book data
1,969 ratings,
4.35
average rating, 356 reviews
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published
March 7th 2005
by Element Books
(first published 1997)
details
Paperback, 208 pages
isbn
0007183518
(isbn13: 9780007183517)
description
Much like Zen, Pema Chodron's interpretation of Tibetan Buddhism takes the form of a nontheistic spiritualism. In When Things Fall Apart this head of…more
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avg 4.35
editions: all | this edition
editions: all | this edition
I read this book over and over again. I LOVE her and her simple, straightforward way of talking about really deep spirituality. What initially attracted me to this book is kind of a funny story actually, I was going through a rough breakup and happened to be wandering through the stacks at the ICPL. I pulled this book off the shelf, just by chance.
So she begins the book by telling the story of how her marriage ended, when her husband drove up to their house one day and announced that ...more
So she begins the book by telling the story of how her marriage ended, when her husband drove up to their house one day and announced that ...more
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Read in January, 2008
My therapist recommended this book when I was dealing with the end of my 11-yr relationship. She introduced it to me saying that often, when things seems the darkest, it just means we on the verge of breakthrough. I was like "OK, that makes some sense." Then it sat on my book shelf for 8 YEARS! Then my roommate Anya read it and told me it was a MUST READ. So I did. Wow! No, really ... WOW!
I have never heard Buddhist philosophy laid out so clearly and accessibly for t...more
I have never heard Buddhist philosophy laid out so clearly and accessibly for t...more
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recommends it for:
Ben, but really everyone, but esp people who want to relax.
First, I would love to be writing tons of really private notes to myself and then have them all exposed by some internet accident. That would be crazy.
I've now had the lovely experience of reading this book when feeling like things were falling apart and then reading it again when it felt like things were pretty normal. Both times were good. Pema Chodron has a crystal clear writing style, concise and beautiful. Her writing is a pleasure to read and I almost feel honored to get to...more
I've now had the lovely experience of reading this book when feeling like things were falling apart and then reading it again when it felt like things were pretty normal. Both times were good. Pema Chodron has a crystal clear writing style, concise and beautiful. Her writing is a pleasure to read and I almost feel honored to get to...more
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Read in June, 2007
recommends it for:
anyone ready to transform his/her perspective
this book was a refreshing look at how we deal with the not-so-good things in life, and what tools we have within ourselves to help navigate those times. one of the most important things i came to understand is that things like sadness, anger, frustration, feelings of instability, etc. are not inherently bad things. rather, they are challenging. they can present themselves as obstacles. but in reality, they are incredible teachers within our own personal experience that help us to grow. som...more
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This is one of those great keepers you read, reread and then loan to friends in times of need. Though I was baptized an Episcopaelian, I appreciate the philosophy and spirituality of most religions. This I first read after my mom was killed before Christmas the year I got my B.A., when I devoured everything from Thich Nhat Hanh to Mother Teresa to Gandhi and the Bible and even Dr. Phil. The great message is remembering that we need to learn to live with this sort of groundlessness, when the worl...more
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Read in September, 1999
I first read this book nearly 10 years ago when I was going through a difficult, painful divorce. This book set me on a path of healing that has continued to the present day. I have recently gone through an even more devastating loss - the death of my daughter - and I went back to this book, and found its gentle wisdom helped me go through my grief and find my sanity. I recommend this book to anyone going through loss, or, for that matter, for anyone going through LIFE, since we will all inevita...more
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Read in December, 2009
I was first introduced to Pema Chödrön's work when I was on the road, traveling from Toronto to Vancouver via Recreational Vehicle with five other travelers. It was a trip full of lessons but I'll save that story for another time.
Recently I was dealing with the challenges of letting go, an attachment. I'm still working through it. So it was timely that I came upon this work and weeks after placing it on hold at my local library I finally got a hold of it. It is well written and I ...more
Recently I was dealing with the challenges of letting go, an attachment. I'm still working through it. So it was timely that I came upon this work and weeks after placing it on hold at my local library I finally got a hold of it. It is well written and I ...more
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Read in September, 2009
Chodron is an American Buddhist nun and is apparently a prolific writer. Going through some difficult times now, this book called to me from the Border's book shelf.
I'm going to admit that I started off reading this book thinking "What the hell are you talking about?" Leaning into the sharp points, facing your demons, embracing suffering - all sounds well and good but HOW do you do it? Buddhism is all abut guidelines and rarely ever says "Here is how you do this"
...more
I'm going to admit that I started off reading this book thinking "What the hell are you talking about?" Leaning into the sharp points, facing your demons, embracing suffering - all sounds well and good but HOW do you do it? Buddhism is all abut guidelines and rarely ever says "Here is how you do this"
...more
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Read in June, 2009
I'm not sure I fully understood everything Chödrön had to say in this book - at the very least I need time to digest the ideas. At its most basic level, there's much I admire and appreciate here: the idea of loving-kindness; of viewing the self (and others) with compassion; of abdicating our obsession with the future; of pausing in difficult moments; of welcoming feelings, no matter their type, rather than running away or trying to distract ourselves with whatever is at hand. What I need to ...more
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Read in April, 2009
Self-Help for those trying to transcend Self. The ultimate in ironic advice. By not striving, we strive to discover the "bodhichitta" within, a Sanskrit word that means "noble or awakened heart." (86) Such an awakened heart can become a servant of peace. "The word 'bodhisattva' refers to those who have committed themselves to the path of compassion." (98)
"Underneath our ordinary lives, underneath all the talking we do, all the moving we do, all the thought...more
"Underneath our ordinary lives, underneath all the talking we do, all the moving we do, all the thought...more
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Read in February, 2007
Pema Chodron is a wife and mother-turned Buddhist nun. (I didn't even know there were Buddhist nuns!) Her book is filled with interesting and useful advice such as connecting ourselves to the suffering of ourselves and others, overcoming our fear of suffering, awakening the compassion that is inherent in all of us, "no matter how cruel or cold we might seem to be" (93) She describes a fairly well-known meditation technique: "If we know a person who is being hurt, we bre...more
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Read in March, 2009
Oh, Pema. The trick to what she writes about is that it is so easy to understand intellectually, and so incredibly challenging to know emotionally, much less to actually pull off in the mess of day-to-day living. But that's the point, really: to keep trying. To let things be messy (and there's good messy and bad messy) and be in the messiness and know that the messiness isn't what we're supposed to escape from to our real lives, the messiness IS our real lives. Which we're constantly trying to r...more
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Read in February, 2010
Loved this little book! It's an intense, powerful read in a beautiful package. Pema Chodron shares insight that cuts right to the core of your being. If you are grieving, heartsick or find yourself in the middle of a chaotic time, this book could offer the best "heart advice" you'll find. Chodron is a Buddhist and is approaching life from a very Buddhist perspective, so this might not jive with all readers, but it's very easy to tease out the message from the delivery (just like wi...more
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Read in November, 2008
pema choron's book has to be one of the best, most realistic depictions of reality and the paths of sanity. i have never read a text and agreed so much with everything the author wrote. some of the themes i take away from these talks and revisit time and time again....
"the result [[of knowing ourselves, being mindful]] is that we cease to cause harm. we begin to know ourselves thoroughly and to respect ourselves. anything can come up, anything can walk into our house; we can f...more
"the result [[of knowing ourselves, being mindful]] is that we cease to cause harm. we begin to know ourselves thoroughly and to respect ourselves. anything can come up, anything can walk into our house; we can f...more
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Read in December, 2006
This is another book I am perpetually reading. I open to a chapter when I want to feel more centered, digest it slowly, and spend the next days or weeks mulling it over. It's wonderful.
I picked it up when I wasn't going through any difficult times. Even so, it touched my heart. The first excerpt I read described Chodron throwing her full coffee mug at her husband when he told her he was leaving for another woman (an immediate reaction I can relate to) and then moved seamlessly into a...more
I picked it up when I wasn't going through any difficult times. Even so, it touched my heart. The first excerpt I read described Chodron throwing her full coffee mug at her husband when he told her he was leaving for another woman (an immediate reaction I can relate to) and then moved seamlessly into a...more
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Quite possibly the most impacting book I have ever read in my life. I picked this up when I thought things were going wonderfully. I had no idea how much more there was in life. "As I become more wholehearted in my journey of gentle honesty, it comes as quite a shock to realize how much I've blinded myself to some of the ways I've caused harm. My style has been so ingrained that I've not heard when others have tried to tell me, either kindly or rudely that I am causing harm by the way I ...more
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Read in July, 2008
Normally I wouldn't publicly admit to reading something so seemingly self-help-y but I think that this is an excellent "Buddhism for Dummies" type book, and one which illuminates the humanity, the poignancy, and, well, the ancient-ness of Buddhism and its connection with the human condition, and I think that most people can benefit from its lessons.
Someone recommended the book to me because I've been dealing with a prolonged, painful injury, and things did indeed seem to be...more
Someone recommended the book to me because I've been dealing with a prolonged, painful injury, and things did indeed seem to be...more
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Read in November, 2007
heavy and thought-provoking book about coping with loss. my friend deb, who is dealing with lung cancer, recommended this book to me as i was telling her about a bitter breakup and other assorted heartaches.
pema chodron basically asks a very simple question: if suffering and pain are inevitable, might it not be better to embrace them and learn to endure them with grace instead of frantically trying to escape them?
i spent the next two months trying her advice. i sat with ...more
pema chodron basically asks a very simple question: if suffering and pain are inevitable, might it not be better to embrace them and learn to endure them with grace instead of frantically trying to escape them?
i spent the next two months trying her advice. i sat with ...more
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this book is hella helpful when you're going through it. it's by a white lady (i think) who's really into buddhism, and i really can't comment on its value as a religious text because i know next to nothing about buddhism. however, i do know that this book saw me through a difficult time when i screwed up big time & had to live with the consequences. and it really helped a friend of mine when she was going through a breakup. you don't have to have a background in buddhism to get something out of...more
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Read in September, 2008
I knew that I was going to love this book when Pema Chodron closed her introduction with the proclamation that "Chaos should be regarded as extremely good news." While all chaos I have experienced in life has been predictably upsetting, in looking back I also find that it has, to paraphrase Chodron, woken me up. And this book is basically step by step advice on how to practice waking yourself up every day, but most especially when things fall apart.
Not all of it is easy ...more
Not all of it is easy ...more
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"What happens with you when you begin to feel uneasy, unsettled, queasy? Notice the panic, notice when you instantly grab for something. (51)" —
5 people liked it
"No one ever tells us to stop running away from fear...the advice we usually get is to sweeten it up, smooth it over, take a pill, or distract ourselves, but by all means make it go away. (5)" —
9 people liked it
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