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by Pema Chödrön
London: Element, 2003, p/b, 148, 140pp,
£8.99 each.
Reviewed by Barry Patterson
We are members of a consumerist society. We expect to be able
to go into town or online and buy anything we need. We pay for
our ticket to the gig or the art gallery and if everything isn’t
perfect we complain. We take a lot for granted. We have high expectations.
We always aspire to getting the best or being the best and we
believe that it is our right. We forget how privileged we are
and take these attitudes with us, to some degree, into our spiritual
lives and practice.
Is our spirituality just another part of this pattern, a prop
to our ego, a refuge from our fear and our pain, ‘Spiritual
Materialism’ as the Tibetan Buddhist Master, Chögyam
Trungpa Rinpoche, called it? Instead of being deeply involved
in our world, in our process, are we in danger of letting our
spiritual path become a cosy, self-referential cocoon in which
we hide from reality?
Who better to coax us gently but firmly out from this musty sleeping
bag of the soul than Pema Chödrön, Resident Teacher
of Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia, among the most eminent of Trungpa’s
students, and one of the clearest voices in contemporary Buddhism.
The trouble with many books about Buddhism is that they seem
cold and intellectual in their analysis. That is not the case
here. Chödrön’s voice has a warmth and humour that
draws you in and helps you feel at ease. Here is not some perfect
being giving you a sermon; here is a fellow human sharing the
wisdom of her heart. But she doesn’t pull her punches: ‘The
spiritual journey is not about heaven and finally getting to a
place that’s really swell.’ (When Things Fall Apart,
p6) ‘Turning your mind towards the Dharma does not bring
security or confirmation. Turning your mind towards the Dharma
does not bring any ground to stand on.’ (When Things Fall
Apart, p38)
The essence of these books is what is known as ‘making difficult
circumstances part of the path’; but if that sounds a little
macho, what you will find is an openness and a gentleness
towards ourselves and others. ‘…right there in that
moment of sadness and longing could you relax and touch the limitless
space of the human heart?’ (When Things Fall Apart,
p59)
There are simple instructions on meditation and mindfulness and
the practice of tonglen in which we identify with the suffering
and the limitations of others in order to understand our own more
deeply. But there are also personal anecdotes and the kind of
practical advice and encouragement that come from a lifetime of
experience and a deep understanding of human nature. Yes! Enlightenment
is here, Samsara and Nirvana are here, Bodhicitta
is here, non-duality is here, but the language is firmly rooted
in the everyday, favouring memorable synonyms and pithy ‘slogans’
over technical terms.
When Things Fall Apart is about cultivating the heart
of wisdom, courage and compassion that we need in crisissituations.
Our friend Chödrön gives us goodadvice when we feel
overwhelmed by pain or difficulties. Her voice is kind and informal,
firm and encouraging.
The Places That Scare You is named from a quotation of
that great mother of Tibetan yoginis Machik Labdrön, used
as a frontispiece:
Confess your hidden faults.
Approach what you find repulsive.
Anything you are attached to, let it go.
Go to the places that scare you.
It complements the first book in a number of ways, though either
can be read independently. It picks up where When Things Fall
Apart left off and is a deepening of the first book’s
teaching. In some ways Chödrön is more formal, more
technical and even more traditional in her presentation of the
teachings here. Bodhicitta Training is a term that is used
a lot. (Bodhicitta means ‘mind of enlightenment’,
the union of compassion and wisdom.)
It’s a little less the heart advice of a spiritual friend
and more a teaching. There are sources that followers of the Dharma
may find familiar: the famous lojong or ‘mind training’
of Atisha and Geshe Chekawa and traditional forms such as the
Four Immeasurables. That’s not to say that it lacks the hallmarks
of Chödrön’s wonderful style. It is undoubtedly
the same voice ringing out: ‘An analogy for Bodhicitta
is the rawness of a broken heart. Sometimes this broken heart
gives birth to anxiety and panic, sometimes to anger, resentment
and blame. But under the hardness of that armour there is the
tenderness of genuine sadness. This continual ache of the heart
is a blessing that when accepted fully can be shared with all.’
(The Places That Scare You, p4)
Not that the path is all a matter of pain. The trick is that
when you are suffering you think of others, when you are enjoying
life you think of others too. You are learning to maintain your
mindful awareness at all times. One chapter in The Places That
Scare You is actually entitled ‘Enhancing the Training
in Joy.’ So much for the daft idea that being a Buddhist
means that you aren’t allowed to enjoy life!
Pema Chödrön’s earlier books are classics, so
this is a great opportunity to discover or rediscover them, and
to take the journey further.
May we appreciate the great perfection of all phenomena.
May we continue to open our hearts and minds, in order to work
ceaselessly for the benefit of all beings.
May we go to the places that scare us.
May we lead the life of a warrior.
(The Places That Scare You, Concluding Aspiration, p123)
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Barry Patterson is a teacher, naturalist
and storyteller based in Coventry, UK. He has been practising
Buddhist meditation since he was a teenager.
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© Caduceus, 2003.
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