Pema Chödrön

“Pema Chödrön is one of the most prominent Buddhist teachers in the West today and a leading exponent of meditation and how it applies to everyday life. She is resident teacher at Gampo Abbey monastery in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Her bestselling books include When Things Fall Apart, The Places That Scare You, and Taking the Leap.

The Shambhala Sun offers the best selection of Pema Chödrön’s teachings available on the web, plus related links…”

http://www.shambhalasun.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=105

“The essence of bravery is being without self deception. However, it’s not so easy to take a straight look at what we do. Seeing ourselves clearly is initially uncomfortable and embarrassing. As we train in clarity and steadfastness, we see things we’d prefer to deny — judgmentalness, pettiness, arrogance. These are not sins but temporary and workable habits of mind. The more we get to know them, the more they lose their power. This is how we come to trust that our basic nature is utterly simple, free of struggle between good and bad.

A warrior begins to take responsibility for the direction of her life. It’s as if we are lugging around unnecessary baggage. Our training encourages us to open the bags and look closely at what we are carrying. In doing this, we begin to understand that much of it isn’t needed anymore.” ~Pema Chödrön, “The Places That Scare You” (pg. 75)