Reddit reviews Fear

I don't know what you're specifically experiencing, but I have managed and even been pleasantly surprised by simply moving into, rather than away from, any uncomfortable feelings I have experienced. I'd recommend this book, as Thich Nhat Hanh lays out a compelling case for avoiding avoidance.

Hi, I'm sorry for your loss.

I would advise a practical approach at this time because the philosophical side of Buddhism can be a tricky path for beginners seeking comfort. It can easily be misinterpreted and lead to nihilism rather than relief. You may find your grieving and depression lessens the more you follow simple Buddhist practices and ethics. Try to stick to the five precepts as best you can and look outward from yourself with compassion and the intention to help others. Depression and grief are very 'inward-turned' emotions, as in they make you think more about yourself and your own situation than about others. Actively trying to not think about yourself eases them, as paradoxical as it may seem.

For meditation you can try a regular routine of Vipassana and Metta. You don't have to be amazing at them, just do them. A few minutes each day, and if you can't manage a few minutes, try a few seconds and build up from there. Set a mindfulness bell app on your phone to go off randomly once every hour or two and commit to doing 30 seconds of vipassana or metta each time you hear it.

A good book for mindfulness practice that avoids trickier philosophy is John Kabat Zinn's Wherever you go, there you are.

For grieving, there are some nice books that can help without getting too into the weeds of Buddhist metaphysics. Pema Chodron's When things fall apart and Thich Nhat Hanh's Fear.

You may also find it useful to join a local school. You may be drawn towards more traditional schools such as Zen or Theravada but I would recommend, since you are grieving and experiencing depression, that you first start with a more secular school, such a non affiliated meditation center. You can look for groups in your area using Buddhanet's World Buddhist Directory

Finally, you may find some sage advice and comfort in Gil Fronsdal's wonderful free mp3 talks over at Audiodharma.net.

Hope this helps and I hope your pain eases soon. be gentle on yourself.

Losing deeply ingrained fears is like losing weight, very difficult to do for most, without a lot of patience and effort.

The crux is very simple, fear is only an emotion, an object inside our heads - we give it weight, we give it power. If we stop giving it the power over us, it will die.

Thich Nhat Hanh has some very good practices for getting rid of fear,
http://www.amazon.in/Fear-Essential-Wisdom-Getting-Through/dp/0062004735

You may also want to attend a 10 day Vipassana course when you can. www.dhamma.org

There is another book by Thich Nhat Hann, aptly titled, "Fear."

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0062004735/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1479386007&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=fear

Actually, the full title is:
Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm