Pema Chödrön Quotes

The Buddha’s principal message that day was that holding on to anything blocks wisdom. Any conclusion that we draw must be let go. The only way to fully understand the bodhichitta teachings, the only way to practice them fully, is to abide in the unconditional openness of the prajna, patiently cutting through all our tendencies to hang on.

It is only when we begin to relax with ourselves that meditation becomes a transformative process. Only when we relate with ourselves without moralizing, without harshness, without deception, can we let go of harmful patterns. Without maitri (metta), renunciation of old habits becomes abusive. This is an important point.

If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher.

Patience is the training in abiding with the restlessness of our energy and letting things evolve at their own speed.

The very first noble truth of the Buddha points out that suffering is inevitable for human beings as long as we believe that things last—that they don’t disintegrate, that they can be counted on to satisfy our hunger for security.

The first noble truth says simply that it’s part of being human to feel discomfort.

Making good use of our limited time - the limited time from birth to death, as well as our limited time each day - is the key to developing inner steadiness and calm.

One of the main discoveries of meditation is seeing how we continually run away from the present moment, how we avoid being here just as we are.