A meditator's meditator, Rigdzin Shikpo (Michael Hookham) began the practice in the mid-1950s and eventually became a prominent student of several renowned Tibetan Buddhist teachers, including Chogyam Trungpa and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Over the years he has developed his own utterly unique style made of straight talk and sparkling, inspiring insights.

The title of this, his long-awaited first book, comes from the teachings Ridgzin Shikpo received from Trungpa Rinpoche, who said that we should always turn toward those things that scare us, open to them completely, and never turn away from them. This path of openness, clarity, and sensitivity is a hallmark of the Dzogchen tradition of Buddhist practice. Ridgzin Shikpo has lived its truth so deeply that his words shine with authenticity and freshness.

Never Turn Away: The Buddhist Path Beyond Hope and Fear, Rigdzin Shikpo, Wisdom Publications, Paperback,178 Pages, $20.95

Rigdzin Shikpo was one of Trungpa Rinpoche's first western students. In this short audio recording from 2007, he talks about his training with Trungpa Rinpoche in the 1960s, beginning while Rinpoche was studying at Oxford. For more information, on Rigdzin Shikpo and the Longchen Foundation, please visit longchenfoundation.org