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
116
quotes in library
Quotes by Pema Chödrön
116 quotes“Bodhichitta is the soft spot, the place where we are tender and open.”
bodhichittaThe Places That Scare You
“Awakened heart is just another name for bodhichitta.”
bodhichittaThe Places That Scare You
“You are the only one who can give you the kind of love that you really long for.”
self-loveWhen Things Fall Apart
“Suffering begins to dissolve when we can question the belief or the hope that there's anywhere to hide.”
groundlessnessWhen Things Fall Apart
“To be fully human is to be in process.”
humanityThe Places That Scare You
“Run, don't walk to that practice. The pain in this moment is your teacher.”
presenceWelcoming the Unwelcome
“Inner peace begins the moment you choose not to allow another person or event to control your emotions.”
peaceThe Places That Scare You
“The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.”
healingWhen Things Fall Apart
“Whatever you meet, that is the path.”
pathWhen Things Fall Apart
“You're not what you think you are. You're vast and unknowable.”
identityWhen Things Fall Apart
“Resistance to unwanted circumstances has the power to keep those circumstances alive and well.”
acceptanceWhen Things Fall Apart
“To stay with that shakiness — to stay with a broken heart, with a rumbling stomach, with the feeling of hopelessness — that is the path of true awakening.”
groundlessnessWhen Things Fall Apart
“Maitri — unconditional friendliness toward oneself — is the basis of all spiritual practice.”
maitriThe Wisdom of No Escape
“As we learn to make friends with our restlessness, our anxiety, and our fear, we also learn to relax with reality just as it is.”
acceptanceWhen Things Fall Apart
“It's only by going into the storm that we can find our way through.”
courageWhen Things Fall Apart
“The point is not to try to throw ourselves away and become something better. It's to befriend who we are already.”
acceptanceStart Where You Are
“Start where you are. This is very important.”
presenceStart Where You Are
“The future is completely open, and we are writing it moment to moment.”
presenceWhen Things Fall Apart
“You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather.”
awarenessTeachings
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