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shwethav's review against another edition
5.0
what an amazing book! I'm glad I found pema chodrons book. It helped me change course on how I think and how I typically approach things.
dave_peticolas's review against another edition
3.0
Not quite what I was expecting, but nevertheless good. One hundred and eight micro-chapters, each about two pages long, with a short explication of Buddhism from Chödrön's perspective. Buddhism and Stoicism have some interesting parallels. In some respects they each start from the same place and reach some of the same conclusions. It's their tenor that is so strikingly different. Something like the difference between acceptance and resignation.
cfyfe14's review against another edition
4.0
A good book with valid points. Though it come off a little "cut and paste" with following these rules/ dogmatic to end suffering. Would have enjoyed more holistic integrative narrative. I did enjoy parts and themes of integration along ownership of all elements of life. I'd give between 3-4 starts.
fraeyalise's review against another edition
This book is not for me. I didn't realize that it was a compilation of content from her other books.
growthinkers's review against another edition
4.0
Één van mijn eerste boeken over het Boeddhisme en wat een Boeddhistische openbaring. Veel praktische tips en zo leerzaam voor het dagelijks leven. Ik wil mijn hele leven dansen met het oncomfortabele. Bijna het hele boek heb ik gemarkeerd. Meest inspirerende quote uit het boek: "Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It’s about befriending who we are already".
rponzo's review against another edition
3.0
Have you ever heard the adage, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.”
This book is like that for me. I have had it for a few months now, and dipped into its very very short chapters from time to time. But recently I read it fully and it lifted a blind in my window.
Of course I had to get past the “Four truths of enlightenment” and the “Six beliefs of compassion” and the “Three ways of feeling pain“. The trite phrase “be here now” that I see in management training seminars and the seemingly obvious “start where you are“. But this book is not selling anything, and it starts to make some sense.
The ideas are simple but not easy…..they are free but not cheap. The need to forgive. The wretchedness of life--not explained, but not our fault. Stop avoiding things, just accept.
I started to absorb this philosophy of life from my Joe, from not only his cheerful personality, but also that we treasure our time together, knowing we don’t have the illusion of an endless future. But, until I read this book, I did not realize how much of my time is waiting to get to the next point in time. I don't want to waste time like that, I just had to see it.
I’m really glad I read it.
“Everything in our lives has the potential to wake us up or to put us to sleep. Allowing it to awaken is up to us.” (p. 39)
"One of the most powerful Buddhist teachings is that as long as you are wishing for things to change, they never will." (p. 149)
"...The more you can be completely now, the more you realize that you're always standing in the middle of a sacred circle. It's no small affair, whether you're brushing your teeth or cooling your feed or wiping your bottom. Whatever you're doing, you're doing it now. " (p.116)
"When you are feeling grief, you can look right into somebody's eyes because you feel you haven't got anything to lose--you're just there."
(p.195)
This book is like that for me. I have had it for a few months now, and dipped into its very very short chapters from time to time. But recently I read it fully and it lifted a blind in my window.
Of course I had to get past the “Four truths of enlightenment” and the “Six beliefs of compassion” and the “Three ways of feeling pain“. The trite phrase “be here now” that I see in management training seminars and the seemingly obvious “start where you are“. But this book is not selling anything, and it starts to make some sense.
The ideas are simple but not easy…..they are free but not cheap. The need to forgive. The wretchedness of life--not explained, but not our fault. Stop avoiding things, just accept.
I started to absorb this philosophy of life from my Joe, from not only his cheerful personality, but also that we treasure our time together, knowing we don’t have the illusion of an endless future. But, until I read this book, I did not realize how much of my time is waiting to get to the next point in time. I don't want to waste time like that, I just had to see it.
I’m really glad I read it.
“Everything in our lives has the potential to wake us up or to put us to sleep. Allowing it to awaken is up to us.” (p. 39)
"One of the most powerful Buddhist teachings is that as long as you are wishing for things to change, they never will." (p. 149)
"...The more you can be completely now, the more you realize that you're always standing in the middle of a sacred circle. It's no small affair, whether you're brushing your teeth or cooling your feed or wiping your bottom. Whatever you're doing, you're doing it now. " (p.116)
"When you are feeling grief, you can look right into somebody's eyes because you feel you haven't got anything to lose--you're just there."
(p.195)
elinakd's review against another edition
4.0
Helpful in tough moments, but the audiobook is easy to lose track of.