When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times Audiobook CD – Abridged, Audiobook Author: Visit Amazon's Pema Chodron Page | Language: English | ISBN:
1590305450 | Format: PDF
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times Audiobook CD – Abridged, Audiobook Description
Amazon.com Review
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.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Pema Chodron, a student of Chogyam Trunpa Rinpoche and Abbot of Gampo Abbey, has written the Tibetan Buddhist equivalent of Harold Kushner's famous book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People. As the author indicates in the postscript to her book: "We live in difficult times. One senses a possibility they may get worse." Consequently, Chodron's book is filled with useful advice about how Buddhism helps readers to cope with the grim realities of modern life, including fear, despair, rage and the feeling that we are not in control of our lives. Through reflections on the central Buddhist teaching of right mindfulness, Chodron orients readers and gives them language with which to shape their thinking about the ordinary and extraordinary traumas of modern life. But most importantly, Chodron demonstrates how effective the Buddhist point of view can be in bringing order into disordered lives.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
See all Editorial Reviews
- Audio CD
- Publisher: Shambhala Audio; Abridged edition (December 26, 2007)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1590305450
- ISBN-13: 978-1590305454
- Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
- Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
I was just finishing this book in September 2001 when the events of 9-11 turned the world upside down, and things truly fell apart. There suddenly were all the vulnerable feelings that Pema Chödrön encourages us to embrace: fear, sorrow, loneliness, groundlessness. And in the days of shock and grief that followed, there was that brief and abundant display of "maitri," or loving kindness, which emerged in waves of generosity and compassion for one another. For a while, we were in the world that she points to as an alternative to the everyday routine of getting, spending, and constant activity.
It is nearly impossible to summarize or characterize this fine book. In some 150 pages it covers more than a person could hope to absorb in many years, if not a lifetime. We may know the Buddha's famous insight that human pain and suffering result from desire and aversion. But few writers have been able to articulate as well as Chödrön the implications of that insight in ways that make sense to the Western mind. As just one example from this book, her discussion of the "six kinds of loneliness" (chap. 9) illustrates how our desires to achieve intimacy with others are an attempt to run away from a deep encounter with ourselves. Our continuing efforts to establish security for ourselves are a denial of fundamental truths, which prevents our deep experience of the joy of living. Our reluctance to love ourselves and others closes down our hearts.
Chödrön invites us to be fascinated, as she is, by paradox. On hopelessness and death (chap. 7) she writes: "If we're willing to give up hope that insecurity and pain can be exterminated, then we can have the courage to relax with the groundlessness of our situation. This is the first step on the path.
I'm giving this very good book one star so I can join the one-star people here at the bottom, and say something in reply to their anger and despair. They are angry at Trungpa and then at Pema, because the message coming from the former and followed by his disciple is, you cannot escape the pain of your obsessions unless you are willing to lose them. Meditation is not a soothing massage after which you can jump right back into the habits that harmed you in the first place. What kind of progress are you making, then? And what is continued bondage to obsession, but despair?
Whether or not you practice Buddhism as a religion, there is no sense in practicing it unless you understand your personal goals to be caught up in compassion. A number of the complainers here talk about depression as a good reason to turn away from others and seek some kind of palliative numbness. Do that if you want to, but in time you will find yourself disappointed with your practice, and distracted by your anxiety and selfishness, which will continue to threaten you. You will find yourself drawn, after all, to compassion. If it was good enough for the Buddha, it should be good enough for you. Your depression and those distractions are one and the same thing, and compassion is the key to unlocking them, and dissolving the depression while turning away from selfishness and your inventory of reasons for anger. This is all very good advice, and I've done a spotty job of following it, but my own progress in alleviating depression has, without question, begun with compassion for the people I perceived as my enemies. You can choose to be healthy or sick, but you can't choose to be healthy while hanging on to the habits that made you sick in the first place.
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times Audiobook CD – Abridged, Audiobook Preview
Link
Please Wait...