Audiobooks by Pema Chodron

As much as we might try to resist, endings happen in every moment—the end of a breath, the end of a day, the end of a relationship, and ultimately the end of life. And accompanying each ending is a beginning, though it may be unclear what the beginning holds. In How We Live Is How We Die, Pema Chödrön shares her wisdom for working with this flow of life—learning to live with ease, joy, and compassion through uncertainty, embracing new beginnings, and ultimately preparing for death with curiosity and openness rather than fear. Poignant for listeners of all ages, her teachings on the bardos—a Tibetan term referring to a state of transition, including what happens between this life and the next—reveal their power and relevance at each moment of our lives. She also offers practical methods for transforming life’s most challenging emotions about change and uncertainty into a path of awakening and love. As she teaches, the more freedom we can find in our hearts and minds as we live this life, the more fearlessly we’ll be able to confront death and what lies beyond. In all, Pema provides listeners with a master course in living life fully and compassionately in the shadow of death and change.

Pema Chodron (Author), Olivia Darnley (Narrator)

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When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times

How can we live our lives when everything seems to fall apart—when we are continually overcome by fear, anxiety, and pain? The answer, Pema Chödrön suggests, might be just the opposite of what you expect. Here, in her most beloved and acclaimed work, Pema shows that moving toward painful situations and becoming intimate with them can open up our hearts in ways we never before imagined. Drawing from traditional Buddhist wisdom, she offers life-changing tools for transforming suffering and negative patterns into habitual ease and boundless joy

Pema Chodron (Author), Christy Meyer (Narrator)

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Welcoming the Unwelcome: Wholehearted Living in a Brokenhearted World

From the bestselling author of When Things Fall Apart, an open-hearted call for human connection, compassion, and learning to love the world just as it is during these most challenging times. In her first new book of spiritual teachings in over seven years, Pema Chödrön offers a combination of wisdom, heartfelt reflections, and the signature mix of humor and insight that have made her a beloved figure to turn to during times of change. In an increasingly polarized world, Pema shows us how to strengthen our abilities to find common ground, even when we disagree, and influence our environment in positive ways. Sharing never-before told personal stories from her remarkable life, simple and powerful everyday practices, and directly relatable advice, Pema encourages us all to become triumphant bodhisattvas--compassionate beings--in times of hardship. Welcoming the Unwelcome includes teachings on the true meaning of karma, recognizing the basic goodness in ourselves and the people we share our lives with--even the most challenging ones, transforming adversity into opportunities for growth, and freeing ourselves from the empty and illusory labels that separate us. Pema also provides step-by-step guides to a basic sitting meditation and a compassion meditation that anyone can use to bring light to the darkness we face, wherever and whatever it may be.

Pema Chodron (Author), Claire Foy (Narrator)

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Giving Our Best: A Retreat with Pema Chödrön on Practicing the Way of the Bodhisattva

The best-selling author and beloved Buddhist teacher shares her insights on the practice of compassion and enlightened mind (bodhichitta). COMPASSION IS A SKILL. It's not a special trait that we either have or don't, but a practice that we can all nurture in our daily lives. And the benefits are vast. It liberates our hearts from a narrow sense of self, expands our sense of well-being, and so much more. Of course, it's not always easy. But when we learn to work with our adversities and fears, whatever it is that might be keeping us stuck, then we find that we gradually and naturally become more open, joyful, and free. And it is this very freedom that enlivens us and allows us to become truly available to the people around us. In this recorded retreat, Pema Chödrön reveals all the essentials for practicing compassion in our everyday lives, using a text that is very close to her heart: the Buddhist classic known as The Way of the Bodhisattva. Here she focuses on its first chapter and primary subject, the enlightened heart and mind (bodhichitta), showing us how this awakened state is available to us here and now, right where we are.

Pema Chodron, Pema Chödrön (Author), Pema Chodron, Pema Chödrön (Narrator)

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The Heart of Bravery

Two of the world's most beloved spiritual teachers and leading figures in the Shambhala tradition of Buddhism discuss the core principles and practices of the tradition and how personal meditation practice can forge an enlightened society. Best-selling authors Pema Chödrön and Sakyong Mipham get to the heart of Shambhala practice in this recorded retreat on the ways that inner peace and bravery can help us cultivate compassionate action and positive societal change. They offer insight on the inherent strength and goodness of humanity and on how each of us can tap into that strength through meditation practice. Sakyong Mipham provides guided practices on core Shambhala meditations for developing courage, love for others, and respect for others' basic human dignity; Pema Chödrön teaches extensively on how personal spiritual practice relates to community betterment; and a compelling panel discussion with Shambhala teacher Adam Lobel and Episcopal Rev. Marc Handley Andrus reviews how the retreat's teachings can be brought to bear in today's interconnected global society.

Pema Chodron, Pema Chödrön, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche (Author), Pema Chodron, Pema Chödrön, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche (Narrator)

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Smile at Fear:A Retreat with Pema Chodron on Discovering Your Radiant Self-Confidence

We all have fears, but when we look closely at them, we discover that behind each fear resides a basic fear of ourselves. We're afraid to look at our habitual styles of thinking and behaving because we might not always like what we see. Ironically it is this fear of honest self-reflection that keeps us trapped in patterns of stress and discontentment. Here is a vision for moving beyond this most basic fear to discover the innate bravery, trust, and joy that reside at the core of our being. In this recorded retreat, Pema Chödrön shares teachings inspired by the book Smile at Fear, which was written by her teacher Chögyam Trungpa. She, and her teaching assistant, Carolyn Rose Gimian, also share practices they received from Trungpa Rinpoche for courageously meeting ourselves in the present moment, including: The Windhorse Practice: a three-step meditation on awakening confidence Spiritual Warrior training for meeting life with courage and compassion Meditation instruction for calming the mind and developing concentration

Carolyn Rose Gimian, Pema Chodron, Pema Chödrön (Author), Pema Chodron, Pema Chödrön (Narrator)

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This Moment Is the Perfect Teacher: Ten Buddhist Teachings on Cultivating Inner Strength and Compass

Lojong is a powerful Tibetan Buddhist practice created especially for training the mind to work with the challenges of everyday living. It teaches our hearts to soften, reframes our attitude toward difficulty, and allows us to discover a wellspring of inner strength. In this recorded retreat, Pema Chödrön introduces the lojong teachings and explains how we can apply them to any situation in our life-because, as Pema says, "every moment is an opportunity for awakening." In addition, Pema also leads a guided tonglen meditation, a practice aimed at developing courage and cultivating compassion for ourselves and others.

Pema Chodron, Pema Chödrön (Author), Pema Chodron, Pema Chödrön (Narrator)

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Don't Bite the Hook: Finding Freedom from Anger, Resentment, and Other Destructive Emotions

Life has a way of provoking us with traffic jams and computer malfunctions, with emotionally distant partners and crying children-and before we know it, we're upset. We feel terrible, and then we end up saying and doing things that only make matters worse. But it doesn't have to be that way, says Pema Chödrön. It is possible to relate constructively to the inevitable shocks, losses, and frustrations of life so that we can find true happiness. The key, Pema explains, is not biting the "hook" of our habitual responses. In this recorded weekend retreat, Pema draws on Buddhist teachings from The Way of the Bodhisattva to reveal how we can: stay centered in the midst of difficulty improve stressful relationships step out of the downward spiral of self-hatred awaken compassion for ourselves and others

Pema Chodron, Pema Chödrön (Author), Pema Chodron, Pema Chödrön (Narrator)

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Perfect Just as You Are: Buddhist Practices on the Four Limitless Ones: Loving-Kindness, Compassion,

Spiritual practice, Pema Chödrön teaches, has nothing to do with self-improvement, since, as the course's title claims, you're already perfect right now. The limitless qualities of loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity are your deep-down, ultimate reality, and those are qualities that can't be improved upon. If you're not feeling particularly kind, compassionate, joyful, or equanimous at the moment, take heart: the Four Limitless Ones are there like seeds, waiting to be cultivated through practice-and, being limitless, they're rich enough to be worked with for a lifetime. This intensive program of study and practice provides the tools you need to access these radiant states and to nurture their growth for sake of all beings, including yourself. Here's some of what you'll learn: How cultivating the Four Limitless Ones is the antidote to depression, irritation, and isolation Basic meditation instructions to get you started in the foundational practice A wealth of guided meditations for generating these radiant qualities to yourself, others, and the world Writing and reflection exercises to bring the Four Limitless Ones powerfully into real life A simple chant you can use to create love and good will around yourself Powerful on-the-spot practices you can use throughout the day, even when there's "no time to practice" Do the program at your own pace. It fits perfectly with any other kind of meditation you're doing. And since no previous knowledge of Buddhism is required, it's also ideal for those new to spiritual practice. After you've completed the material in Perfect Just as You Are, you'll want to listen to it again periodically-any time you need a refresher course in compassion, loving-kindness, equanimity, and joy.

Pema Chodron, Pema Chödrön (Author), Pema Chodron, Pema Chödrön (Narrator)

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The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times

We always have a choice, Pema Chödrön teaches: We can let the circumstances of our lives harden us and make us increasingly resentful and afraid, or we can let them soften us and make us kinder. Here Pema provides the tools to deal with the problems and difficulties that life throws our way. This wisdom is always available to us, she teaches, but we usually block it with habitual patterns rooted in fear. Beyond that fear lies a state of openheartedness and tenderness. This audiobook teaches us how to awaken our basic goodness and connect with others, to accept ourselves and others complete with faults and imperfections, and to stay in the present moment by seeing through the strategies of ego that cause us to resist life as it is.

Pema Chodron, Pema Chödrön (Author), Joanna Rotte (Narrator)

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Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living

Start Where You Are is an indispensable handbook for cultivating fearlessness and awakening a compassionate heart. With insight and humor, Pema Chödrön presents down-to-earth guidance on how we can "start where we are"-embracing rather than denying the painful aspects of our lives. Pema Chödrön frames her teachings on compassion around fifty-nine traditional Tibetan Buddhist maxims, or slogans, such as: "Always apply only a joyful state of mind," "Don't seek others' pain as the limbs of your own happiness," and "Always meditate on whatever provokes resentment." Working with these slogans and through the practice of meditation, Start Where You Are shows how we can all develop the courage to work with our inner pain and discover joy, well-being, and confidence.

Pema Chodron, Pema Chödrön (Author), Joanna Rotte (Narrator)

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When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times

Pema Chödrön's perennially best-selling classic on overcoming life's difficulties cuts to the heart of spirituality and personal growth, and makes for a perfect addition to one's spiritual library. How can we live our lives when everything seems to fall apart-when we are continually overcome by fear, anxiety, and pain? The answer, Pema Chödrön suggests, might be just the opposite of what you expect. Here, in her most beloved and acclaimed work, Pema shows that moving toward painful situations and becoming intimate with them can open up our hearts in ways we never before imagined. Drawing from traditional Buddhist wisdom, she offers life-changing tools for transforming suffering and negative patterns into habitual ease and boundless joy.

Pema Chodron, Pema Chödrön (Author), Cassandra Campbell (Narrator)

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