When things fall apart in your life, you feel as if your whole world is crumbling. But actually it’s your fixed identity that’s crumbling. And as Chögyam Trungpa used to tell us, that’s cause for celebration.
PEMA CHODRONWe can let the circumstances of our lives harden us so that we become increasingly resentful and afraid, or we can let them soften us and make us kinder and more open to what scares us. We always have this choice.
More Pema Chodron Quotes
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When we resist change, it’s called suffering. But when we can completely let go and not struggle against it, when we can embrace the groundlessness of our situation and relax into it’s dynamic quality, that’s called enlightenment.
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When we are willing to stay even a moment with uncomfortable energy, we gradually learn not to fear it.
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Feeling irritated, restless, afraid, and hopeless is a reminder to listen more carefully.
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Feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we’re holding back.
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If someone comes along and shoots an arrow into your heart, it’s fruitless to stand there and yell at the person. It would be much better to turn your attention to the fact that there’s an arrow in your heart.
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Resisting what is happening is a major cause of suffering.
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Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.
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Use what seems like poison as medicine. Use your personal suffering as the path to compassion for all beings.
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It isn’t what happens to us that causes us to suffer; it’s what we say to ourselves about what happens.
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Treat yourself as your own beloved child.
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Inner peace begins the moment you choose not to allow another person or event to control your emotions.
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Every moment is unique, unknown, completely fresh.
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Things falling apart is a kind of testing and also a kind of healing.
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So many of us start along the spiritual path because we are suffering. But you must realize that for real healing to occur, there must first be deep compassion for yourself, especially the parts of yourself you dislike or consider ugly.
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Since death is certain and the time of death is uncertain, what is the most important thing?
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