Chodron, Pema

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times

Much like Zen, Pema Chodron's interpretation of Tibetan Buddhism takes the form of a nontheistic spiritualism. In When Things Fall Apart this head of a Tibetan monastery in Canada outlines some relevant and deceptively profound terms of Tibetan Buddhism that are germane to modern issues. The key to all of these terms is accepting that in the final analysis, life is groundless. By letting go, we free ourselves to face fear and obstacles and offer ourselves unflinchingly to others. The graceful, conversational tone of Chodron's writing gives the impression of sitting on a pillow across from her, listening to her everyday examples of Buddhist wisdom.

There is a fundamental opportunity for happiness right within our reach, yet we usually miss it—ironically, while we are caught up in attempts to escape pain and suffering. Drawn from traditional Buddhist wisdom, Pema Chödrön's radical and compassionate advice for what to do when things fall apart in our lives goes against the grain of our usual habits and expectations. There is only one approach to suffering that is of lasting benefit, Pema teaches, and that approach involves moving toward painful situations with friendliness and curiosity, relaxing into the essential groundlessness of our entire situation. It is there, in the midst of chaos, that we can discover the truth and love that are indestructible. Included in the book are: Ways to use painful emotions to cultivate wisdom, compassion, and courage Methods of communicating that lead to openness and true intimacy with others Practices for reversing negative habitual patterns Techniques for working with chaotic situations Tools for cultivating compassionate, energetic social action

The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times

Pema Chödrön may have more good one-liners than a Groucho Marx retrospective, but this nun's stingers go straight to the heart: "The essence of bravery is being without self-deception"; "When we practice generosity, we become intimate with our grasping"; "Difficult people are the greatest teachers." These are the punctuations to specific teachings of fearlessness. In The Places That Scare You, Chödrön introduces a host of the compassionate warriors' tools and concepts for transforming anxieties and negative emotions into positive living. Rather than steeling ourselves against hardship, she suggests we open ourselves to vulnerability; from this comes the loving kindness and compassion that are the wellsprings of joy. How do we achieve it? Through meditation, mindfulness, slogans, aspiration, and several other practices, such as tonglen, which is taking in the pain and suffering of others while sending out happiness to all--emphasis on the all. Chödrön introduces each of these practices in turn, backing them up with succinct practical reasoning and a framework of ideas that offers fresh interpretations of familiar words like strength, laziness, and groundlessness. Chödrön is the type of person you'd like to have with you in an emergency, and to deal with the extremes of daily life. In her absence, The Places That Scare You will do nicely. --Brian Bruya

We always have a choice, Pema Chödrön teaches: We can let the circumstances of our lives harden us and make us increasingly resentful and afraid, or we can let them soften us and make us kinder. Here Pema provides the tools to deal with the problems and difficulties that life throws our way. This wisdom is always available to us, she teaches, but we usually block it with habitual patterns rooted in fear. Beyond that fear lies a state of openheartedness and tenderness. This book teaches us how to awaken our basic goodness and connect with others, to accept ourselves and others complete with faults and imperfections, and to stay in the present moment by seeing through the strategies of ego that cause us to resist life as it is.

Getting Unstuck: Breaking Your Habitual Patterns & Encountering Naked Reality

An urge comes up, we succumb to it, and it becomes stronger. We reinforce our cravings, habits, and addictions by giving in to them repeatedly. Pema Chödrön guides us through this "sticky feeling" and offers us tools for learning to stay with our uneasiness, soften our hearts toward others, and ourselves and live a more peaceful life in the fullness of the present moment.

The Wisdom of No Escape and the Path of Loving Kindness

This book is about saying yes to life in all its manifestations—embracing the potent mixture of joy, suffering, brilliance, and confusion that characterizes the human experience. Pema Chödrön shows us the profound value of our situation of "no escape" from the ups and downs of life.

Don't Bite the Hook: Finding Freedom from Anger, Resentment, and Other Destructive Emotions

Listen to an audio excerpt online in MP3 format—click here.

Life has a way of provoking us with traffic jams and computer malfunctions, with emotionally distant partners and crying children—and before we know it, we're upset. We feel terrible, and then we end up saying and doing things that only make matters worse. But it doesn't have to be that way, says Pema Chödrön. It is possible to relate constructively to the inevitable shocks, losses, and frustrations of life so that we can find true happiness. The key, Pema explains, is not biting the "hook" of our habitual responses. In this recorded weekend retreat, Pema draws on Buddhist teachings from The Way of the Bodhisattva to reveal how we can:stay centered in the midst of difficultyimprove stressful relationshipsstep out of the downward spiral of self-hatred awaken compassion for ourselves and others 3 CDs, 3 hours

Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living (Shambhala Classics)

Pema Chodron is a Buddhist nun for regular folks. Having raised a family of her own, she doesn't shy away from persistent troubles and the basic meatiness of life. In fact, in Start Where You Are, Chodron tries to get us to see that the faults and foibles in each of us now are the perfect ingredients for creating a better life. No need to wait for a quieter time or a more settled mind. The trick Chodron says is to repattern ourselves, to transform bad habits into good by first opening ourselves to the groundlessness of existence. When the cliff dissolves beneath our feet, fear has a way of actually lessening. Fearlessness opens the way to recognizing our pushy egos and that rather than being cursed with original sin, we are blessed with an original soft spot--the squishy feeling inside that we all have, that is the seat of true compassion, and that we all do our best to armor over. Chodron is the kind of teacher who has seen it all and keeps pushing us back into ourselves until there's no one left to wrestle with but a certain recalcitrant image in the mirror. --Brian Bruya

Start Where You Are is an indispensable handbook for cultivating fearlessness and awakening a compassionate heart. With insight and humor, Pema Chödrön presents down-to-earth guidance on how we can "start where we are"—embracing rather than denying the painful aspects of our lives. Pema Chödrön frames her teachings on compassion around fifty-nine traditional Tibetan Buddhist maxims, or slogans, such as: "Always apply only a joyful state of mind," "Don't seek others' pain as the limbs of your own happiness," and "Always meditate on whatever provokes resentment." Working with these slogans and through the practice of meditation, Start Where You Are shows how we can all develop the courage to work with our inner pain and discover joy, well-being, and confidence.

The Pema Chodron Audio Collection: Pure Meditation:Good Medicine:From Fear to Fearlessness

Chodron demonstrates how effective the Buddhist point of view can be in bringing order into disordered lives. Publishers Weekly

Pema Chdron, one of the Wests most beloved teachers of Buddhism, makes the Tibetan vajrayana tradition accessible in todays world. Now three of her most popular teachings are available in one boxed set.

Pema Chdrn is a bhikshuni, or Buddhist nun in the Tibetan Vajrayana tradition. Since her ordination in 1974, Ane Pema ("Ane" is a Tibetan honorific for a nun) has conducted workshops, seminars, and meditation re-treats in Europe, Australia, and throughout North America. For the first time, enjoy over seven hours of Ani Pemas trademark humor and a down-to-earth style in one collectors edition.

6 CDs, 7 hours

Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion

This book by the renowned American Buddhist nun offers short, stand-alone readings designed to help us cultivate compassion and awareness amid the challenges of daily living. Comfortable with Uncertainty does not assume prior knowledge of Buddhist thought or practice, making it a perfect introduction to Pema Chödrön's teaching on lovingkindness, meditation, mindfulness, "nowness," letting go, and working with fear and other painful emotions. More than a collection of thoughts for the day, Comfortable with Uncertainty offers a progressive program of spiritual study, leading the reader through essential concepts, themes, and practices on the Buddhist path.

Turning the Mind Into an Ally

Sakyong Mipham shows how to cultivate a strong stable mind and no longer live "at the mercy of our moods." His stories and wisdom from American culture, as well as from the great Buddhist teachers, help demystify this essential discipline and place it in the framework of Western culture. Accessible, practical, and clear, it provides readers with the necessary tools for taming the mind.

How to Meditate With Pema Chodron: A Practical Guide to Making Friends With Your Mind

When it comes to meditation, Pema Chödrön is widely regarded as one of the world's foremost instructors. Yet most of her books and teaching programs have focused on the benefits and challenges of a well-established practice . . . until now. On How to Meditate with Pema Chödrön, the American-born Tibetan Buddhist nun and author of When Things Fall Apart (Shambhala, 2000) presents her first complete audio course for those new to meditation. This in-depth, 5-session curriculum helps listeners honestly meet and compassionately relate with the mind--the fundamental skill in meditation--as they join Pema to explore: * The basics of mindfulness awareness practice, including proper posture, inner and outer focus, and breathing * Overcoming common obstacles like physical discomfort, difficult emotions, wandering attention, or drowsiness * Guided sessions for resting in the nature of mind, staying present, and more--plus straightforward advice for bringing the fruits of practice into everyday life If you could handpick someone to teach you the best way to meditate, Pema Chödrön would be a first choice for millions. Now this beloved voice shares with listeners everywhere her unique approach--simple and down-to-earth while informed by the highest traditions of Tibetan Buddhism--on How to Meditate with Pema Chödrön.