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When we touch the center of sorrow, when we sit with discomfort without trying to fix it, when we stay present to the pain of disapproval or betrayal and let it soften us, these are times that we connect with bohdichitta.

Pema Chodron

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Pema Chodron
Age: 88
Born: 1936
Born: July 14
Clergyman
Philosopher
Writer
New York City
New York
Deirdre Blomfield-Brow
Trying
Center
Touch
Sorrow
Stay
Soften
Present
Disapproval
Times
Discomfort
Pain
Betrayal
Without
Connect

More quotes by Pema Chodron

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Discomfort of any kind becomes the basis for practice. We breathe in knowing our pain is shared.
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While we are sitting in meditation, we are simply exploring humanity and all of creation in the form of ourselves.
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Tonglen is a way for you to be with people who need you - beginning with yourself.
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The first noble truth of the Buddha is that when we feel suffering, it doesn’t mean that something is wrong. What a relief.
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We practice to liberate ourselves from a burden.
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There are many changes in the weather of a day.
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The most important aspect of being on a spiritual path may be to just keep moving.
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it is only to the extent that we are willing to expose ourselves again and again to annihilation that we are able to find that part of ourselves that is indestructible.
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Each time you stay present with fear and uncertainty, you're letting go of a habitual way of finding security and comfort.
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When people are hurting, what they really need is someone who is fully there for them - not someone who is condescending or officious. The only way for you to be there for them is by facing your fear or anger, whatever feelings cause you to shut down.
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One way to practice staying present is to simply sit still for a while and listen. For one minute, listen to the sounds close to you. For one minute, listen to the sounds at a distance. Just listen attentively.
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We work on ourselves in order to help others, but also we help others in order to work on ourselves.
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It's important to remember, when we're out there aggressively working for reform, that, even if our particular issue doesn't get resolved, we are adding peace to the world. We have to do our best and at the same time give up all hope of fruition.
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Just where you are-that's the place to start!
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None of us is ever OK, but we all get through everything just fine.
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Compassionate action starts with seeing yourself when you start to make yourself right and when you start to make yourself wrong. At that point you could just contemplate the fact that there is a larger alternative to either of those, a more tender, shaky kind of place where you could live.
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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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All situations teach you, and often it's the tough ones that teach you best.
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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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At the root of all the harm we cause is ignorance.
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