Brian Oldham

When Things Fall Apart: 17 Buddhist Teachings For Difficult Times

Pema Chödrön is an American Buddhist and famous author. She wrote the best-selling book "When Things Fall Apart" which was published in 1996 and is one of the most read Buddhist self-help books in the world. 
Mélanie Berliet
August 25, 2016
“Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us.”
— Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (Shambhala Classics)
Tagged: Ending, Recovery, Loss
“Things falling apart is a kind of testing and also a kind of healing. We think that the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.”
— Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (Shambhala Classics)
Tagged: Suffering, Meaning of Our Suffering
“Letting there be room for not knowing is the most important thing of all.”
— Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (Shambhala Classics)
Tagged: Socratic Method, Knowledge, Not Knowing
“Thinking that we can find some lasting pleasure and avoid pain is what in Buddhism is called samsara, a hopeless cycle that goes round and round endlessly and causes us to suffer greatly.”
— Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times(Shambhala Classics)
Tagged: Buddhist Teachings, Pain
“When you have made good friends with yourself, your situation will be more friendly too.”
— Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (Shambhala Classics)
Tagged: Love Yourself, Motivational
“To stay with that shakiness—to stay with a broken heart, with a rumbling stomach, with the feeling of hopelessness and wanting to get revenge—that is the path of true awakening. Sticking with that uncertainty, getting the knack of relaxing in the midst of chaos, learning not to panic—this is the spiritual path.”
— Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (Shambhala Classics)
Tagged: Overcoming Pain
“The spiritual journey involves going beyond hope and fear, stepping into unknown territory, continually moving forward. The most important aspect of being on the spiritual path may be to just keep moving.”
— Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (Shambhala Classics)
Tagged: Religion, Spirituality, Keep Moving
“Life is a good teacher and a good friend. Things are always in transition, if we could only realize it.”
— Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (Shambhala Classics)
Tagged: Nothing Lasts Forever
“So the next time you encounter fear, consider yourself lucky. This is where the courage comes in. Usually we think that brave people have no fear. The truth is that they are intimate with fear.”
— Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (Shambhala Classics)
Tagged: Overcoming Fear
“Rather than letting our negativity get the better of us, we could acknowledge that right now we feel like a piece of shit and not be squeamish about taking a good look.”
— Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (Shambhala Classics)
Tagged: Self-Assessment, Personal Growth, Self-Help, Dealing With Negativity
“The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.”
— Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (Shambhala Classics)
Tagged: Authenticity, Courage
“The most difficult times for many of us are the ones we give ourselves.”
— Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (Shambhala Classics)
Tagged: Realtionship With Yourself, Giving Yourself A Hard Time
“To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.”
— Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times(Shambhala Classics)
Tagged: What It Means To Be Human, Constant Change, Flux, Life
“When things are shaky and nothing is working, we might realize that we are on the verge of something. We might realize that this is a very vulnerable and tender place, and that tenderness can go either way. We can shut down and feel resentful or we can touch in on that throbbing quality.”
— Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (Shambhala Classics)
Tagged: vulnerability, Two Choices
“When we protect ourselves so we won’t feel pain, that protection becomes like armor, like armor that imprisons the softness of the heart.”
— Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (Shambhala Classics)
Tagged: Armor, Protect
“Once there was a young warrior. Her teacher told her that she had to do battle with fear. She didn’t want to do that. It seemed too aggressive; it was scary; it seemed unfriendly. But the teacher said she had to do it and gave her the instructions for the battle. The day arrived. The student warrior stood on one side, and fear stood on the other. The warrior was feeling very small, and fear was looking big and wrathful. They both had their weapons. The young warrior roused herself and went toward fear, prostrated three times, and asked, ‘May I have permission to go into battle with you?’ Fear said, ‘Thank you for showing me so much respect that you ask permission.’ Then the young warrior said, ‘How can I defeat you?’ Fear replied, ‘My weapons are that I talk fast, and I get very close to your face. Then you get completely unnerved, and you do whatever I say. If you don’t do what I tell you, I have no power. You can listen to me, and you can have respect for me. You can even be convinced by me. But if you don’t do what I say, I have no power.’ In that way, the student warrior learned how to defeat fear.”
— Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (Shambhala Classics)
Tagged: Overcoming Fear
“All over the world, people are so caught in running that they forget to take advantage of the beauty around them. We become so accustomed to speeding ahead that we rob ourselves of joy.”
— Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (Shambhala Classics)
Tagged: Slow Down