Showing results by narrator "Pema Chodron" in All Categories

Compassion is a skill. It's not a special trait that we either have or don't, but a practice that we can all nurture in our daily lives. And the benefits are vast. It liberates our hearts from a narrow sense of self, expands our sense of well-being, and so much more. Of course, it's not always easy. But when we learn to work with our adversities and fears, whatever it is that might be keeping us stuck, then we find that we gradually and naturally become more open, joyful, and free.

We all have fears, but when we look closely at them, we discover that behind each fear resides a basic fear of ourselves. We're afraid to look at our habitual styles of thinking and behaving because we might not always like what we see. Ironically it is this fear of honest self-reflection that keeps us trapped in patterns of stress and discontentment. Here is a vision for moving beyond this most basic fear to discover the innate bravery, trust, and joy that reside at the core of our being.

Lojong is a powerful Tibetan Buddhist practice created especially for training the mind to work with the challenges of everyday living. It teaches our hearts to soften, reframes our attitude toward difficulty, and allows us to discover a wellspring of inner strength. In this recorded retreat, Pema Chödrön introduces the lojong teachings and explains how we can apply them to any situation in our life—because, as Pema says, "every moment is an opportunity for awakening."

Happiness is your birthright and it is readily available at any given moment, teaches Pema Chodron. So, why do we live in such suffering? "The potential for happiness is not based on outer things; they come and go, causing us misery," she begins. "We're always chasing after something, trying to avoid the difficult places. But there are a lot of small sweetnesses that we ignore because they're so fleeting."

In this recorded retreat, based on the program Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change held at Omega Institute, Pema Chödrön and her teaching assistant, Meg Wheatley, provide a wealth of wisdom for learning to step right into the river: to be completely, fearlessly present even in the hardest times, the most difficult situations. It's the secret of being fully alive.

Pain, loss, shame, sadness - suffering is an unavoidable part of being human. The practice of tonglen offers us a way to transform our relationship with suffering - our own and that which is all around us. In The Courage to Love the World, beloved teacher Pema Chödrön shares insightful and heartfelt stories about tonglen, along with direct instruction and guided practice.

As a child, did you ever sit under a favorite tree, immersed in the wonder of a single, precious leaf? As our days grow more complex, teaches Pema Chödrön, these vibrant and wholehearted moments may begin to elude even seasoned meditators. But it doesn't have to be that way. Buddhism’s Four Foundations of Mindfulness lead us on a journey back to the unabashed presence and delight of the “Child Mind” that lies within all of us.

Of the many Eastern wisdom teachings to have found their way westward, the notion of karma may be the most misunderstood - and most transformative. American-born teacher Pema Chödrön is renowned for making the wisdom of Tibetan Buddhism accessible, practical, and relevant for Westerners from all walks of life. But to bring us an understanding of the fundamental concept of karma, Ani Pema called on one of her own guides.

With war and violence flaring all over the world, many of us are left feeling vulnerable and utterly helpless. In this book Pema Chödrön draws on Buddhist teachings to explore the origins of aggression, hatred, and war, explaining that they lie nowhere but within our own hearts and minds. She goes on to explain that the way in which we as individuals respond to challenges in our everyday lives can either perpetuate a culture of violence or create a new culture of compassion.

What do a Jesuit priest and a Buddhist nun have in common? It may sound like the opening to a joke, but it’s actually the question that initiated an extraordinary spiritual collaboration. Father Greg Boyle and Pema Chödrön came together in a night of interfaith conversation for a great cause: aiding Homeboy Industries, the world’s largest rehabilitation, re-entry, and job training program for former gang members. Originally founded by Father Greg in 1992, Homeboy Industries has helped thousands of people find renewed hope after leaving gang life.

On the spiritual path we speak of enlightenment. But how do we reconcile the idea of enlightenment with what we see when we look in the mirror - when insecurities, doubts, and self-centered tendencies arise in our minds? Dzigar Kongtrül suggests that we need not feel "doomed" when these experiences surface. In fact, such experiences are not a problem if we are able to simply let them arise without judging them or investing them with so much meaning. This approach to experience is what Kongtrül calls self-reflection.

For thirteen hundred years, Tibetans have been practicing shamtha/vipashyana (peaceful dwelling/insight): a profound form of meditation that illuminates and purifies the obstacles to spiritual realization. Tibetan Buddhists today regard shamatha/vipashyana as both the fundamental and the most advanced spiritual practice of all.

Pema Chodron is one of today's leading meditation teachers. With more than one million books sold to date, she draws sold out crowds across the U.S. and Canada. On Unconditional Confidence, she offers two accessible sessions to help anyone find courage in times of challenge and change.

Two of the world's most beloved spiritual teachers and leading figures in the Shambhala tradition of Buddhism discuss the core principles and practices of the tradition and how personal meditation practice can forge an enlightened society. Best-selling authors Pema Chödrön and Sakyong Mipham get to the heart of Shambhala practice in this recorded retreat on the ways that inner peace and bravery can help us cultivate compassionate action and positive societal change.

In The Meditation Summit: Volume II, Sounds True publisher and founder Tami Simon speaks with 10 leading meditation teachers about their personal understanding of this practice - each with a complete guided meditation. Practitioners of all levels will benefit from the abundance of insight and guidance provided by these diverse voices.

Pema Chödrön and Alice Walker in Conversation reveals the revolutionary power of tonglen through a dialogue between two hearts and minds forged in very different cultures - and yet deeply joined in the simple practice of compassion.Take a front-row seat as the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker and American-born Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön reflect on anger, joy, fear, and the union of spirituality and social activism.

Within the wisdom teachings of Buddhism, there are many stories that refer to its founds as the "Supreme Physiciam"- a healer of all illness- mental, physical, and spiritual. The Buddha understood suffering and its antidote. His prescription and philosophy for right living led directly to a Tibetan meditation practice that is today the medicine our hearts have been searching for.

Ein bedeutender Text, der hilft, schmerzliche Erfahrungen in Lernprozesse umzusetzen. Eine der Grundaussagen des Buddhismus lautet, dass es für jeden Menschen Wege zu Zufriedenheit und dauerhaftem Glück gibt. Die buddhistische Nonne Pema Chödrön zeigt in diesem Hörbuch sehr pragmatische Möglichkeiten auf, wie man sich von seinem Leid befreien kann. Sie berichtet offenherzig von ihren eigenen schmerzhaften Erfahrungen und von ihrer Lösung: Gelassenheit, die lernbar ist. Belohnt wird der mühsame Weg mit der Erkenntnis, dass Glück und Zufriedenheit der wahren Natur des Menschen entsprechen.

In True Happiness, Pema Chödrön guides us through simple yet effective practices that show us how to recognize and nurture these moments of delight, cultivating them until they become more and more frequent, accessible, and real. Recorded at Gampo Abbey Monastery in Nova Scotia, True Happiness features highlights from Sounds True's full-length audio learning course of the same title and gives you the opportunity to absorb the teachings of Pema Chödrön at your own pace.