Living Beautifully: with Uncertainty and Change Author: Visit Amazon's Pema Chodron Page | Language: English | ISBN:
1611800765 | Format: PDF
Living Beautifully: with Uncertainty and Change Description
About the Author
PEMA CHÖDRÖN is an American Buddhist nun in the lineage of Chögyam Trungpa. She is resident teacher at Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia, the first Tibetan Buddhist monastery in North America established for Westerners. She is the author of many best-selling books, including
When Things Fall Apart.
- Paperback: 160 pages
- Publisher: Shambhala; Reprint edition (October 8, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1611800765
- ISBN-13: 978-1611800760
- Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.9 x 0.5 inches
- Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Using as the basis of this book the idea that all of our suffering comes from our fear of uncertainty, Chodron presents her path to freedom from this suffering. She presents the notion of "living by vows." Now, we're not talking head-shaved monastery living. Nor the drop-out (if enlightened) approach of I Walked to the Moon and Almost Everybody Waved. No, this book is for spiritual people committed to living in the modern, secular world. It's for laypeople. So these are meant more as guideposts than strict practices.
The three vows are:
- Pratimoksha. Commitment to personal liberation and doing no harm.
- Bodhisattva. Selfless service and alleviation of the suffering of others.
- Samaya. Accept reality as it is -- "awakened energy."
If this sounds intriguing, provocative, or helpful to you, I recommend this book.
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Pros: Communicates a reassuring message that we can be free from fear. Also about the essential goodness of humanity, and the fact that no failure is final. Has plenty of practical teaching.
Cons: You may have run across some of this material before. Like many spiritual teaches, Chodron tends to repeat herself. So while there is new material here, there's much that won't surprise you if you're a seasoned Chodron reader.
---7/19/13 Edit/Addition: I'm just about done reading Extraordinary Zen Masters: A Maverick, a Master of Masters, and a Wandering Poet and finding it a subtly inspiring book.
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