Pema Chödrön, a renowned Buddhist nun and mindfulness teacher, shares her journey from a conventional life to embracing Tibetan Buddhism. She discusses the impact of the pandemic on mental health and emphasizes the importance of mindfulness in cultivating resilience. Pema offers insights on embracing uncertainty and letting go of anger for personal growth. Through humor and grace, she encourages listeners to face fear and adversity with compassion, highlighting the journey of personal growth amidst chaos.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Working with Difficulty
Start meditating to become more self-aware and conscious of your habitual patterns.
Cultivate kindness towards these patterns without repressing them or acting them out.
insights INSIGHT
The Value of Chaos
Crises can reveal that we've been living superficially, not fully acknowledging impermanence.
These difficult times offer a chance to connect more profoundly with the true nature of life, including change and interconnectedness.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Compassion in Extreme Circumstances
Tibetans, even when tortured, sometimes worried more about their torturers' karmic debts than their own suffering.
One monk feared losing compassion for his torturers more than the torture itself.
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We’re now almost a full year into the era of Covid restrictions, and I suspect that many of you, as I am, are starting to internalize the fact that, notwithstanding the vaccines, there’s likely a ways to go yet. And the mental health issues are piling up: The depression, anxiety, and addiction. Moms, people of color, and elderly people who can’t see their families are among those getting hit especially hard. To inject a little sunshine, and perspective, and wisdom, we thought it might make sense to re-post one of our favorite conversations of the last year. Pema Chödrön has seemingly been trying to prepare us for this pandemic for years, through a series of popular books, with titles such as When Things Fall Apart, Welcoming the Unwelcome, and The Wisdom of No Escape. But as you will hear, she is anything but gloomy. Like all of the great meditation teachers I’ve met, she has a lightness and a sense of humor about her. She was born Deirdre Blomfield in Connecticut. She lived a conventional life, going to UC Berkeley, becoming a school teacher, and having a pair of kids. But after a rough divorce, she found herself adrift. During this time, she discovered Tibetan Buddhism, shaved her head, and became a nun. Now in her mid-eighties, she lives in rural Nova Scotia, where she is the director of Gampo Abbey. We connected with her — back in May — on an old-school landline. I was recording my half of the conversation from a closet in our erstwhile apartment in New York City, which at the time was the epicenter of the outbreak in America. We talked about how to actually welcome the unwelcome. We also discussed how to befriend your demons, sympathize without being stupid, lighten up in the face of fear, and embrace chaos as “extremely good news.” One other thing: we would appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to help us out by answering a brand-new survey about your experience with this podcast. To do so, please go to https://www.tenpercent.com/survey. And thank you! Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/pema-chodron-repost
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