Collection
Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Element Books (2004), Edition: 02nd, 240 pages
Description
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
LibraryThing member AnnaOok
Less inspiring than her previous ones, but still good.
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
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
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as much to do with me as with the book itself. Show Less
LibraryThing member Hanuman2
Not my favorite Pema book, but maybe that's because I read it last and they start to sound the same.
LibraryThing member chersbookitlist
Pema Chodron is a Buddhist nun with a gift for wit and words. Her writings about Buddhist principles are fun to read, accessible and understandable. I have turned to her books in times of grief and despair and been inspired and comforted each time.
LibraryThing member fyoder
The title is potentially a bit misleading. This is essentially a general introduction to Pema Chodron's style of Buddhism which she learned from her teacher Chogyam Trungpa. She has a lovely literary voice and it is a very nice introduction, but if, based on the title, you were looking for
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something with a specific focus on dealing with fear, you may be disappointed. Show Less
LibraryThing member juliana_t
This is a book I will have to re-read. As soon as I finished it, I felt the need to begin it again. I will be thinking about many of the things she writes about for a long time.
LibraryThing member BooksForDinner
You could do worse things in your life than spend some time listening to Pema Chodron.
LibraryThing member BrokenTune
4.5*
"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.
"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
Show More
joy? That’s an important question."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.
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LibraryThing member eldang
This book introduces a large number of practices that seem potentially useful for coping with fear of things we can't control. But that's all it does - each chapter is a short, superficial description of a practice, very few of which I feel able to really engage with from just that description. I
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suppose this is more a case of just not being what I was looking for than a real flaw in the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member eldang
This book introduces a large number of practices that seem potentially useful for coping with fear of things we can't control. But that's all it does - each chapter is a short, superficial description of a practice, very few of which I feel able to really engage with from just that description. I
Show More
suppose this is more a case of just not being what I was looking for than a real flaw in the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member LibroLindsay
As I was brushing my teeth this morning after finishing this book, this line came into my head:
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.
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
Show More
really rough time, and when I hit a serious road block nearly two months ago, I picked this'n up. In similar fashion with my reading habits of late, I only just finished this wonderful morsel. I won't be stashing it away on the old bookshelf just yet though. I've still got tough times to face, so it will stay right where it is on my nightstand.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.
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LibraryThing member JRobinW
A perfect book for this new place in my life.
Original publication date
2001
ISBN
000718350X / 9780007183500
Similar in this library
Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion by Pema Chodron
The Heart of Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy & Liberation : the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, and Other Basic Buddhist Teachings by Thich Nhat Hanh
Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Call number
CHO-107
Pages
240
Library's review
One of the most inspiring spiritual teachers of our time offers simple, practical advice for living with less fear, less anxiety and a more open heart.
We always have a choice, Pema Chodron teaches: We can let the circumstances of our lives harden us and make us increasingly resentful and afraid, or
This book shows us how to awaken our basic goodness and connect to others. In her lively, contemporary voice, Chodron translates the wisdom of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition for the layperson. Her fans come from all religions and none. Her wisdom cuts across all traditions and religions – appealing to everyone from the Dalai Lama’s followers to ordinary people trying to make sense of their lives.
This title went straight onto the bestseller lists in the USA when it was originally published. Pema Chodron is a spiritual teacher for anyone – whether they have a spiritual path or not. Her heartfelt advice and wisdom (developed in her 20 years of practice as a Tibetan Buddhist nun as well as her years previously as a normal ‘housewife and mother’) give her a wide appeal. Particularly in these difficult times, this advice strikes just the right note, offering us comfort and challenging us to live deeply and contribute to creating a more loving world.
We always have a choice, Pema Chodron teaches: We can let the circumstances of our lives harden us and make us increasingly resentful and afraid, or
Show More
we can let them soften us and make us kind.This book shows us how to awaken our basic goodness and connect to others. In her lively, contemporary voice, Chodron translates the wisdom of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition for the layperson. Her fans come from all religions and none. Her wisdom cuts across all traditions and religions – appealing to everyone from the Dalai Lama’s followers to ordinary people trying to make sense of their lives.
This title went straight onto the bestseller lists in the USA when it was originally published. Pema Chodron is a spiritual teacher for anyone – whether they have a spiritual path or not. Her heartfelt advice and wisdom (developed in her 20 years of practice as a Tibetan Buddhist nun as well as her years previously as a normal ‘housewife and mother’) give her a wide appeal. Particularly in these difficult times, this advice strikes just the right note, offering us comfort and challenging us to live deeply and contribute to creating a more loving world.
Show Less