

Those who act from the purest form of altruism are not looking for social approval or recognition, and they are not looking to feel better about themselves. A woman sees a child she doesn't know wandering into the path of a car. She doesn't think, Saving this child would make me a good person — she just rushes into the road and grabs the child, putting her own life at risk. Afterwards, she probably doesn't praise herself too much. She thinks, I did what I had to do. Anyone else would have done the same. She feels relieved because the child is alive and well. As this example illustrates, altruism is a step beyond ordinary generosity; it entails self-sacrifice or physical risk.

In 2007, Wesley Autrey (not far from autrui), a construction worker, jumped onto the Manhattan subway tracks to save Cameron Hollopeter, a film student who was having a seizure and had fallen from the platform onto the tracks. Autrey saw the oncoming train and leapt down to haul Hollopeter out of the way. But the train was coming too fast, so Autrey threw himself over Hollopeter in the foot-deep drainage trench between the tracks. As he held down the seizing man, the train passed over them both, grazing the top of Autrey's knit cap. No thought to self, just an unmediated impulse to save a fellow human's life.

Later, Autrey seemed bewildered by all the attention and praise he received. He told The New York Times, "I don't feel like I did something spectacular; I just saw someone who needed help. I did what I felt was right."

I see Autrey's story as an example of pure altruism. We all have altruistic impulses, but we don't all act on them at all times. Other people on that subway platform no doubt saw Hollopeter seizing and recognized the need to help — but they also understood that they could get killed in the process. Altruism happens when our impulse to serve others overrides our fear and our instincts of self-preservation. Thankfully, Autrey was resourceful enough to save a life and to survive as well.

All over the planet, every day, people are acting from unmediated altruism to serve one another. Like the unidentified Chinese protester who stood resolutely in the pathway of the tanks heading toward Tiananmen Square. Like the doctors in Africa who so courageously treated Ebola patients. Like the Parisians who opened their homes to those escaping the 2015 terrorist attacks. Like the three thousand courageous Syrian volunteers who serve as first responders rescuing survivors after the bombs fall on civilian neighborhoods. Like Adel Termos, who tackled one of the suicide bombers heading toward a crowded mosque in Beirut the day before the Paris attacks in 2015. When Termos caused the bomb to detonate away from the crowd, he lost his own life — but he saved the lives of countless others. Like Ricky John Best, Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, and Micah David-Cole Fletcher, who fearlessly intervened in a racial attack on two teenage girls riding the MAX Light Rail train in Portland in May 2017. Ricky and Taliesin lost their lives; Micah survived. As Taliesin was bleeding out, he offered these words: "Tell everyone on this train I love them." In our fraught world, I feel that it is important to hear stories like these to keep our faith in the beauty and power of the human heart and to remember how natural altruism is.

Self, Selfish, or Selfless?

Let's return for a moment to the woman who pulls the child out of traffic. If she later thinks, I'm a good person for doing that, does this self-congratulatory thought negate the altruism of her action? The strictest definitions of altruism do not allow for ego involvement, either before or after the action. Altruism is characterized as an act of selflessness that is about benefiting others, free of expectation of an external reward (such as gratitude or a quid pro quo), and free of internal rewards like higher self-esteem or even better emotional health. Pure altruists have "no gaining idea," to quote Zen master Shunryu Suzuki-roshi — they gain nothing from their beneficial actions. They are fundamentally unselfish.

Great contemplative practitioners and some naturally compassionate human beings have the kind of boundless heart that is open to serve in all circumstances. No self, no other; just unbiased goodness toward all. But most of us are merely human, and it's very human for us to feel some sense of fulfillment from serving others.

Whether pure altruism even exists is a subject of debate among psychologists and philosophers. According to the theory of psychological egoism, no act of service or sacrifice is purely altruistic, because we are often motivated by at least some small feeling of personal gratification, or we feel a little ego enhancement after helping others. This theory might hold that in the real world of human psychology and behavior, there is no such thing as pure altruism.

Buddhism takes a more radical position; it says that altruism and its sister, compassion, can be totally free of the ego, the small self. Altruism can arise spontaneously and unconditionally in response to the suffering of others, as it did for Autrey. Buddhism also suggests that selfless concern for the welfare of others is part of our true nature. Through contemplative practice and ethical living, we can resist the pull of selfishness and come home to the place inside us that loves all beings and holds them in equal regard; the place that fearlessly aspires to end their suffering and is free of biases.

Thích Nhat Hanh writes, "When the left hand is injured, the right hand takes care of it right away. It doesn't stop to say, 'I am taking care of you. You are benefiting from my compassion.' The right hand knows very well that the left hand is also the right hand. There is no distinction between them." This is the kind of altruism that is non-referential, meaning that it is not biased toward family members, friends, or other in-group affiliations.

A poem by Joseph Bruchac conveys this deep and humble sensibility to care for all beings equally:

Birdfoot's Grampa
Here, the grampa is a good example of a living bodhisattva, in Buddhism, someone who freely saves all beings from suffering. Grampa keeps stopping to rescue those toads, though it means scrambling along the rainy, dark road. Smiling, he seems to be experiencing what Buddhists call "altruistic joy," joy in the good fortune of others.

Altruistic joy is considered to be a truly nourishing quality of mind. In this way, Buddhism agrees with Western psychology that feeling joy about the good fortune of others is good for us. I know I feel better mentally and physically when I am doing good things for others, although feeling better isn't what motivates me. Recent studies in social psychology suggest that being less self-centered and more generous is a source of happiness and contentment for the giver. One study showed that very young children, even those under two years old, tend to experience a greater sense of well-being when they give treats than when they receive them. Another found that adult participants who spent money on others experienced greater satisfaction than those who spent money on themselves. And the neuroscientist Tania Singer has discovered that compassion (a close companion of altruism) triggers the brain's reward centers and pleasure networks. She believes that humans are wired for kindness. When we act from kindness, we feel aligned with our deepest human values. We take joy in our actions, and life feels more meaningful.

Conversely, when our actions harm others, we don't feel well; we often lose sleep, become irritable, and worse. With more and more research documenting the positive health outcomes for people who help others (e.g., enhanced immune response and increased longevity), we might soon face a wave of pseudo-altruists who help others just to live a longer and healthier life. Of course, this might not be a bad problem to have.

Forgetting the Self

For me, one of the most moving examples of altruism is the story of the late Englishman Nicholas Winton. In 1938, as the Nazis were in the process of occupying Czechoslovakia, Winton organized the transport of 669 children, most of them Jewish, from Czechoslovakia to Britain. He ensured their safe passage through Europe by train and found a home in Britain for each and every refugee. This was an incredibly risky, selfless act. He didn't even tell his wife for fifty years. He wasn't interested in fame, though in the end he did become famous when his wife told the BBC about this extraordinary endeavor, after she discovered his scrapbooks when cleaning their attic in 1988.

That year, the BBC invited Winton to the airing of a show called That's Life. Unbeknownst to him, people whom he had saved, now in their fifties and sixties, had also been invited. The presenter said, "Is there anyone in our audience tonight who owes their life to Nicholas Winton? If so, could you stand up, please?" Everyone in the studio audience stood up. Winton hugged the woman next to him and wiped away tears.

We can ask if we can really know Winton's precise motivations, and whether his actions may have reified his sense of self in some way. In 2001, when a New York Times reporter asked why Winton did what he did, Winton modestly replied, "One saw the problem there, that a lot of these children were in danger, and you had to get them to what was called a safe haven, and there was no organization to do that. Why did I do it? Why do people do different things? Some people revel in taking risks, and some go through life taking no risks at all." An interesting personal assessment of his extraordinary courage.

Winton saw the need, saw that he could serve, and had an appetite for positive risk. If he felt any "fulfillment" from his actions, would that change the way we regard him? I think not. Saving the lives of 669 children earns our profound appreciation. His actions had such a powerful long-range effect, through generations, that we simply rest in the wonder that this happened, and that so many people benefited. Winton lived a long life, passing away in 2015 at age 106.

As Auschwitz survivor and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl said, "Being human always points, and is directed, to something or someone, other than oneself. ... The more one forgets himself — by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to love — the more human he is."

II. FALLING OVER THE EDGE OF ALTRUISM: PATHOLOGICAL ALTRUISM

It's sometimes challenging to keep altruism healthy; as we stand at this cliff's edge, we can be vulnerable to falling into harm. When we help excessively and ignore our own needs, we can begin to resent the person we are helping and the situation in general. I knew a woman who cared around the clock for her cancer-ridden mother. Worn out, frustrated that she couldn't do more to alleviate her parent's pain, and feeling guilty for being so frustrated, she ended up turning anger toward her mother, and then later toward herself. She felt she had lost heart and failed both her mother and herself.

When our altruism shifts out of selfless goodness into obligation, duty, or fear ... or we simply feel burned out from giving, we may start to churn with negative emotions. I remember listening to a schoolteacher who was angry at himself for spending "too much time" helping a needy student. And a nurse who came to resent her patients, then felt ashamed for feeling so negative toward those whom she had once enjoyed serving.

We may also believe that helping a patient, student, or relative gives us permission to offer unsolicited advice or to control their actions. Once, when I was in the hospital very sick with sepsis, I became the recipient of so much kindness that I was almost done in. Finally, one of Upaya's chaplains wisely advised me to have a sign put on my door: "No visitors." Struggling through fever and chills, I was hosting an overwhelming number of visitors who were giving me copious counsel on how to recover my health. These kind people had taken time out of their day to visit me and were trying to be helpful — but clearly, I needed my own energy to heal, and not theirs. I couldn't even mentally track what they were saying, my fever was so high. Their need to help seemed to overwhelm their capacity to feel into my situation and to realize that I could not be receptive. Altruism's edge in these situations can easily crumble when our anxiousness or need to fix take the lead.

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Standing at the Edge"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Joan Halifax.
Excerpted by permission of Flatiron Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Foreword by Rebecca Solnit
A VIEW FROM THE EDGE
Edge States
Vast View
Interdependence
Futility and Courage

1. ALTRUISM
I. At the High Edge of Altruism
Self, Selfish, or Selfless?
Forgetting the Self
II. Falling over the Edge of Altruism: Pathological Altruism
Help that Harms
Healthy or Not?
Fire Lotus
Altruism Bias
III. Altruism and the Other Edge States
IV. Practices That Support Altruism
Practicing Not-Knowing
Practicing Bearing Witness
Compassionate Action
V. Discovery at the Edge of Altruism
The Wooden Puppet and the Wounded Healer
Love

2. EMPATHY
I. At the High Edge of Empathy
Somatic Empathy
Emotional Empathy
Cognitive Empathy
Take a Knee
Throughout the Body, Hands, and Eyes
II. Falling over the Edge of Empathy: Empathic Distress
Empathy Is Not Compassion
Empathic Arousal
Emotional Blunting and Blindness
Between Gift and Invasion
III. Empathy and the Other Edge States
IV. Practices that Support Empathy
Deep Listening
Stewarding Empathy
The Practice of Rehumanization
V. Discovery at the Edge of Empathy

3. INTEGRITY
I. Standing at the High Edge of Integrity
Moral Nerve and Radical Optimism
Living by Vow
II. Falling over the Edge of Integrity: Moral Suffering
Moral Distress
The Pain of Moral Injury
Moral Outrage and the Stickiness of Anger and Disgust
Moral Apathy and the Death of the Heart
III. Integrity and the Other Edge States
IV. Practices That Support Integrity
Expanding the Circle of Inquiry
Vows to Live By
Practicing Gratefulness
V. Discovery at the Edge of Integrity

4. RESPECT
I. Standing at the High Edge of Respect
Respect for Others, Principles, and Ourselves
Two Hands Together
Washing the Feet of Others
Water Is Life
II. Falling over the Edge of Respect: Disrespect
Bullying
Horizontal Hostility
Internalized Oppression
Vertical Violence
Power With and Power Over
Stripped of Dignity
Angulimala
Causes and Effects
III. Respect and the Other Edge States
IV. Practices that Support Respect
The Drama Triangle
The Five Gatekeepers of Speech
Exchanging Self with Other
V. Discovery at the Edge of Respect

5. ENGAGEMENT
I. At the High Edge of Engagement
Energy, Involvement, Efficacy
The Gift of Busyness
II. Falling over the Edge of Engagement: Burnout
Who Burns Out?
Addicted to Busyness
Drinking the Poison of Work Stress
III. Engagement and the Other Edge States
IV. Practices That Support Engagement
Work Practice
Practicing Right Livelihood
No Work Practice
V. Discovery at the Edge of Engagement
Play
Connection

6. COMPASSION AT THE EDGE
I. Survival of the Kindest
Science and Compassion
II. Three Faces of Compassion
Referential Compassion
Insight-Based Compassion
Non-Referential Compassion
Asanga and the Red Dog
III. The Six Perfections
IV. Compassion's Enemies
The Arithmetic of Compassion
Falling In and Out of Compassion
V. Mapping Compassion
Compassion Is Made of Non-Compassion Elements
VI. Compassion Practice
Practicing GRACE
VII. Compassion in the Charnel Ground
Harrowing from Hell
The Magic Mirror

Acknowledgments
Notes

Editorial Reviews

★ 05/14/2018
In this wise exploration of the search for meaning, Halifax (Being with Dying), an anthropologist and Buddhist teacher, lays out a philosophy of life through a central metaphor of “edge states” (interpersonal qualities “where opposites meet”), which she deems key values necessary for a life worth living. These include altruism, empathy, integrity, respect, and engagement. Halifax notes that those who pursue them risk suffering burnout or other emotional distress if they concentrate on one attribute above others. She delves deeply into each value, explaining the ideal and how to achieve it through a combination of personal stories, quotes, and lessons from Buddhist teachers (such as Thich Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama) and scientific research. For instance, when talking about respect, she gives an example of the Dalai Lama pausing a lecture to help an insect escape the room, then later contrasts such deep conscientiousness with disturbing statistics about bullying, which she considers a reaction to a perceived lack of respect. Halifax’s personal stories resonate deeply, particularly with regard to her work with incarcerated people in New Mexico and poor communities in Nepal; her life experiences as a scholar, activist, and nun have much to teach any reader, and her generous honesty invites reflection. Clear, detailed, and profound, this remarkable book will be appreciated by anyone seeking a framework for a meaningful life. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"[A] wise exploration of the search for meaning...Clear, detailed, and profound, this remarkable book will be appreciated by anyone seeking a framework for a meaningful life."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"This book is an invitation to dive deeper into those uncomfortable places and learn new skills to navigate them.... Through a lifetime of contemplative practice, Roshi Joan Halifax inspires us to be present and to remember our humanity regardless of circumstances. What seems impossible becomes possible if you’re willing to go to the edge with her." —Tara Well, PhD, Psychology Today

“Reflecting on her decades long experience as a social activist, medical anthropologist, Zen Roshi, and wise elder, Joan Halifax introduces us to Edge States—qualities of mind that invite optimal balance. Through the extraordinary example of her own remarkable life, and her re-telling of the stories of many others, this book is a must-read to help us navigate these turbulent times, regain our footing, and recognize the balance that is our true nature.” —Richard J. Davidson, New York Times-bestselling author of The Emotional Life of Your Brain and Altered Traits

“Roshi Joan Halifax embodies what she teaches: equanimity, dedication to benefiting others, and putting compassion into action. Her no-nonsense approach to the emotions that push us to our edge—and can also propel our greatest good—truly inspires. In Standing at the Edge she offers us all a fascinating read and a practical roadmap to fulfilling our personal good work.” —Daniel Goleman, New York Times bestselling author of Altered Traits and Emotional Intelligence

“Joan Halifax knows of what she speaks. Standing at the Edge is powerful, honest, wise, and personal.” —Sharon Salzberg, author of Real Happiness and Real Love

"A magnificent exploration of our lives as moral creatures capable of virtue, and the shadow side of the impulse to help. The downsides of indifference and selfishness are well known. But Joan Halifax's hard won wisdom—and her distinguishing effective compassion from empathic distress and pathological altruism—will stay with me for a long time. So will her practical advice for more flexible, modest, and effective ways of responding to suffering, including my own. Plan to take this book to heart. It's wide ranging, ambitious, insightful, and kind." —Katy Butler, author of the New York Times-bestseller Knocking on Heaven's Door

“Standing at the Edge is a moving contemplation, a guidebook of how to be a caring human being, filled with practical advice, rich experience, tenderness, wisdom and courage.” —Jack Kornfield, author of A Path With Heart

“In Standing at the Edge, Joan Halifax weaves together scientific research and her own powerful personal experiences as a social activist and humanitarian to show how we can transform our biggest challenges with compassion and wisdom. Standing at the Edge is essential reading for our time.” —Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global

"Roshi Joan Halifax’s new book, Standing at the Edge is a reflection of her enormous courage, compassion, and wisdom. In her willingness to cozy up to the great mystery she transforms fear into wonder. But most of all it is her great love that shines through the pages of this wonderful book and gives us a clear path to a graceful life.” —Ram Dass

“In this brilliant book with its depth of humanity, wisdom, and nuance, Joan Halifax explores the subtle complexities of altruism, empathy, integrity, respect, and engagement, and concludes that compassion is the means by which we navigate from the edge where courage overcomes fear. Reading it will lead to richer, fuller lives.” —Bill George, author of Discover Your True North, senior fellow at Harvard Business School and former chair & CEO of Medtronic

“This book is a gift to anyone who seeks to serve others. With unwavering honesty and startling clarity, Joan Halifax examines the potential pitfalls of our virtuous intentions, taking on issues that concern people who are drawn to service. With characteristic intellectual precision, scholarship, and real-world experience, Standing at the Edge is food for the soul.” —Ira Byock, MD, author of Dying Well and The Best Care Possible

“Standing at the Edge is a book that inspires us to rise into our better selves and gives us the tools to do that.” —Jane Fonda

“Reading Standing at the Edge, I am struck by Joan Halifax’s honesty and hard-won humility. This is an unusual, courageous, and inspiring work, a true guide to keeping one’s footing in these unstable and perilous times.” —Mark Epstein, MD and author of Advice Not Given: A Guide to Getting Over Yourself and Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart

“People everywhere will be able to benefit from Roshi Joan’s truth and her wisdom. Her courage and straightforward message should touch the hearts of all who want to create a better world for all of us and move them to action.” —Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Chair, Nobel Women’s Initiative

“In this moving and timely reflection on embracing life with passionate care, Roshi Joan shares her insights from Zen Buddhism, social engagement, and neuroscience but, above all, from half a century of living fearlessly.” —Stephen Batchelor, author of After Buddhism

“Joan Halifax is wise, compassionate, grounded, and truly powerful. Her stories and insights come from life experience, and the wisdom of facing realities that are often uncomfortable with maturity and optimism. Standing at The Edge is a resource, an inspiration, and an important book. It offers hope and tools in a time of turmoil.” —Mallika Chopra, author of Living with Intent

“An important, thorough book. Halifax covers every angle of our interactions with compassion, even willing to tread on its dark side. As I read I found myself excited, inspired, nodding my head at its clear truth. Written in precise, beautiful prose, this is not an abstract tome—it’s backed by Halifax’s years of experience, close observation, and honest scrutiny. This needs to be read by everyone so we have a new language for love.” —Natalie Goldberg, author of The Great Spring and Writing Down the Bones

“With her book, Standing at the Edge, Joan Halifax has given the world a timeless sand necessary gift. An engaging, story-filled excavation on the meaning of compassion and the psychological states that define the human experience, Standing at the Edge has profound lessons for individuals and organizations. Halifax’s writing is infused with the strength of character, honesty, and authenticity that have earned her a reputation for being a fearless and steadfast spiritual leader, activist, and humanitarian. This book has wisdom for us all.” —Bernie Glassman, author of Instructions to the Cook: A Zen Master's Lessons in Living a Life That Matters

“In Standing at the Edge, Roshi Joan Halifax offers powerful insights from what she has discovered about 'Edge States.' The lessons she has learned—while listening to fellow civil rights worker Fannie Lou Hamer, to sitting with the suffering in refugee camps—provide essential wisdom and principled compassion during our troubled times.” —Rhonda V. Magee, law professor, mindfulness teacher, and author of The Way of Color Insight

“Standing at the Edge is medicine for our times. Roshi Joan’s well-earned wisdom walks us to our own edges, where we see our inner landscape and the immense learning that comes from lingering there. Reading these pages is like sitting down with the village elder soaking in a lifetime of service, compassion, courage, and activism.” —Michelle Gale, author of Mindful Parenting in a Messy World

“There is no easily accessible education on how to stay well in the midst of stress and suffering—our own or of the people around us—until now. Halifax lays out a clear map for how to transform the challenging states we all experience to those of growth—building the foundation of our desperately needed ability to become more stress-resilient and compassionate. There is nothing abstract here. Through science and contemplative wisdom, through examples of courageous lives, and especially the powerful exemplar of Halifax’s own life and immense service to humanitarian causes, you will see how your own courage can overcome your fear to live your best life possible.” —Elissa Epel, Ph.D., professor at University of California, San Francisco, member of The National Academy of Medicine, and coauthor of the New York Times bestseller The Telomere Effect

“In this beautifully-written volume, Joan Halifax combines a spiritual master’s depth, the insight of a psychologist, and the vision of a prophet to help us fulfill our humane duty towards others while maintaining respect and care for our own body, mind, and soul.” —Gabor Maté, MD, author of In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction

“In this unflinchingly honest book, Roshi Joan Halifax calls upon us to understand how close to the edge we truly stand and teaches us to be unafraid of falling. This book is an extraordinary gift to those of us trying to make a positive difference in our world; a sobering and yet, uplifting teaching that methodically takes us from ignorance to realization in our personal journey. It is beautiful and clear-sighted but most importantly, it is rooted in compassion. I am deeply grateful for her courageous insight and wisdom.” —Dekila Chungyalpa, founder and director of Sacred Earth at the World Wildlife Fund, Environmental Coordinator for His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, and Associate Research Scientist at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies

“The wisdom that Roshi Joan Halifax has distilled from her work with cancer patients, clinicians, teachers, disaster relief workers, CEOs, and Zen students is all here, recast into a guide to the way we live now that is urgent, principled, practical, and deftly psychological. An astonishing gift.” —Anthony Back, MD, professor at University of Washington, Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and founder of VitalTalk

“I thought I knew these words: altruism, empathy, integrity, respect, and engagement. Not until I read this book did I realize that I have not really understood the words thoroughly. This book is a result of the author’s long years of spiritual practice and service. It is a book in which one needs to anchor oneself in order to survive the stormy sea of our present reality.” —Dhammananda Bhikkhuni, the first Bhikkhuni in Theravada Buddhism in Thailand and abbess of Songdhammakalyani Monastery

“Standing at the Edge arrives at a critical moment in history, when the world is searching for a new way to reconnect with the deep roots of our spirituality. The book is profoundly engaging and ruthlessly poetic. It is a vital exploration of how we can transform this world through compassionate action.” —Dr. A. T. Ariyaratne, founder and president of the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement in Sri Lanka

“I love this book. Standing at the Edge places Roshi alongside our greatest teachers and practitioners—Pema Chodron, Thich Nhat Hanh, Gandhi, Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, and Dr. King. Reading it, I was reminded of the old adage: ‘Don’t just do something—stand there!’ By exploring the big themes of altruism, empathy, integrity, respect, engagement, and compassion, Roshi helps us to take a stand in a bad time, and to know where we stand, and to stand there in the fullness of wisdom and compassion. Given our violent, inhuman world, this timely book will help us become more nonviolent and more human, to do our part for a more nonviolent world. With Roshi as our guide, we, too, can stand at the edge, learn to see a new vision of humanity and enter into universal compassion, nonviolence, and peace. What a gift!” —Father John Dear, author of The Nonviolent Life and The Beatitudes of Peace

“Standing at the Edge is a must-read not only for all clinicians but for anyone who is caring for others in their suffering. Roshi Joan has a gift to transform the complexity of scientific, theological, and philosophical theories into practical models for everyone to express compassion to others. She enables us to being able to sit in the midst of the other’s suffering—offering presence and love.” —Christina Puchalski, MD, OCDS, Professor of Medicine, Director of the George Washington University’s Institute for Spirituality and Health, author of Time for Listening and Caring, and coauthor of Making Healthcare Whole

“At this precipitous moment of history, when so many of us are unbalanced and suffering, Roshi Joan Halifax offers us a modern classic. Her essential wisdom, compassion, and experience dare to lead us—as it has led her—in and through the dark places of our lives and minds, to a ground of steadfast clarity. With stories and accessible practices, documented by cutting-edge research, Halifax points the way to our own ease and completeness.” —Sensei Hozan Alan Senauke, Clear View Project

“With the clear eyes of a social scientist and the warm heart of a Buddhist, Roshi Joan explores those liminal spaces where burnout is transformed into recalibration, empathy grows the wings of wisdom, and in tening the broken heart of the world we are brought home to our fullest humanity.” —Mirabai Starr, translator of John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, and Julian of Norwich, and author of Caravan of No Despair: A Memoir of Loss and Transformation

“Through her insightful reflection and intimate research, Roshi Joan maps the dividing points between our failures and genuine, wholesome activities. Standing at the Edge is a most generous gift from her lifetime of meditation, deep thinking, and amazing scale of service to society.” —Kazuaki Tanahashi, author of Painting Peace: Art in a Time of Global Crisis

“A must-have guidebook for altruists, seekers, caregivers, and all those wishing to make a difference. Standing at the Edge reminds us that good intentions are not enough to change the world; Nothing short of deep inner work—both contemplative and psychological—is required. Roshi Joan’s voice, fierce and wise, reveals the edge as a place where true spiritual transformation happens.” —Cheryl A. Giles, PsyD and Willa B. Miller, PhD, authors of The Arts of Contemplative Care

“Joan Halifax shares with us the wise insights derived from a life of deep inquiry and service to others. This is a work of heart and of substance.” —Hal Roth, author of Original Tao: Inward Training and the Foundations of Taoist Mysticism, Professor of Religious Studies, and Director of the Brown University Program in Contemplative Studies

From the Publisher

To help listeners cope with today's fast-paced, noisy world, narrator Joan Halifax's meditative voice takes us by the ear and reorients us toward serenity. In doing so, she references years of interviews with a wide range of people, including medical professionals and parents, among many others. To prove the value of slowing down, she outlines five “edge states” that contribute to our increased happiness and willingness to help those around us. These are supported by complex anthropological concepts, which she explains in a measured and straightforward manner. Her slow and steady pace allows listeners to keep up with the considerable wisdom she is passing along. This title will likely leave listeners feeling serene. M.R. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

MAY 2018 - AudioFile