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Summary: she's been reading my mind!!
Review: it seems that every chapter of this amazing book touches upon something uncannily relevant to me. things i haven't really read in other american buddhist works. pema chodron's simple, compassionate writing touches me deeply. and yet, i find it highly practical for approaching problems in my life.not just for people in crisis -- it's for anyone who lives and breathes. this one's a keeper.
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Summary: When Things Fall Apart : Heart Advice for Difficult Times
Review: One doesn't have to admit that one's world is falling apart in order to receive much from this work. Pema Chodron has focused on a very simple direct approach to making the most of and enjoying the most one can in a world fraught with loss. It is a world of beauty and miracles, too. It is our relationship to what happens to us that determines our states. We can learn to embrace all that happens to us, to not "pick and choose." The picking and the choosing is at the heart of our unnecessary suffering, the author explains. It is acceptance which opens our hearts and the door to what we truly seek -- love, peace and joy. Pema Chodron has a wonderful style that is simple, easy to understand, common sensical -- full of the logic of the soul. THE PLACES THAT SCARE YOU, Pema Chodron, is also highly recommended.
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Summary: A deeply thoughtful book.
Review: In these hard times, wise and gentle counsel helps. As a non-Buddhist, I questioned whether I would benefit from this book, but having read it once, I entered the front pages eagerly for a re-read. There are learnings here for everyone . . . and peace IS possible, at least inside you.
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Summary: A Very Helpful Book For Dealing With Difficult Times
Review: I got this book while living in NYC right after 9/11, which I witnessed first hand and my marriage was falling apart. My wife was taking some kind of pills to make her feel better. I read this book. It pulled me through. There's a lot to think about here and she gives it to you in a real world, approachable way. Others have said it--it's a book you can use for the rest of your life. Thanks!
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Summary: Dont read this if you are unhappy, depressed etc.
Review: This is book presents some unusual ideas, but does NOT help you or teach you how to look at things in a more constructive or positive way or to guide you how to hadle the crisis in hand. DONT read this book if you are unhappy or depressed as this book will just make things worse, or at least look worse. P.
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Summary: One of the top 5 books I mention to friends seeking peace
Review: A friend recommended this book to me in 1997, and the title alone was enough, at the time, to make me curious. In the midst of personal, family and business breakdowns, I was feeling things had pretty well fallen apart, and was open to learning some ways to cope. I didn't get a new way to cope, but instead, something much better -- I got the first introduction to accepting my life and this very moment -- the first that really started to penetrate my shell... an introduction also to Maitri - 'Loving Kindness' or 'Unconditional Friendliness' as Pema puts it. Learning to be compassionate to myself was a new and amazingly helpful experience at the time. We've practiced non-compassion, judging and violence for a long, long time. It's an art. ESPECIALLY towards ourselves. We want to be compassionte, kind people, yet how many of us treat ourselves (inwardly & privately if not outwardly) with very little compassion or loving kindness? It's hard -- we've practiced hating ourselves or our lives when things go badly for so long that we are very (unconciously) skilled in non-compassion. The person with whom we have the greatest opportunity to practice is the one who gets the worst treatment, much of the time. If we offer ourselves & our lives love & "unconditional friendliness" instead of fear & criticism, we get better & better at the skill of automatic compassion. We develop a new talent, a different automatic response to the events in our lives. Learning to show compassion to the world starts with practicing on ourselves (which is great, because we have constant opportunities to do so - to need to do so). Sometimes (many times) it is just when things fall apart that we have a chance to let go of our trip & stop pretending -- and start learning to practice being real. Remember the scene in REGARDING HENRY when Harrison Ford's character, formerly so cold & judgemental, responds to his daughter's juice spill & subsequent fear & frenzy with "It's ok... I do that all the time" ? I think of that scene a lot when reflecting on this book. Another reviewer found the book depressing. Though I can't understand that, it's ok. We all have different perspectives at different times in life. I found it joyful and tremendously helpful in bringing sanity and presence to my life at a time it was missing. Regardless of your spiritual path or inclination, read this book, or get the audio. It's gentle, open message will touch your heart and help your practice. And that is how the world is saved, one heart at a time.
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Summary: Nice book
Review: 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. I also highly recommend a book of Eastern wisdom titled "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life" by Taro Gold. I have found great wisdom in both these books.
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Summary: Be very cautious to whom you give this book
Review: Frankly, I can't see what most folks are seeing in this book. I am a Buddhist and I found this to be one of the bleakest descriptions of Buddhist thinking that I have read. Understanding the Buddhist philosophy, I understand what the author is trying to say is "let go and live in the moment" and I can squeeze some useful information out of the text. But the negative way in which this is stated could be discouraging to those considering a Buddhist path, and dangerous for the very depressed. "There is no hope; there is nothing for you; there is nothing to lean on, only cold loneliness." "Expectation" is what causes suffering, not hope. If I had no hope that my life could improve, that man could find peace, I would not waste my time with Buddhism or meditation. I simply do not let any expectation about it arise that can give rise to disappointment. The best stuff in this book is about bodhichitta and patience.
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Summary: Pema speaks to your soul...
Review: I listened to the tapes for a couple of days and went back and listened again to them... The second time allowed me to digest Pema's ideas and thoughts concerning our world and everyday lives.. This is great if your in a transitional place and want to be inspired...
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Summary: Great advice...
Review: ...about how to deal with pain and suffering as part of the human condition. ...but read with caution. A lot of the advice given is fairly clingy-- Although she claims that she is not clinging to anything, I can see an emotional complex being built right here. Turns out that the complex is just a house o' cards. She always says not to cling to hope and fear and to welcome loneliness into your life. And that you can do this through meditation. The effect is that instead of clinging to things we normally cling to (hopes and fears--more specifically dreams, wishes, desires,____ <--insert your own word or description of what you hold dear in your life, and most important of all, LOVE!) she tells us not to cling entirely. But based on the literal definition of the human condition, it's impossible not to cling to something--or rather I like to use the word 'lean'. If you've got friends, you lean on them for support. If you have loved ones, you care for them, which can also be described as a form of 'clinging'. Of course only you can make this distinction but I must warn you about falling into trap of pretending that you're not clinging when you really are: if you find yourself constantly and constantly returning to the same things, you're clinging to something, in this case, her words. By following them so closely and becoming obsessed with the truth, you're just finding someone else to cling to and [mis]representing the reasons why you are doing so. I tried meditation, and being a person who used to believe in Christianity, I can definitely tell when a complex is being formed. You know how Christians can be so good at making their religion sound like it's the only evangelical way to go? And how the religion preaches that you must spread it everywhere (reference to many places in the bible, specifically Matthew Ch. 28 is the most popular "version" of this idea)? The same kind of thing happens here. Go look up this word in the dictionary, and ponder why the word was invented (all words start because they're needed to describe some kind of new feeling or phenom or idea): catharsis Meditation being a large part of her teaching, I guess I should address this issue. There are many meanings to the word "meditation". It is a broad word that can be used to represent all kinds of spiritual experiences. Listening to music can be meditation. Concentrating on breathing when you are not tired is also another way. Touching other people or things can be a meditative or 'spiritual' experience. I compare 'meditation' to 'Spirituality' as I would compare 'empathy' to 'Compassion'. There's a big 'C' when it comes to compassion, but empathy is a natural branch off of this main idea. Same with 'meditation' to Spirituality. However, meditation is not the only thing when it comes to spirituality. If you believe it is the only thing, you'll probably find yourself meditating too frequently because you'll be constantly searching for something that always seems to be out of reach or missing. Now, to put my point in perspective, think about 'empathy' to 'Compassion'. There is a drug called MDMA or more popularly known as Ecstasy. This drug's main effect is to create extreme feelings of empathy--note that it doesn't create compassion, but rather, empathy. This is an important point to think about when it comes to your own life, and what's acceptable for you. It's duration lasts on average from 5 minutes to an hour. At the beginning of its production, before it was made illegal by the U.S. government (it's still legal in many European countries), it was backed-up by many major psychiatrists until they discovered that it could cause permanent damage to certain brain stems in people using it (it destroys currently existing stems and regrows them in abnormal ways). Now the actual scientific facts are not that important--what's really important is to ask yourself this question: "Have you ever considered empathy to be like a drug?" Usually we pester ourselves and others to have more empathy. Now ask this question: "Have you ever considered meditation to be like a drug?" The final thing I'd have to say about this book, and all of her books for that matter, is that she never addresses sex and sexuality. Where do these fit into the spiritual world? She never talks about sensuality either. People like her never talk about these things and I doubt they EVER will. Many monks like her actually struggle with thoughts of sexuality. When the thoughts come up, they simply (here we go again) meditate and call it "Thinking". They tell you, "say it out loud if you need to." But by no means ever accept it. Bottom line: it's true, pain is a human condition, you can easily learn that from any of her books (as they are essentially all the same), but also keep in mind that if you plan to follow all of her advice, get ready to say "Thinking" a lot. 8 worldly dharmas
7 swans a swimming 6 kinds of loneliness
5 golden rings!
4 maras
3 french hens
2 turtle doves
and a partridge in a pear tree! Borrowing from another reviewer, "I couldn't resist!" But otherwise, there is some very good spiritual information in this book.
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