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. Thatโs not considered to be a problem. The point is to see it.
Pema ChodronThe Buddha taught that we're not actually in control, which is a pretty scary idea. But when you let things be as they are, you will be a much happier, more balanced, compassionate person.
Pema ChodronWe're not trying to be something we aren't; rather, we're reconnecting with who we are.
Pema ChodronWe spend all our energy and waste our lives trying to re-create these zones of safety, which are always falling apart. That's the essence of samsara - the cycle of suffering that comes from continuing to seek happiness in all the wrong places.
Pema ChodronMaybe the most important teaching is to lighten up and relax. It's such a huge help in working with our crazy mixed-up minds to remember that what we're doing is unlocking a softness that is in us and letting it spread. We're letting it blur the sharp corners of self-criticism and complaint.
Pema Chodron