"When you open yourself to the continually changing, impermanent, dynamic nature of your own being and of reality, you increase your capacity to love and care about other people and your capacity to not be afraid. You're able to keep your eyes open, your heart open, and your mind open. And you notice when you get caught up in prejudice, bias, and aggression. You develop an enthusiasm for no longer watering those negative seeds, from now until the day you die. And, you begin to think of your life as offering endless opportunities to start to do things differently."
— Pema Chödrön (Practicing Peace in Times of War)
15 comments:
I'm no Buddhist, but I sure have learned a lot from them, especially Pema Chodron, the baddest ass Buddhist evah!!
go Buddha. Love the red and sugar maples...and the gums are pretty too, but they're still green out this way.
I wallow in nostalgia. I love the past with a great passion.
That's all I ever write about.
But I do try to practice compassion.
love you
G'Morning, Reya. I didn't have to do much to Pema's account to fit it into my faith's theology. In my opinion, some things are out of my control, and as a human, I get frustrated by that. There's a great quote by Annie LaMott, that says, "You know the difference between God and me? She never thinks she's me."
I'm no pastor, but the following "Pema revised" is what I hear in my faith community every week. It's all about relationships, to God and each other, in love. It's beautiful. Peace. Breathe deep. Perhaps that is the essence of your nostalgia, Reya, that you are remembering how much you are loved!
Pema restated, (imho): When you open yourself to the continually revealing, all-loving, dynamic nature of the Creator , you increase your capacity to love and care about other people and your capacity to NOT BE AFRAID. You're able to keep your eyes open, your heart open, and your mind open. When you still get caught up in prejudice, bias, and aggression, the enthusiasm for watering those negative seeds will wane, from now until the day you die. And, you begin to think of your life as offering endless opportunities to start to do things differently, in love, up, and around.
I read one of her books this Summer. I have another one waiting on my shelf ...
Chris that's beautiful! This is probably the basis of many (most?) faiths. Very cool.
Yeah Tom - GO BUDDHA!! Woo hoo!!
Beautifully put -- and that's why she's a teacher!
Timely words for me this day. I. am.not. there. yet.
Debra? Me, neither! I think the point is to keep trying, over and over again. I think.
I know, Reya. Tough day today...
tough tough times right now. i first read pema through my dad who learned to value women, then the wisdom of women, then wisdom. the path was that direct!!! he flew away a buddhist but andered down so many paths that the stuff he left behind - well i've got runestones, swords, buddhist texts, madame blavatsky's writings and wayyyy more. but he settled with buddhism. i love the past, the present and the future. in different ways. in different amounts according to the time. my state of mind. my need. they're all wrapped inside this all and everything nothingness of a moment. steven
Wise words.
one can always count on pema!
i love that thank you. Good thing to keep as reminder x your photos are mesmerising. thanks
Baddest Ass Buddhist! oh great!! Beautiful leaves, and wise words to wash over my day.. beautiful, thank you.
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