You don't have to be a Buddhist to appreciate the common sense philosophy in this beautiful book--I found it life-changing. None of us is okay and all of us are fine.”, “When one of the emperors of China asked Bodhidharma (the Zen master who brought Zen from India to China) what enlightenment was, his answer was, “Lots of space, nothing holy.” Meditation is nothing holy. If you're in pain emotionally I highly recommend it. She is resident teacher at Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia, the first Tibetan monastery in North America established for Westerners. You could see your life as an adult education course. Previous page of related Sponsored Products. It filled me with positive feelings. One inspires us, the other softens us. by Shambhala, Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living (Shambhala Classics). We feel connected. Pema Chodron frames her teachings on compassion around fifty-nine traditional Tibetan Buddhist maxims, or slogans, such as: 'Always apply a joyful state of mind', 'Always meditate on whatever provokes resentment' and 'Be grateful to everyone'. Frustrated with my lack of patience (which has come out of nowhere), frustrated with my easy annoyance with others, frustrated with my temper (also coming out of nowhere) and mostly frustrated with myself for allowing these things to happen. Unable to add item to List.

Pema Chödrön guides us to the understanding that, rather than hiding from or resisting the pain of our existence, we can learn to relax with the situation just as it is." Chodron writes in the Preface of her book, "if you have ever wondered how to awaken your genuine compassionate heart, this book will serve as a guide" (p. ix). A friend lent me this book and I read it cover to cover in one sitting...and, amazingly I realized that someone understood me and my pain. Learn more about the program. A must read for anyone feeling lost or troubled. I would recommend this book to everyone but I think it would be more useful if you already have some introduction to the Buddhist principles. The Practical Meditation Journal: Daily Meditations and Prompts to Find Calm in Eve... To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Just named one of the best books on consciousness of all time by BookAuthority, The Unbound Soul takes you on a vibrant journey of inner exploration. When you are feeling a lot of grief, you can look right into somebody's eyes because you feel you haven't got anything to lose--you're just there. Maybe I missed the point, and while she made some excellent ones--it felt like a slog of sameness repeated on every page. Loved the book "start where you are" so much to help and guide you on a more understanding view of life and all it holds. Emotionfull: A Guide to Self-Care for Your Mental Health and Emotions (Help With Se... Mindfulness Meditations for Stress: 100 Simple Practices to Ease Tension and Find P... Pema Chodron: Handy Book of Heart-Lifting Quotes for a Mindful Living.

That’s a very rich place to start—juicy, smelly. "Pragmatic and to the point, Pema Chödrön cuts to the very heart of practice, right to the tender pink spot we want to cover over and keep safe. The gloriousness becomes tinged by craving and addiction. Frustrated with my lack of patience (which has come out of nowhere), frustrated with my easy annoyance with others, frustrated with my temper (also coming out of nowhere) and mostly frustrated with myself for allowing these things to happen.

I think this book would be fine for someone interested in getting into the details and lingo of Buddhist teachings. Welcome back. From other comments I've seen. On the other hand, wretchedness--life's painful aspect--softens us up considerably. With insight and humor, Pema Ch dr n presents down-to-earth guidance on how we can "start where we are"--embracing rather than denying the painful aspects of our lives. Don't get me wrong; this is an important message, but there is nothing new in this book: the same methods of tonglen and lojong; the same exercises of breathing in and out. I read it over and over until it fell apart. The more you just try to get it your way, the less you feel at home.”, “Tonglen means "taking in and sending out".

Pema Chödrön's perennially helpful guide to transforming the pains and difficulties in our lives into opportunities for genuine joy and personal growth We all want to be fearless, joyful, and fully alive. A prolific author once said, "I have no written 50 books; I've written one book 50 times." ", Ahhhh, after reading the kinda entertaining 10% Happier that basically said the same thing, but in a normal human person tone this book just reeked of frou frouness. I slept more peacefully than I had in years.Also, unlike a lot of other books on Eastern religion that I've read, she uses really western metaphors, which makes the book very accessible.Besides, how could you NOT like a book that contains the line:"One of my favorite dharma teachers is Dr. Seuss; he captures the human condition so beautifully. ‘‘Pema’s deep experience and her fresh way of looking at things are like mountain water – clear and deep.’ Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart and After the Ecstasy, the Laundry. Pema Chodron is my hero.

I am not a 'serious practitioner,' by any means, but someone who goes to work every day and has to deal with many frustrations and stresses, but this book offers practical methods that help you deal with just these impediments in your life, so that you can be happier, and give more happiness to others.I also sense that for someone who is more dedicated to making their life centered on spiritual practice, this book is a foundation for such a disciplined path as well. The commentary said that you invite them back because they show you when you have lost your mindfulness. The recipient liked it. We are shipping to all international locations. Chodron gives the reader an extraordinary amount of insight into buddhist practice in simple terms. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. You may be the most violent person in the world—that’s a fine place to start. Their story line is different, but the feeling of pain is the same. We use cookies and similar tools to enhance your shopping experience, to provide our services, understand how customers use our services so we can make improvements, and display ads. It is a guide to the Buddhist teachings of opening the heart and mind through tonglen meditation and lojong slogans. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Not read it myself though. Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2017, This book is outstanding clearly written and magnificent in its clarity.Start where you are says it all you don't need to be in a monastery to become enlightened. It is both. He didn’t know what to do, so he surrendered himself even further. You take from it what you need to. This is a good book overall. For me, this is what makes reading Pema Chodron such a rewarding experience. I made a decision that I wanted to be more compassionate and the same day was the first time I had ever heard of Pema Chodron. I don't feel that you need to go deep into the practice in order to benefit from any of this books teachings.

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Pema Chodron is a Buddhist nun for regular folks. Thorough introduction to tonglen practice - breathe in the suffering, breathe out a sense of delight, openness. Start Where You Are is an indispensable handbook for cultivating fearlessness and awakening a compassionate heart, from bestselling author Pema Chödrön. I feel myself slipping into a different headspace when I read this book. After the death of my most important loved one, I contemplated life and living without him in it...It was a dark path down a frightening road; not even a flicker of light met me on the road ahead. Anyway, a great book for anyone curious about buddhism. She is the author of The Wisdom of No Escape, Start Where You Are, The Places that Scare You and the best-selling When Things Fall Apart. She lets you know that while the difficulties and the issues will always be there, you can change your relationship to them and work with them. Buy a cheap copy of Start Where You Are: A Guide to... book by Pema Chödrön.

Cheers, Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2013. 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. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. “If someone comes along and shoots an arrow into your heart, it’s fruitless to stand there and yell at … This book definitely requires a re-read, as do all of Pema's books. I have zero experience with Buddhism (aside from receiving the occasional mixed drink in a Buddha-shaped cup) and had never heard of Pema Chodron before p. So I've been a bit frustrated with myself lately.

This meditation practice is designed to help ordinary people like ourselves connect with the openness and softness of our hearts. I started to like all of myself while reading and when I finished the last chapter I loved myself wholeheartedly. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. One of these items is dispatched sooner than the other. The question is, how do you work with it?”, “There’s a richness to all of the smelly stuff that we so dislike and so little desire.