A Gift of Dharma for 11.1.09
by Danny Fisher
Today’s quote comes to us from the much-beloved Acharya Ani Pema Chödrön.
Pema-la is an ordained nun and senior teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist lineage of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Currently, she is the resident teacher at Gampo Abbey in Cape Brenton, Nova Scotia, Canada, and a student of Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche.
Her many popular books include such spiritual classics as The Wisdom of No Escape: And the Path of Loving-Kindness, Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times, The Places that Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times, Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion, and No Time to Lose: A Timely Guide to the Way of the Bodhisattva.
Here’s the quote:
The only reason that we don’t open our hearts and minds to other people is that they trigger confusion in us that we don’t feel brave enough or sane enough to deal with. To the degree that we look clearly and compassionately at ourselves, we feel confident and fearless about looking into someone else’s eyes.
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