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
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.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
let go of your cherished notions This is mainly in response to the reviewer who wrote that this book is "esoteric drivel." The reviewer's summation of the main ideas in the book is incorrect and if you know anything at all about Buddhism, you know it isn't about dogma. One of the many teachings of Buddhism says "Live your life as an experiment. Don't take someone else's word about what the truth is. Find out for yourself." That said, you can hardly go wrong with any book by Pema Chodron.
Not for me.... It's great if you're a first time reader of self care books. Otherwise it drags and it's less interesting than expected. Although I've been trying to find it's saving grace I don't care for the writing style or the authors referrences. Recommend: The Energy of Money: A Spiritual Guide to Financial and Personal Fulfillment Many of us are having money problems at this time or have always had money issues, like me. I recommend reading "The Energy of Money". It's about our relationship to everything (yes... more info
The Words are Still in my Head Funny, I had no idea that this book was so popular. I like the way Pema writes: very normal and real. I've gone back to it on multiple occassions when stressed out, or even when I just wanted to relax with a good read. I still can't get over how many reviews there are on this book!!!
esoteric drivel It is an indication that something is wrong if you have to go read another book or two on history and philosophy of Buddhism in order to understand the esoteric dogma she is talking about. Now to put all this in simple terms the jest of the book seams to be: We are all going to die and we should think about it all the time.
There is no hope and we should not even try
All is suffering and we should not try to do anything about it
All is pain and we should try to find more pain.... more info
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