This book includes lessons that were meant to inspire and encourage practitioners to stay fully awake to everything that happens and to use the abundant material of everyday life as their primary teacher and guide.
These lessons are based on talks given during a one-month meditation retreat at Gampo Abbey. Being with oneself without shame or harshness is the message for the retreat attendees, as well as the reader. This is a lesson on loving oneself and the world.
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About the Author
American Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön is descended from Chögyam Trungpa. The first Tibetan monastery in North America founded for Westerners is Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia, where she teaches as a resident instructor. In addition, she is the author of several novels and CDs, such as the best-selling Don’t Bite the Hook and When Things Fall Apart.
Review
In this little book, she explains these lovely ideas in a straightforward and easy-to-understand manner. It feels very related to what I naturally comprehend, yet it differs greatly from what I was taught growing up in the United States. It always makes me smile, so I’m going to read this again and again!
Ani Chödrön’s first significant work, “Wisdom of No Escape,” is condensed into one small book. Bhikshunis or Buddhist nuns, are referred to as Ani. She serves as the spiritual leader of Gampo Abbey, which bears the name of the medieval master Gampopa. Only four chapters, nevertheless, were left out.
Because of its compact size, you may share it with others or take it about for inspiration (I usually give books away when I’ve finished reading them). Among its main points are the following: integrating taught and experienced Dharma (teachings); not favoring samsara (the ordinary, relative world) over nirvana (the ultimate world); playfulness—learning to play like a raven in the wind; Tonglen (sending and receiving practice); Bodhichitta (compassion); and the wheel of life (p. 122). It contains a few less evident observations, like:
The drive to make a major transformation is a sort of self-aggression (p. 28). You also lose your intelligence if you get rid of your neurosis.
Life is such a wonder, and we often feel nothing but bitterness about how things are going for us (p. 60).
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Some of her fantastic teaching tales are also included:
- Samurai who requested an explanation of heaven and hell from a teacher (pp. 65-7)
- pg. 75-7: God strolling along the centre of a street wearing a½ blue and½ ½ red hat.
- For completion, you can read “Wisdom of No Escape,” but you should also think about getting a copy of “Awakening Loving Kindness.”
Mindfulness meditation is a practice that involves repeating phrases or words to bring one into a state of Zen. It is often recommended to practice in a quiet space, such as walking, driving, or washing dishes. Some meditation teachers, such as Andrew Weiss and Pema Chödrön, offer gathas, short poems that can be repeated on the in and out breath to help climb the mountain of Nirvana.
Chodron, an American Tibetan Buddhist nun, advises starting where you are and not cutting yourself off from distractions. The focus should be on the breath, with the gaze relaxed and the body straight but not tight. The distractions, such as noises or movements, should be allowed to be. Chodron calls these distractions “dogs yelping” and advises letting them be.
The aim is not to beat yourself up but to gently bring yourself into the now. Only 25% of the attention goes on the out-breath, which is a far cry from the meditation practice of yore. Feelings will come up, but they should be noticed and you should not fan the flames with your habitual storyline.
The aim is to get to know yourself better and recognize when you are spinning out the story, escalating the suffering. Meditation teaches you to drop the script and not to act out the suffering. Chodron does not advocate repression but rather to realize that the power of the mind is within you.
“These lessons are straightforward, grounded, and dynamic. As excellent Dharma ought to be, Pema’s profound experience and novel perspective are as clear and revitalizing as mountain water. Seeking the Heart of Wisdom co-author Jack Kornfield
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Summary
Amidst the intricacies of daily life, Pema Chödrön provides a sympathetic manual on embracing kindness in this exquisitely revised version of *Awakening Loving Kindness*.
This essay, which is based on observations made during a month-long meditation retreat at Gampo Abbey, where Pema lectures, invites readers to cultivate a deep love for both themselves and the world while completely inhabiting their own experiences without guilt or self-judgment.
With her signature warmth and approachability, Pema shows how easy techniques for developing an open and aware heart may reduce suffering on a personal and global level, encouraging readers to learn about the transformational potential of loving kindness.