When Things Fall Apart : Heart Advice for Difficult Times

by Chodron, Pema

• ISBN13: 9781570621604
• ISBN10: 1570621608
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1997-01-01
• Publisher: Shambhala

Summary

There is a fundamental happiness right within our reach, yet we usually miss it-ironically, while caught up in attempts to escape pain and suffering. Pema Chouml;drouml;n's radical and compassionate advice for what to do when things fall apart in our lives goes against the grain of our usual habits and expectations and confronts us with traditional Buddhist wisdom. There is only one approach to suffering that is of lasting benefit, Pema teaches, and that approach involves movingtowardpainful situations to the best of our ability with friendliness and curiosity, relaxing into the essential groundlessness of our entire situation. It is there, in the midst of chaos, that we can discover the truth and love that are indestructible. Included in the book are: Ways to use painful emotions to cultivate wisdom, compassion, and courage Ways to communicate that lead to openness and true intimacy with others Practices for reversing our negative habitual patterns Methods for working with chaotic situations Ways to cultivate compassionate, energetic social action

Author Biography

Pema Chödrön is an American Buddhist nun in the lineage of Chögyam Trungpa, the renowned Tibetan meditation master. She is resident teacher at Gampo Abbey, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, the first Tibetan monastery in North America established for Westerners. She is the author of several books including the best-selling When Things Fall Apart and The Places That Scare You.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	viii
Introduction	ix
Intimacy with Fear	1	(5)
When Things Fall Apart	6	(6)
This Very Moment Is the Perfect Teacher	12	(6)
Relax As It Is	18	(7)
It's Never Too Late	25	(7)
Not Causing Harm	32	(6)
Hopelessness and Death	38	(8)
Eight Worldly Dharmas	46	(7)
Six Kinds of Loneliness	53	(7)
Curious about Existence	60	(5)
Nonaggression and the Four Maras	65	(8)
Growing Up	73	(5)
Widening the Circle of Compassion	78	(8)
The Love That Will Not Die	86	(7)
Going against the Grain	93	(5)
Servants of Peace	98	(11)
Opinions	109	(5)
Secret Oral Instructions	114	(6)
Three Methods for Working with Chaos	120	(7)
The Trick of Choicelessness	127	(10)
Reversing the Wheel of Samsara	137	(6)
The Path Is the Goal	143	(4)
Bibliography	147	(1)
Resources	148