The following are taken from Pema Chögrön’s book, Start Where You Are. The gist of Pema’s philosophy is that we should recognize that suffering exists in the world, but that rather than feel anger or sorrow for our own suffering, we should accept it, breathe it in and breathe out sympathy for the similar sufferings of others. When we, through the practice of tonglen, realize how materially insubstantial we, and the world we perceive, really are we can start to erase our ego and cultivate a joyful mind. Tonglen means “taking in and sending out.’
It is a type of meditation that helps us to overcome suffering and weakness.
From Chapter Four I have selected the following quotes:
First, my favorite:
Good and bad, happy and sad, all thoughts vanish into emptiness like the imprint of a bird in the sky.
Trungpa Rinpoche, teacher of Pema Chögrön.
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The things that we perceive are not “here.” They are also not “not here.” They are both and neither.
Pema Chögrön
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Encourage yourself not to be a walking battleground.
Pema Chögrön
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The Buddha within is really sordid as well as wholesome – yucky, smelly, repulsive as well as the opposite: they coexist.
Pema Chögrön
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Sometimes writing, instead of being a fresh take, is like trying to catch something and nail it down… there’s no fresh outlook, no wide-open eyes, no curiosity. When we are not trying to capture anything we become like a child of illusion.
Pema Chögrön
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