Facing the Lion, Being the Lion: Finding Inner Courage Where It Lives [Paperback]

Mark Nepo (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1573243159 | ISBN-13: 978-1573243155 | Publication Date: October 1, 2007 | Edition: Book Club

A work from the heart that calls us to look within and grow.

Facing the Lion, Being the Lion is work from the heart that helps us find our own courage and experience how connection to our own core connects us to all of humankind, as well as to nature and spirit itself. Nepo invites us to encounter the stories of ordinary people, political activists, artists, and spiritual teachers from all traditions--people who are summoning the best of who they are in all kinds of moments, great and small. This book empowers us to take those moments into our own hearts, to be inspired by them, to let them fill our lungs and circle our hearts, empowered to stand more firmly by our own core and a little taller in the world.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The word courage comes from the Latin cor, Nepo explains in a densely worded, poetic meditation on this essential quality. If to find our way to the core is to face the lion, then to stand by our core is to be the lion, he says. Nepo, a poet, philosopher and teacher, believes there are two paths to manifesting courage: going within and knowing oneself, and turning outward, steadfastly facing life, allowing oneself to be vulnerable to experiences. The cost of not doing so is numbness, or living death, Nepo believes, and he sees courage as an ongoing series of choices. Nepo relates his own experiences surviving cancer and overcoming certain fears. While the book is filled with verbal images, stories and analogies, including the archetypal tale of Jacob wrestling with the angel, some of the extended imagery is vague (for instance, big waves and water in the lungs and inhaling the smoke of burning ropes). What makes the book valuable is Nepo's quiet understanding of the constant interplay of surface and depth in our lives, the need to let go of judgments and exercise compassion as we view our own flaws and the flaws of those around us. (Oct.)
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Review

This is an invaluable book and resource for our changing times. --Angeles Arrien, Ph.D., cultural anthropologist and author of The Second Half of Life and The Four-Fold Way

Facing the Lion, Being the Lion . . . made me stronger, clearer and more honest with myself. It is the best kind of self-help book--an honest reflection of the human condition that teaches us how to move more deeply into life. --Robert Inchausti, author of Subversive Orthodoxy

Pained by war and aware of injustice in the world, we are in need of wisdom, hope, encouragement. Mark Nepo gives us all of that in this poetic, profoundly thoughtful rumination on how we might live. --Howard Zinn

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Conari Press; Book Club edition (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573243159
• ISBN-13: 978-1573243155
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #227,562 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mark Nepo is a poet and philosopher who has taught in the fields of poetry and spirituality for over thirty years. He has published twelve books and recorded five CDs. Forthcoming work includes a new book of teaching stories, As Far As the Heart Can See, (HCI Books, Fall 2011), Finding Inner Courage (Red Wheel-Conari, Spring 2011, originally published as Facing the Lion, Being the Lion, 2007), and audio books of The Book of Awakening and Finding Inner Courage (CD, Simon & Schuster, Spring 2011). His most recent book of poetry is Surviving Has Made Me Crazy (CavanKerry Press, 2007).

In 2010, Mark sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey as part of her Soul Series on the satellite radio network, SIRIUS XM Radio. Of his books, The Exquisite Risk (Harmony Books) was cited by Spirituality & Health Magazine as one of the Best Spiritual Books of 2005, calling it "one of the best books we've ever read on what it takes to live an authentic life." The Book of Awakening was a finalist for the 2000 Books for a Better Life Award and was cited by Spirituality & Health Magazine as one of the Best Spiritual Books of 2000. Mark's collected essays appear in Unlearning Back to God: Essays on Inwardness (Khaniqahi Nimatullahi Publications, 2006). He is also the editor of Deepening the American Dream: Reflections on the Inner Life and Spirit of Democracy (Jossey-Bass, 2005). Other books of poetry include Suite for the Living (2004), Inhabiting Wonder (2004), Acre of Light (1994, also available as an audiotape from Parabola under the title Inside the Miracle, 1996), Fire Without Witness (1988), and God, the Maker of the Bed, and the Painter (1988).

His work has been translated into French, Portuguese, Japanese, and Danish. In leading spiritual retreats, in working with healing and medical communities, and in his teaching as a poet, Mark's work is widely accessible and used by many. He continues to offer readings, lectures, and retreats. Please visit Mark at: www.MarkNepo.com and www.threeintentions.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Glimmering Meditation On the Art of Living, October 2, 2010

By 

Gary Grossman (West Linn, OR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Facing the Lion, Being the Lion: Finding Inner Courage Where It Lives (Paperback)

Mark Nepo's small classic "FACING THE LION, BEING THE LION: FINDING INNER COURAGE WHERE IT LIVES" makes bold promises and largely delivers. I could quibble with elements of construction, and espouse frustration with the sinuous curves of narrative, or take issue with what sometimes feels to be disconnected topics, but in the end that's just life and that's what this book is all about. It's a small jewel that not only refracts and reflects but also generates light where there was darkness.

His core theme is courage and he leads an exploration that's centered on two facets. The first is how to get in touch with your core; that is, getting to know who you are, why you are that way, and then learning to just be yourself. He argues that this takes courage. We have to break through our ego attachments, the numbing of a thousand and one distractions, the reality of being spirit in a corporeal body, and shedding the inauthentic masks we wear to protect ourselves. These are significant tasks that require courage of self-reflection and a willingness to own what is ours. This is what he means when he talks about facing the lion.

Being the lion is the willingness and ability to show-up in the world while being true to our core. That extends to any and every situation where we have choices to make and where we interact with others. This is how he defines the spiritual life and notes that it isn't easy. There is risk in being misunderstood but the reward is a feeling of universal connection, not only with ineffable but with all of our fellows. Often the crucible is in relationships where Nepo asserts that we all screw-up and sometimes with considerable frequency. That's because of the inherent wear and tear of days. But he also claims that love is acceptance, not of behavior but of intent. Good relationships are those where love is the motivation.

"The ultimate aim of courage becomes a lifelong quest to know who we are, to care, and to find meaning in the face of death." In the end it's a brave book, one to be savored and not read for speed, that's often beautifully written and offers many moments of illumination. It's classified as self-help and it does help but there are no easy answers here. Instead, it offers a glimmering meditation on always becoming, Beginner's Mind, and the art of living. Although the book is mostly prose, Nepo is a poet so it's no surprise that this volume speaks at least as much to the heart as the mind, no small feat that.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Poetic, Lyrical, and Practical Journey with the Lion within, January 5, 2009

By 

Annie "Pumpkyn" (CA, US) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Facing the Lion, Being the Lion: Finding Inner Courage Where It Lives (Paperback)

This book is filled with pearls of wisdom and deep insights into the ageless wisdom. We get a glimpse of the author's own journey through life and the courage he has had to nourish. This is a deeply moving book and would be most enjoyed by anyone who is on a spiritual path and in need of courage during times where life seems to only bring trials and tribulations.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars book of wisdom, August 25, 2008

By 

L. Jones "gemini8466" (seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Facing the Lion, Being the Lion: Finding Inner Courage Where It Lives (Paperback)

mark nepo is an engaging writer, he pulls from many wisdom traditions to make his points in his prose. thoughtful, personal, well written. highly recommend this book.