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Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears
by
Pema Chödrön
In this book, Pema Chödrön shows us how to break free of destructive patterns in our lives and experience a new sense of freedom and happiness. Drawing on the Buddhist concept of shenpa, she helps us to see how certain habits of mind tend to “hook” us and get us stuck in states of anger, blame, self-hatred, and addiction. The good news is that once we start to see these pa...more
ebook, 0 pages
Published
September 14th 2010
by Shambhala Publications
(first published 2009)
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Jan 17, 2013
Valerie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
insight-self-improvement
I am grateful to have found this book of Chodron's at our public library. I found it so much more accessable than When Things Fall Apart, which is better known (longer) and quite frankly I found it brutal . Being a person just beginning to practice Vipassna meditation, and embrace, or shoud I say, accept the 4 Noble Truths, I found WTFA to be very well-written, but perhaps not considering the audience as much as the urgency of her message. Taking the Leap is consice, practical, and definately co...more
I didn't really find much difference between chapters, they seem to re-iterate the teaching of not getting hooked, which is good, but personally, I found I would like to have read a bit *more* life-experience examples, as that helps me to better take in and understand what I'm reading. That said, Pema Chödrön is good at teaching, and I like her humility and her frankness, about her own pitfalls and experiences (as I said, though, I just wish there were more examples, or something, as I find I le...more
What’s so lovely about this slim book is that it’s light as a feather—Buddhist concepts are relieved of their cumbersome weight for the average Western idiot—but it doesn’t feel silly or condescending. Chodron personalizes every discussion with earthy vignettes from her own life, and her simplicity and directness keep us interested. The large print doesn’t hurt, either. I’d recommend this to people interested in Buddhism, but also to those who might be just a little squeamish.
“Taking the Leap” i...more
“Taking the Leap” i...more
I enjoyed "Taking the Leap." It is a quick read, and one that I thought might be helpful in this time in my life.
A few excerpts I found powerul:
"The source of our unease is the unfulfillable longing for a lasting certainty and security, for something solid to hold on to. Unconsciously we expect that if we could just get the right job, the right partner, the right something, our lives would run smoothly...We are never encouraged to experience the ebb and flow of our moods, of our health, of the...more
A few excerpts I found powerul:
"The source of our unease is the unfulfillable longing for a lasting certainty and security, for something solid to hold on to. Unconsciously we expect that if we could just get the right job, the right partner, the right something, our lives would run smoothly...We are never encouraged to experience the ebb and flow of our moods, of our health, of the...more
Faced with the scope of the planet’s present challenges, not to mention our own day-to-day difficulties, it’s not surprising that we sometimes feel the need to numb ourselves to the world around us. The obvious drawback to this survival tactic, notes Buddhist teacher Pema Chödrön, is that we can wind up missing the whole show. The here and now is where life happens, after all. That’s why Chödrön’s latest book teaches the simple art of remaining present with what is and overcoming the attraction...more
A brief call-away-from-arms with a realistic idea of how to do that. Pema Chodron believes that "fundamentally, our minds are expansive, flexible, and curious" (6) and you can return to that open, kind state of mind again and again when "you pause and allow there to be a gap in whatever you're doing." (8)
I loved her extended metaphor of ego, or shenpa, as an itch plus our scratching: "scratching is our habitual way of trying to get away, trying to escape our fundamental discomfort, the fundament...more
I loved her extended metaphor of ego, or shenpa, as an itch plus our scratching: "scratching is our habitual way of trying to get away, trying to escape our fundamental discomfort, the fundament...more
I would say my only complaint about Pema's book is that it's too short, but at 100 pages, it's not. There are pearls of wisdom on every page, and this slim volume of Buddhist thought - focused on staying with your emotions, leaning into pain, sitting with the hard stuff - is just right. It begs to be reread, to be handed off to a friend in need.
Pema writes with clarity, wit, and sensibility. She speaks to Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, focusing on working through our habitual patterns, diff...more
Pema writes with clarity, wit, and sensibility. She speaks to Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, focusing on working through our habitual patterns, diff...more
Perhaps this book was a 5-star read for me just due to its timing. I'm not sure I would have understood what she was saying 10 years earlier. Chödrön does a great job of reminding us of the following: *everything* around us is ever-changing and as such it makes no sense to fall into habitual negative thinking (as in: "yeesh, that dude's such a jerk!" or even worse the terrible inner monologues "ugh, I'm a loser!"). This type of stagnant, negative thinking is in Tibetan Buddhism "shenpa", which C...more
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Oct 16, 2011
Robin
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
someone looking to change thier lifestyle
If this book works for you - good
If this book doesn't - set it aside and look elsewhere
I heard the Dalai Lama once say that if a Buddhist teaching helps you than use it, if it doesn't than don't and not to worry.
This book, along with Pema's other works, is helping me let go of negativity and an addiction. I've found peace and am working towards having more spirituality in my life. I think the "trick" to this book being a help in life is being in a place of desire for change through these teachin...more
If this book doesn't - set it aside and look elsewhere
I heard the Dalai Lama once say that if a Buddhist teaching helps you than use it, if it doesn't than don't and not to worry.
This book, along with Pema's other works, is helping me let go of negativity and an addiction. I've found peace and am working towards having more spirituality in my life. I think the "trick" to this book being a help in life is being in a place of desire for change through these teachin...more
I seriously considered buying this book so I could read it again and again during difficult times! I have considered reading this author before, when I saw this on the NFNR table and it was only 100 pages I jumped on it. I am so glad I did!
It seems to be a culmination of many things I have learned in the past 18 months! It is about being present in the moment and allowing yourself to feel your feelings as a way to get to know yourself and move forward in life. One of the biggest things I learned...more
It seems to be a culmination of many things I have learned in the past 18 months! It is about being present in the moment and allowing yourself to feel your feelings as a way to get to know yourself and move forward in life. One of the biggest things I learned...more
I read this because I KEEP HEARING about this author, and how wonderful she is. I also happened to visit the town her abbey is in on my honeymoon (saw it from an overlooking cliff), which is simply weird. Anyway. I thought this might be an interesting self-helpy type of book. I have plenty of bad habits and fears, none of which were solved by reading this!!
I had this whole big review up here, but I am modifying it because I'm so angered that Ms. Chodron has made me feel like a bad person, and th...more
I had this whole big review up here, but I am modifying it because I'm so angered that Ms. Chodron has made me feel like a bad person, and th...more
I absolutely loved this book. Maybe it was a combination of timing: me ready to move on from certain things in my past and my current fascination with eastern philosophy. Here are a few of my favorite gems:
* "A Native American grandfather was speaking to his grandson about violence and cruelty in the world and how it comes about. He said it was as if two wolves were fighting in his heart. One wolf was vengeful and angry, and the other wolf was understanding and kind. The young man asked his gran...more
* "A Native American grandfather was speaking to his grandson about violence and cruelty in the world and how it comes about. He said it was as if two wolves were fighting in his heart. One wolf was vengeful and angry, and the other wolf was understanding and kind. The young man asked his gran...more
Dec 13, 2012
Rubina
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
spiritual,
psychology
A great little book by Pema Chodron! She teaches the Buddhist concept of Shenpa, the Tibetan word which translates to mean "attachment", but a more descriptive translation would be "hooked". Shenpa is the urge, the hook, that triggers our habitual tendency to close down, withdrawing, not wanting to be where we are. It has the power to hook us into self-denigration, blame, anger, jealousy and other emotions which lead to words and actions that end up poisoning us. It could be simple everyday even...more
A really down to earth coverage of some Buddhist principles. I can actually say that Chodron pulled out a few metaphors and images that were entirely new and apt. As much as I agree with Buddhist philosophy and practice, Buddhist writings often leave me cold because the language often doesn't breathe (no pun intended).
Chodron's book gave me something to latch onto and think about. However, as in other Buddhist writings, the areas of toxic anger and shame are over emphasized, in my opinion. Thou...more
Chodron's book gave me something to latch onto and think about. However, as in other Buddhist writings, the areas of toxic anger and shame are over emphasized, in my opinion. Thou...more
A very uplifing an useful book. The major points can seem lost in the content, but one could say the content itself is the most important. This is a book I will always have on my coffee table, a reference so to speak, for when I'm feeling out of sorts or like I'm a fish on a hook. It gives great insight into many Buddhist beliefs, the main focus of which is that we must first learn to be compassionate and accepting of ourselves without deception, before we can be compassionate towards others. Pe...more
Not sure what "shelf" to put this on as I am reading this on a daily basis over and over again. My greatest tendency is to worry about both the real - will I have enough money to pay for my kid's imminent braces? - and imaginary - if I walk around the city at 4 am, what could happen? - things and every time I pick up this book, I stop and breathe 3 times and relax. Just breathe 3 times. What a difference it makes in my little world.
It's not a book about worrying, per se. It's any habit that lim...more
It's not a book about worrying, per se. It's any habit that lim...more
I love Pema, and this was the first book of hers that I ever read, so it has a special place in my library. I read this book when I was getting ready to make some big changes in my life, and it really helped me to have the courage to move forward. I really think that I wouldn't be where I am today without this book.
If you struggle with fear, or if you find uncertainty and apprehension holding you back in life, this book can really help you shrug off the shackles of fear that keep us from moving...more
If you struggle with fear, or if you find uncertainty and apprehension holding you back in life, this book can really help you shrug off the shackles of fear that keep us from moving...more
"Deep down in the human spirit there is a reservoir of courage. It is always available, always waiting to be discovered." -Pema Chodron.
One of many enlightening passages that makes up this small intimate book of wisdom. From page one, Chodron takes hold of your mind, grasping at any analogy, turn of phrase, storyline, even her own personal experiences, to help you realize that your own shortcomings should not be a reason to fall apart. By realizing your own faults, you are demonstrating a great...more
One of many enlightening passages that makes up this small intimate book of wisdom. From page one, Chodron takes hold of your mind, grasping at any analogy, turn of phrase, storyline, even her own personal experiences, to help you realize that your own shortcomings should not be a reason to fall apart. By realizing your own faults, you are demonstrating a great...more
I have been reading this book while resting at home from a back problem. This back episode has thrown me off all that I had wanted and planned to do!! Just one of life's glitches that I fight against when it happens. Reading this sweet and helpful book relaxed me both mentally and physically. This was an unexpected way to spend the first day of 2011 but it's okay, really okay. I always appreciate when someone writes a book that can help you flow through the mundane and give guidance and a new pe...more
Oh my goodness. This is the written form of a series of lectures that Chodron gave at a meditation retreat. I listened to these lectures by buying them on itunes under the title "Getting Unstuck," but I read the book as well. It is truly one of the most deeply TRUE and important books I've ever read. Revelatory. I suppose the depth of how much Pema's words affect and move you to action depend upon where you are in your spiritual and psychological work; that said, her description of karma as real...more
I needed to read a lot of books in just a few hours recently and added this to my quick reading list.
When I say quick, I mean first and last paragraphs of each chapter. It falls into the line of other recent readings.
There are some very good points here and I will read more of this women in wanting to use my mind is a more positive means of contributing goodness upon the earth.
Freeing ourselves from old habits and fears...doesn't that sound like something worth learning?
When I say quick, I mean first and last paragraphs of each chapter. It falls into the line of other recent readings.
There are some very good points here and I will read more of this women in wanting to use my mind is a more positive means of contributing goodness upon the earth.
Freeing ourselves from old habits and fears...doesn't that sound like something worth learning?
I feel like there was a lot of good advice in this book, but her main point seems to be that we need to stay in the present, and that bothers me. It seems when I most need help in my life is when I am completely in the present. All I can do is breathe and feel my heartbeat, and that doesn't bring peace at all. That just brings a boredom of life. Anyway, I like the concept of shenpa--I see how it really does pop up in all of our lives.
This book contains essays or meditations on various topics that Pema Chodron has discussed in more depth in her other books. This is the second book on Buddhism that I read, so I had read about some of the teachings before, but many were new to me. As a Westerner who was raised in the Catholic Church, but who now is a spiritual seeker, I found the book engrossing, well written and full of interesting ideas that I want to explore more deeply, both through Ms. Chodron's other works, and through th...more
Outstanding! Pema Chödrön has an uncanny way of communicating with your soul. If you open your heart to it, this book will heal you. By teaching practical steps in the management of "shenpa," your inner itch that likes to hold on to ridulous habits, Chödrön takes you to new heights of clarity, recovery, and wholeness. It really is possible to gain insight and introspection through these teachings.
Another truly good book from Pema. It does repeat some of the same ideas from her other books, but the idea of these books is to reflect and re-learn anyway, so novelty is not the goal. It is very helpful to deliberately consider her points, ones that we neglect so easily in the bustle of life, and she speaks as always with humor, grace, self-effacement, and clear illustration.
I had this book laying around for months, and finally picked it up just before a huge conflict happened with next-door-neighbor. This book gave me beautiful insights that I needed at the perfect moments. I read it once to myself, and then out loud to my kids. We had many great conversations around these concepts. Pema has a simple yet poignant style of expressing herself.
This book seeks to get to a deep challenge if we want to create a more compassionate and just world. To “honestly face the pain in our lives and the problems in the world” we need to first examine, with endless compassion, our own minds. We need to interrupt the ancient habitual patterns that cause us to escape into the future or the past... escape our pain.
This practical, down-to-earth book is filled with suggestions that make sense and are immediately usable. It goes beyond the personal to the global, stressing how each person makes a real difference through choices made minute to minute. It is also encouraging without being superficial or underestimating the difficulties involved in the continuous process of change.
A slim but useful volume on the nature of attachment. Sometimes awkwardly worded but generally an excellent read.
"...what the Buddha observed is that self-absorption, this trying to find zones of safety, creates terrible suffering. It weakens us, the world becomes more terrifying, and our thoughts and emotions become more and more threatening as well." (page 17)
"...what the Buddha observed is that self-absorption, this trying to find zones of safety, creates terrible suffering. It weakens us, the world becomes more terrifying, and our thoughts and emotions become more and more threatening as well." (page 17)
If you are familiar with Buddhist teachings at all, this book will likely not introduce you to anything new. However, it is a quick read (maybe an hour?) and, if you follow such practices, is a good reminder of such practices. If you aren't familiar with Buddhist teachings, this is a nice self-help type of introduction.
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Ani Pema Chödrön (Deirdre Blomfield-Brown) is an American Buddhist nun in the Tibetan tradition, closely associated with the Kagyu school and the Shambhala lineage.
She attended Miss Porter's School in Connecticut and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley. She taught as an elementary school teacher for many years in both New Mexico and California. Pema has two children and three g...more
More about Pema Chödrön...
She attended Miss Porter's School in Connecticut and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley. She taught as an elementary school teacher for many years in both New Mexico and California. Pema has two children and three g...more
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