Scan barcode
A review by robinlm
Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living by Pema Chödrön
4.0
I've been reading several books about Buddhism, mindfulness, and meditation recently, and this one gets referenced by other self-kindness books that I've read. Pema Chodron is a Mahayana Buddhist (as opposed to a Theravada Buddhist), so this book definitely sticks to the Mahayana belief system in vocabulary and suggestions for practice.
I think the most important messages in this book aren't the slogans per se, but rather the underlying message of self-love and self-acceptance. The catch, really, is that to change yourself into a compassionate, joyful person, you first have to accept yourself right now, as a potentially angry, grumpy old fart. Unconditionally accept yourself. Not "I'll accept myself once I'm nicer" but "even though I'm a grumpy old fart, I accept myself." After you do that, you can start to change. For some people (like myself), accepting all of your imperfections is something that does not necessarily come naturally.
But this book is a really helpful guide for starting to accept yourself, using compassion, humor, and gentleness. I took quite a bit of wisdom away from this book. I look forward to reading some of Chodron's other works.
I think the most important messages in this book aren't the slogans per se, but rather the underlying message of self-love and self-acceptance. The catch, really, is that to change yourself into a compassionate, joyful person, you first have to accept yourself right now, as a potentially angry, grumpy old fart. Unconditionally accept yourself. Not "I'll accept myself once I'm nicer" but "even though I'm a grumpy old fart, I accept myself." After you do that, you can start to change. For some people (like myself), accepting all of your imperfections is something that does not necessarily come naturally.
But this book is a really helpful guide for starting to accept yourself, using compassion, humor, and gentleness. I took quite a bit of wisdom away from this book. I look forward to reading some of Chodron's other works.