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New Age. Religion & Spirituality. Self-Improvement. Nonfiction. HTML:Beloved Buddhist teacher Pema Ch�dr�n offers guidance for coping with the difficult moments in our lives�showing us how they can soften our hearts and open us to greater kindness We always have a choice in how we react to the circumstances of our lives. We can let them harden us and make us increasingly resentful and afraid, or we can let them soften us and allow our inherent human kindness to shine through. In The Places That Scare You, Pema Ch�dr�n provides essential tools for dealing with the many difficulties that life throws our way, teaching us how to awaken our basic human goodness and connect deeply with others�to accept ourselves and everything around us complete with faults and imperfections. Drawing from the core teachings of Buddhism, she shows the strength that comes from staying in touch with what�s happening in our lives right now and helps us unmask the ways in which our egos cause us to resist life as it is. If we go to the places that scare us, Pema suggests, we just might find the boundless life we�ve always dreamed of.… (more)
User reviews
On the other hand, with this kind of book even more than with others, one can get very different things out of reading it at different times -- depending on one's situation, state of mind, and where one is at the time; so my evaluation may have
"We cling to a fixed idea of who we are and it cripples us. Nothing and no one is fixed. Whether the reality of change is a source of freedom for us or a source of horrific anxiety makes a significant difference. Do the days of our lives add up to further suffering or to increased capacity for
Not much to say about this one: Pema has a great way of explaining concepts relating to meditation, but I would not recommend this book to someone who is new to Buddhism or meditation practice. If anything, this book is a good accompaniment but it does require some familiarity with terms and concepts.
Nevertheless, a thoughtful compilation of stories and advice which invites readers and practitioners to question everything.
When I find myself of times of trouble, Pema Chodron calls to me, speaking words of wisdom: Let it be...
Corny, huh? Totally true. I read When Things Fall Apart over a year ago when I was going through a
At first I was totally repelled by the title in accordance with my instant aversion to anything sounding like a self-help book (perhaps that's too telling...) (I bristled before falling in love with Amy Hempel's Reasons to Live), but then I thought, "You know what? I do need help." And then, "Yeah, 'cause you know what? I am freaked the F*** out right now." I love her. She is the most accesible Buddhist author I've yet encountered. Her approach is realistic--even though I am still struggling with the craziness, I am slowly able to incorporate the exercises, acting on the moment.
Favorite line: "All too frequently we relate like timid birds who don't dare to leave the nest. Here we sit in a nest that's getting pretty smelly and that hasn't served its function for a very long time" (8). You heard it, folks. Smelly nest.