Quote

The essence of practice is always the same: instead of falling prey to a chain reaction of revenge or self-hatred, we gradually learn to catch the emotional reaction and drop the story lines.

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
Story
Revenge
Prey
Learn
Falling
Chain
Fall
Hatred
Gradually
Stories
Essence
Reaction
Self
Emotional
Drop
Always
Instead
Chains
Lines
Reactions
Practice
Catch

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Compassion practice is daring. It involves learning to relax and allowing ourselves to move gently toward what scares us.
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Peace isn’t an experience free of challenges, free of rough and smooth, it’s an experience that’s expansive enough to include all that arises without feeling threatened.
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Meditation practice isn't about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It's about befriending who we are already.
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Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts. Each time we drop our complaints and allow everyday good fortune to inspire us, we enter the warrior's world.
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The best spiritual instruction is when you wake up in the morning and say, 'I wonder what's going to happen today.' And then carry that kind of curiosity through your life.
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It isn't the things that happen to us in our lives that cause us to suffer, it's how we relate to the things that happen to us that causes us to suffer.
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The biggest obstacle to taking a bigger perspective on life is that our emotions capture and blind us.
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All the wars, all the hatred, all the ignorance in the world come out of being so invested in our opinions.
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Everything in our lives has the potential to wake us up or put us to sleep. Allowing it to awaken us is up to us.
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The Buddha taught that we're not actually in control, which is a pretty scary idea. But when you let things be as they are, you will be a much happier, more balanced, compassionate person.
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Right down there in the thick of things, we discover the love that will not die.
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We tend to forget that we are part of the natural scheme of things.
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The essence of generosity is letting go. Pain is always a sign that we are holding on to something - usually ourselves.
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As our kindness for ourselves grows, so does our kindness for other people.
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Don't worry about achieving. Don't worry about perfection. Just be there each moment as best you can. When you realize you've wandered off again, simply very lightly acknowledge that. This light touch is the golden key to reuniting with our openness.
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Whatever you are doing, take the attitude of wanting it directly or indirectly to benefit others. Take the attitude of wanting it to increase your experience of kinship with your fellow beings.
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This very moment is the perfect teacher, and, lucky for us, it's with us wherever we go.
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This moving away from comfort and security, this stepping out into what is unknown, uncharted and shaky - that's called liberation.
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Whatever is happening is the path to enlightenment.
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Life's work is to wake up, to let the things that enter your life wake you up rather than put you to sleep.
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