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The beautiful practicality of her teaching has made Pema Chödrön one of the most beloved of contemporary American spiritual authors among Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. A collection of talks she gave between 1987 and 1994, the book is a treasury of wisdom for going on living when we are overcome by pain and difficulties. Chödrön discusses:
• Using painful emotions to cultivate wisdom, compassion, and courage
• Communicating so as to encourage others to open up rather than shut down
• Practices for reversing habitual patterns
• Methods for working with chaotic situations
• Ways for creating effective social action
Anonymous
Posted February 24, 2001
How many times have you heard a Buddhist intellectual relate a teaching by saying, 'this reminds me of a Gary Larson cartoon I saw once?' Ane Pema Chodron, an American Buddhist Nun, truly knows how to bend the Western ear toward Eastern thought. Further, she does so with honesty, humor and clarity in this amazing book. I purchased this at a time when for me things seemed to be 'falling apart.' It reminds one of the need to attend to and, indeed, love one's self as a path to attending to and loving others. Pema Chodron is truly someone I would love to meet one day.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 3, 2000
This is a very powerful book. I am a Christian and a therapist but she raised some questions and issues that I wished I had studied many years ago. This is the most impactful book I have ever read
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I had to read this book for one of my english classes as Saint Norbert College and it isn't really a self help book but it sure has helped me. Now I have this little pema that sits on my shoulder when I start to panic and she just tells be let it fall apart it will go back and fall apart again and again there is no use freaking out about it. I really like the stories in the book that she uses to get her point across as well. One book from school I don't mind hanging onto
5 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 29, 2006
I bought this book after my mother died, and it did help me. Specifically, I found helpful the concepts that suffering connects us to other humans, not just today but who have suffered down through history, and that such events can be viewed as a gift, to 'wake us up' and help us become enlightened. Nobody wants pain, but it is better to face it and have a way of dealing with it positively.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 18, 2009
I highly recommend this book to help us all survive these difficult times with loving kindness toward one another instead of blame and "me-first" mentality. It helped me "lean into" difficult times instead of running to the refrigerator or the mall. Just READ IT!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.LibraBB
Posted March 23, 2012
I’ve read a plethora of “self-help” books over the past years – most of which had at least some useful nugget. This book was different. When I finished I commented to a friend “I don’t think I need to read any more books – I just need to read this one over and over.” Of course, the key is that it’s not just about reading but about doing what’s suggested – that’s the hard part.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I think this audio book was helpful to me in learning more effective ways to use meditation in my life. It's definitely a must read for those who are interested in improving and refining their meditation practice. Pema Chodron reminds us, however, that there is no right or wrong way to practice meditation but there are some useful suggestions you can incorporate into your practice. I enjoyed several concepts she discusses and the references she makes are helpful. One important point she makes is about the challenge we face in making changes in our lives. Pema explains that our lives are similar to the rotating mill wheel that we decide needs to reverse it's rotation. She reminds us that at first, it takes a lot of effort and energy to begin the process of reversing the wheel's direction, but once you make the commitment and invest that time it then starts spinning in the other direction almost effortlessly. She also talks about fear and how we have to learn to face it in order to overcome it. She gives the example of a Buddhist monk visiting a Monastery where a fierce dog ready to attack is chained to a gate from which he breaks free and starts running towards the group. While the others run away in fear, the monk runs towards the dog with an equal fierceness that stops it in its tracks. I like that analogy in terms of how we must learn to face scary things in our own lives. We can either choose to run away from them or face them and defeat them. It's a profound read and not for the faint of heart. It definitely is a book I'll need to go back to often, because there is a lot of deepness to it that can't be fully absorbed in one setting. I find myself reflecting and journaling on many of the key points. I love the audio version because I can pause the CD where I need to and then go back to it when I'm ready for the next major point. I think I'll be re-reading it (or listening to it) soon. There's always something new to absorb each time.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 13, 2010
This is a good book because things will fall apart, even this book. Everything in the universe falls apart. We should learn and know how to deal with it. Pema Chodron expresses this truth wonderfully.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 29, 2009
Thoroughly enertaining and enjovable. If you didn't love Charleston before you will after reading this book.
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 20, 2009
I Also Recommend:
There is a gentleness to the way Pema Chodron writes. Clearly, she comes from the Buddhist perspective - she is a Buddhist nun. However, she is also an American woman who has come to this spiritual tradition and represents it in a way a Western reader can easily relate to for their use in daily life.
Great stuff!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 10, 2001
This is a nice book for anyone, not just for those who feel that things are falling apart. It offers insight into accepting life just as it is, in this moment. The author shares her 'wisdom mind' in this concise and compassionate book about finding peace within the fundamental groundlessness of life.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 7, 2012
Everyone must be serched
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 1, 2012
Im done rping so if we're still "together" or whatever then its over.Becase honestly i think your a liar.And frankly i dont have time for your games.I have a rl gf and i dont have time for a rp one.Especially a sneaky b i t c h like you.Im still in love with jess but i don really think it matters now that shes dating that tyler/you guy.Thats why im quitting rp unless i can get jss back.But i guess that will never happen and she will never know how deeply i really feel for her.So goodbye and have fun with your games.
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Posted July 1, 2012
Rolls eyes.
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Posted June 25, 2012
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Anonymous
Posted May 26, 2012
If youre sad, scared, angry, hurt or alone read this book. It will change your life. I always come back to this book.
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Posted March 25, 2012
Pema Chodron is the best!
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Posted November 21, 2011
Very helpful in putting things into perspective
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.415Pam
Posted August 4, 2011
I just finished reading this book, and immediately started it again. Chodron is real, and gives real strategies for battling emotional demons like fear, anger, etc. She shares her own struggles, and gives great guidelines. I have used her lessons in my own meditation practices with great results. I even sleep better at night! This one is a keeper.
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Posted November 10, 2010
This is a great book to have on hand when things fall apart. It will be the glue to put things back together. I'd also recommend that you buy "When God Stopped Keeping Score," which takes an intimate look at the power of God and forgiveness. This book too will change your life.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
The beautiful practicality of her teaching has made Pema Chödrön one of the most beloved of contemporary American spiritual authors among Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. A collection of talks she gave between 1987 and 1994, the book is a treasury of wisdom for going on living when we are overcome by pain and difficulties. Chödrön discusses:
• Using painful emotions to cultivate wisdom, compassion, and courage
...