In 2013, I took a
short course in mindfulness meditation at work; I then pursued a longer
mindfulness-based course related to stress reduction. While both had a secular
focus, Buddhist philosophy inevitably trickled in. That is when I first
encountered the writings of Buddhist nun Pema Chodron.
From the outset, I found her writing straightforward and relatable, dealing with topics like coping with difficult times, our human pattern of seeking pleasure and avoiding pain, the struggle to be more compassionate with ourselves and others, accepting impermanence, and the list goes on. One reviewer noted that Chodron has a unique ability to express Buddhist teachings in terms that resonate with people’s lived experience.
This ability is no doubt due to her decades-long practice and study of Buddhism. But I’ve also wondered if her fairly conventional life before becoming a nun allows her to better apply her teachings to the everyday challenges of people who live life outside monasteries and abbeys. Pema Chodron was born Deirdre Blomfield-Brown in 1936 in New York City. She grew up Catholic, obtained a Master’s degree in elementary education, married twice, and had two children through her first marriage. After a heart-breaking end to her second marriage, she began studying Tibetan Buddhism, and became ordained two years later at the age of thirty-eight.
The Pocket Pema Chodron is a tiny (3” X 4.5”) treasury of 108 short selections from her best-selling books. These selections run from half a page to two tiny pages, and include titles/topics like: Why meditate? Difficulty is inevitable. Move toward difficulty. When you open up to life as it is. Rejoice in ordinary life. Difficult people help us to learn and grow. Moving beyond self-protection. When anger arises, remember to pause. I will stop here before I give up all the gold.
While I’m not a Buddhist, elements of Buddhist philosophy resonate strongly with me. Some of these include the idea that:
- Everything that happens in our life, including—or perhaps particularly—the obstacles and stuff/people we perceive as negative or difficult, can become our teachers and wake us up;
- Peace, emotional
equilibrium, and insight are found in the present moment, not ruminating about the past or too much focus on the
future (excessive planning/ worry);
- Being curious can open us up, keep us in the present, and lessen the human tendency
to be fearful or judge;
- Seeking
security or perfection limits our life experiences; it’s a kind of death. And,
in doing so, we set ourselves up for failure because inevitably we meet
something we can’t control, and,
- As previously
noted, there is great power and healing in having compassion for ourselves and
others.
That only scratches the surface of the wide range of Buddhists beliefs, traditions, and practices. I find even this tiny list of principles incredibly challenging, which I think is part of the appeal for me. And beyond this, my life experiences thus far has found them to be true, and worth continuing to reach for.
In Buddhist philosophy, as taught by Chodron, I also recognize some alignment with the field of psychology. For example, topics like self-compassion, the landscape of shame, resilience through adversity, and awareness of and non-attachment to our thoughts, are explored in both fields of study.
So, if you’re needing some bite-sized inspiration or guidance from time to time, I encourage you to check out The Pocket Pema Chodron, or any other book/materials by this author. It’s a very non-intimidating way to get curious about what Buddhism and Buddhist philosophy has to offer. I keep this pocket edition close at hand for those (fairly frequent) moments when I need a little Pema wisdom.
Note: I also recently revisited the website Tiny Buddha, which I find quite engaging. It's a fairly light presentation of Buddhist principles, often as they intersect with psychological guidance.
