In The Places That Scare You, Pema Chödrön continues the teachings of When Things Fall Apart, showing how at the core of the most painful experiences lie the seeds of spiritual awakening. Here she presents key teachings on recognizing and cultivating the "soft spot" that is the gateway to compassion and open-heartedness. In this book she discusses:
- The four great catalysts of awakening, and how to integrate them into our lives
- Why the "soft spot" is necessary for spiritual awakening
- The basic goodness that is inherently ours
- How the three noble principles can enrich everything we do
- The maitri meditation that multiplies love
- Why an attitude of "don't know" can be wiser than the world's greatest spiritual teachings
- How to keep the heart open with equal fearlessness to both heartache and delight
Publishers Weekly
American Tibetan Buddhist nun Chodron (When Things Fall Apart) teaches an intense form of meditation in which readers are encouraged to become “warrior-bodhisattvas,” those who courageously confront suffering. Warrior-bodhisattvas, according to Chodron, are willing to have their inner selves broken, while keeping their minds and hearts from shutting down. They take on suffering with compassion and loving-kindness, working through their own emotions of fear or anger to help alleviate others’ pain. Chodron highlights six traditional paramitas to model (generosity, discipline, patience, enthusiasm, meditation and unconditional wisdom) and cautions that ego, self-deception, unforgiveness and a grasping for permanence all present barriers to compassion. True meditation cultivates the qualities of steadfastness, clarity of vision and attention to the present moment. Despite the title, this book is more about generating compassion than facing fears. A few humorous vignettes are interspersed with the deeply philosophical text, such as when Chodron describes discovering her boyfriend in an intimate embrace with another woman. She tried to throw something at the couple, but the thing she picked up was a priceless piece of pottery that belonged to their millionaire host. “The absurdity of the situation totally cut through my rage,” she explains, noting that many times “wisdom is inherent in emotions.” Moments such as these mitigate the intensity of this highly cerebral book, which will offer meaty reflections for the serious practitioner, but less guidance for the mere bookstore Buddhist. (Sept.) Forecast: This title will receive some terrific exposure this fall. Shambhala Sun will excerpt twochapters and feature Chodron on the cover of its August/September issue, and New Age Journal will run an excerpt in September. In the piece de resistance, O magazine will run a substantial profile on Chodron in the October issue. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
