Pema Chödrön
Deirdre Blomfield-Brown
1936-present • American
BuddhismTibetan Buddhism
American Tibetan Buddhist nun and author. Resident teacher at Gampo Abbey, known for accessible teachings on working with difficult emotions.
Key Works
- When Things Fall Apart
- The Places That Scare You
- Start Where You Are
115
quotes in library
Quotes by Pema Chödrön
115 quotes“What you do for yourself, any gesture of kindness, is a gesture of kindness to all beings.”
interbeingThe Places That Scare You
“Cool loneliness allows us to look honestly and without aggression at our own minds.”
lonelinessWhen Things Fall Apart
“To live fully is to live with uncertainty.”
groundlessnessWhen Things Fall Apart
“You are not stuck. You are growing.”
growthWelcoming the Unwelcome
“The Buddhist teachings say there is nothing to fear, that the things we fear are illusory in nature.”
fearThe Places That Scare You
“Trust yourself enough to keep going.”
trustWelcoming the Unwelcome
“Compassion practice begins with making friends with ourselves.”
self-compassionStart Where You Are
“What might it be like to drop the story line and just experience what's happening?”
presenceWhen Things Fall Apart
“In meditation we discover our inherent restlessness.”
meditationThe Wisdom of No Escape
“Sit with what you're trying to escape.”
stayingWhen Things Fall Apart
“Tonglen practice is exchanging oneself for others.”
tonglenStart Where You Are
“The truth you believe and cling to makes you unavailable to hear anything new.”
opennessWhen Things Fall Apart
“To be human is to be in relationship.”
relationshipThe Places That Scare You
“The way to dissolve our resistance to life is to meet it face to face.”
presenceWhen Things Fall Apart
“Real spiritual progress can be measured by how we respond to difficulty.”
practiceThe Places That Scare You
“Everything we encounter — even what we want to push away — can be the path.”
pathWhen Things Fall Apart
“The healing power of presence cannot be overstated.”
presenceWelcoming the Unwelcome
“Open your heart to whatever comes.”
opennessThe Places That Scare You
“There is no path to peace; peace is the path.”
peaceThe Wisdom of No Escape
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