Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living PDF
Preview Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living
This page intentionally left blank. shambhala library Start Where You Are a guide to compassionate living Pema Chödrön Shambhala Boston 2004 Frontispiece: Gampo Abbey, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Photograph by Liza Matthews Shambhala Publications, Inc. Horticultural Hall 300 Massachusetts Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02115 www.shambhala.com © 1994 by Pema Chödrön Translation of The Root Text of the Seven Points of Training the Mind © 1981, 1986 by Chögyam Trungpa; revised translation © 1993 by Diana J. Mukpo and the Na¯landa¯ Translation Committee. The Sa¯dhana of Ma¯hamudra¯ © 1968, 1976 by Chögyam Trungpa. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The author’s proceeds from this book will be donated to Gampo Abbey, Pleasant Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada b0e 2p0. 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 printed in china This edition is printed on acid-free paper that meets the American National Standards Institute z39.48 Standard. Distributed in the United States by Random House, Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada Ltd The Library of Congress catalogues the previous edition of this title as follows: Chödrön, Pema. Start where you are: a guide to compassionate living/Pema Chödrön.—1st ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. eisbn 978-0-8348-2116-3 isbn 978-0-87773-880-0 (alk. paper) isbn 978-1-57062-839-9 (pbk.) isbn 978-1-59030-142-5 (Shambhala Library) 1. Spiritual life—Buddhism. 2. Buddhism—China—Tibet—Doctrines. I. Title. bq7805.c49 1994 93-39135 294.3’444—dc20 cip To my mother, Virginia, and my granddaughter, Alexandria This page intentionally left blank. c o n t e n t s Preface ix Acknowledgments xiii 1. No Escape, No Problem 1 2. No Big Deal 12 3. Pulling Out the Rug 20 4. Let the World Speak for Itself 27 5. Poison as Medicine 36 6. Start Where You Are 44 7. Bringing All That We Meet to the Path 60 8. Drive All Blames into One 69 9. Be Grateful to Everyone 77 10. Cutting the Solidity of Thoughts 87 11. Overcoming Resistance 97 12. Empty Boat 109 13. Teachings for Life and Death 115 14. Loving-Kindness and Compassion 124 15. Lighten Up 130 16. Abandon Any Hope of Fruition 136 17. Compassionate Action 144 vii viii Contents 18. Taking Responsibility for 156 Your Own Actions 19. Communication from the Heart 165 20. The Big Squeeze 175 21. High-Stakes Practice 190 22. Train Wholeheartedly 201 Appendix: The Root Text of the Seven Points of Training the Mind 207 Bibliography 213 Resources 215 Index of Slogans 219
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