CONTENTS

Title Page

Copyright Notice

Dedication

Introduction: Fairy Tales, the Real World, and True Love

PART I   THE DHARMA OF FRIENDSHIP

  1.   Mercenaries or Besties: What Are Friends For?

  2.   The Bad Guys: Out There vs. in Here

  3.   Find Your Inner Fezzik: The Practice of Friendship

PART II   THE DHARMA OF ROMANCE

  4.   There Is No Buttercup

  5.   Lost on the High Seas: Emptiness and Dating

  6.   Basic Goodness: How the Farmboy Was Finally Reborn

  7.   As You Wish, Part I: The Practice of Partnership

PART III   THE DHARMA OF FAMILY

  8.   All Sentient Beings Have Been Grandpa

  9.   Fred Savage Is a Jerk, and I Am Fred Savage: Gratitude for Your Lineage

10.   As You Wish, Part II: The Practice of Family

Conclusion: Have Fun Storming the Castle

Appendix: Seven-Step Loving-Kindness (Metta or Maitri) Practice in 20–25 Minutes

Notes

Acknowledgments

Also by Ethan Nichtern

A Note About the Author

Copyright