{"title":"Books by Pema Chodron","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780007183500","title":"The Places That Scare You","description":"\u003cp\u003eOne of the most inspiring spiritual teachers of our time offers simple, practical advice for living with less fear, less anxiety and a more open heart.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBought in a hotly contested auction, The Places That Scare You is now available in massmarket, taking Pema Chödrön ’s spiritual teachings to a wider audience. We always have a choice, Pema Chödrön teaches: we can either let the circumstances of our lives harden us and make us increasingly resentful and afraid, or we can let them soften us and make us kind. This unique book shows us how to awaken our basic goodness and connect to others. In her lively, contemporary voice, Chödrön translates the wisdom of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition for the layperson. Her wisdom cuts across all traditions and religions – appealing to everyone from the Dalai Lama’s followers to ordinary people trying to make sense of their lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis title has gone straight onto the bestseller lists in the USA, where it has just been published.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRecently profiled in Oprah’s O magazine, Pema Chödrön is a spiritual teacher for anyone – whether they have a spiritual path or not. Her heartfelt advice and wisdom (developed in her 20 years of practice as a Tibetan Buddhist nun as well as her years previously as a normal ‘housewife and mother’) give her a wide appeal. Particularly in these difficult times, this advice strikes just the right note, offering us comfort and challenging us to live deeply and contribute to creating a more loving world.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43201130430642,"sku":"9780007183500","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780007183500.jpg?v=1785658543"},{"product_id":"9780007183517","title":"When Things Fall Apart","description":"Pema Chödrön reveals the vast potential for happiness, wisdom and courage even in the most painful circumstances.Pema Chödrön teaches that there is a fundamental opportunity for happiness right within our reach, yet we usually miss it – ironically, while we are caught up in attempt to escape pain and suffering.This accessible guide to compassionate living shows us how we can use painful emotions to cultivate wisdom, compassion and courage, ways of communication that lead to openness and true intimacy with others, practices for reversing our negative habitual patterns, methods for working with chaotic situations and ways to cultivate compassionate, energetic social actionRecently profiled in Oprah’s O magazine, Pema Chödrön is a spiritual teacher for anyone – whether they have a spiritual path or not. Her heartfelt advice and wisdom (developed in her 20 years of practice as a Tibetan Buddhist nun as well as her years previously as a normal ‘housewife and mother’) give her a wide appeal. This advice strikes just the right note, offering us comfort and challenging us to live deeply and contribute to creating a more loving world.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43201130463410,"sku":"9780007183517","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780007183517.jpg?v=1785658545"},{"product_id":"9780007190621","title":"Start Where You Are","description":"Start Where You Are is an indispensable handbook for cultivating fearlessness and awakening a compassionate heart, from bestselling author Pema Chödrön. With insight and humour, she presents down-to-earth guidance on how to make friends with ourselves and develop genuine compassion towards others.This book shows how we can 'start where we are' by embracing rather than denying the painful aspects of our lives.Pema Chödrön frames her teachings on compassion around fifty-nine traditional Tibetan Buddhist maxims, or slogans, such as: ‘Always apply a joyful state of mind’, ‘Always meditate on whatever provokes resentment’ and ‘Be grateful to everyone’.Working with these slogans and through the practice of meditation, Start Where You Are shows how we can all develop the courage to work with our own inner pain and discover joy, well-being and confidence.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43201139376306,"sku":"9780007190621","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780007190621.jpg?v=1785658680"},{"product_id":"9780007190614","title":"The Wisdom of No Escape","description":"\u003cp\u003eMassmarket edition of this spiritual guide to making the most of life, through bad times as well as good, from bestselling author Pema Chödrön. This accessible book has been on the US bestseller lists consistently for four years now.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn The Wisdom of No Escape, bestselling author Pema Chödrön shows us the profound value of our situation of ‘no exit’ from the ups and downs of life. This book is about saying yes to life in all its manifestations – about making friends with ourselves and our world and embracing the potent mixture of joy, suffering, brilliance, and confusion that characterizes the human experience. It urges us to wake up wholeheartedly to everything and to use the abundant, richly textured fabric of everyday life as our primary spiritual teacher and guide.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56219979284853,"sku":"9780007190614","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780007190614_7f0a2c03-0dd5-4c0c-adf9-b7b0b1792285.jpg?v=1785658679"},{"product_id":"9781611804645","title":"Peaceful Heart","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn introductory guide to cultivating patience and opening your heart to difficult circumstances from leading Buddhist teacher, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the Buddhist tradition, “patience” is our mind’s ability to work positively with anything that bothers us—a vast spectrum of particulars that all boil down to not getting what we want or getting what we don’t want. In fluid, accessible language, Dzigar Kongtrul expands on teachings by the ancient sage Shantideva that contain numerous powerful and surprising methods for preventing our minds from becoming consumed by what bothers us—especially in anger. The result of practicing patience is a state of mind where we can feel at home in every situation and be fully available to love and care for others. Patience is the lifeblood of a peaceful heart.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56301789282677,"sku":"9781611804645","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781611804645_9aad8809-028f-4b30-9aec-0a15e17dc17b.jpg?v=1786023486"},{"product_id":"9781611805956","title":"Comfortable with Uncertainty","description":"\u003cb\u003e108 practical teachings for cultivating mindfulness and compassion in the face of fear and uncertainty, from the author of \u003ci\u003eWhen Things Fall\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eApart \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eComfortable with Uncertainty\u003c\/i\u003e offers short, stand-alone readings designed to help us cultivate compassion and awareness amid the challenges of daily living. More than a collection of thoughts for the day, it offers a progressive program of spiritual study, leading the reader through essential concepts, themes, and practices on the Buddhist path.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReaders do not need to have prior knowledge of Buddhist thought or practice, making \u003ci\u003eComfortable with Uncertainty \u003c\/i\u003ea perfect introduction to Pema Chödrön's teaching. It features the most essential and stirring passages from Chödrön's previous books, exploring topics such as lovingkindness, meditation, mindfulness, \"nowness,\" letting go, and working with fear and other painful emotions. Through the course of this book, readers will learn practical methods for heightening awareness and overcoming habitual patterns that block compassion.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56301947388277,"sku":"9781611805956","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781611805956_75acf3c0-2ffa-4972-8c29-b4ca3e3955cc.jpg?v=1786023506"},{"product_id":"9781645472407","title":"How We Live Is How We Die","description":"\u003cb\u003eDiscover newfound freedom in life’s ever-constant flow of endings and beginnings with the wise words of Pema Chödrön, beloved Buddhist nun and bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eWhen Things Fall Apart​.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNew in paperback! ​​\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs much as we might try to resist, endings happen in every moment—the end of a breath, the end of a day, the end of a relationship, and ultimately the end of life. And accompanying each ending is a beginning, though it may be unclear what the beginning holds. In \u003ci\u003eHow We Live Is How We Die\u003c\/i\u003e, Pema Chödrön shares her wisdom for working with this flow of life—learning to live with ease, joy, and compassion through uncertainty, embracing new beginnings, and ultimately preparing for death with curiosity and openness rather than fear. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePoignant for readers of all ages, her teachings on the bardos—a Tibetan term referring to a state of transition, including what happens between this life and the next—reveal their power and relevance at each moment of our lives. She also offers practical methods for transforming life’s most challenging emotions about change and uncertainty into a path of awakening and love. As she teaches, the more freedom we can find in our hearts and minds as we live this life, the more fearlessly we’ll be able to confront death and what lies beyond. In all, Pema provides readers with a master course in living life fully and compassionately in the shadow of death and change.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":56302890680693,"sku":"9781645472407","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":57685743206773,"sku":"9781611809244","price":23.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781645472407.jpg?v=1792598914"},{"product_id":"9781611806830","title":"Taking the Leap","description":"\u003cb\u003eLearn to free yourself from destructive habits and live a life of courage and compassion with these heart-to-heart teachings from \"one of the world's wisest women\" (\u003ci\u003eO, the Oprah Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e).\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEver feel trapped in the same old habits and painful emotions time and time again? These are patterns we all face, and sometimes they feel impossible to shake. So how can we get unstuck? Drawing on time-honored Buddhist teachings on \u003ci\u003eshenpa\u003c\/i\u003e (all the attachments and compulsions that cause us suffering), Pema Chödrön shows how certain habits of mind tend to “hook” us and get us stuck in states of anger, blame, self-hatred, addiction, and so much more—and, most of all, how we can liberate ourselves from them. “This path entails uncovering three basic human qualities,” explains Pema. “They are natural intelligence, natural warmth, and natural openness. Everyone, everywhere, all over the globe, has these qualities and can call on them to help themselves and others.” Pema shares insights and exercises from her lifetime of practice that we can immediately put to use in our lives to awaken these essential qualities and help us to take a bold leap toward a new way of living—one that will bring about positive transformation for ourselves and for our troubled world.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56304070066549,"sku":"9781611806830","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781611806830_97d81587-b4aa-47f2-afd3-f883134d6f6f.jpg?v=1786023529"},{"product_id":"9781611804201","title":"The Compassion Book","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe revered Buddhist teacher and author of \u003ci\u003eWhen Things Fall Apart\u003c\/i\u003e presents the\u003ci\u003e lojong\u003c\/i\u003e teachings—pithy slogans for daily contemplation—and the ways in which they can enrich our lives\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Welcome compassion and fearlessness as your guide, and you’ll live wisely and effectively in good times and bad. But that’s easier said than done. In \u003ci\u003eThe Compassion Book\u003c\/i\u003e, Pema Chödrön introduces a powerful, transformative method to nurture these qualities using a practice called \u003ci\u003elojong\u003c\/i\u003e, which has been a primary focus of her teachings and personal practice for many years. For centuries, Tibetan Buddhists have relied on these teachings to awaken the deep goodness that lies within us.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The \u003ci\u003elojong \u003c\/i\u003eteachings include fifty-nine pithy slogans for daily contemplation, such as “Always maintain only a joyful mind,” “Don’t be swayed by external circumstances,” “Don’t try to be the fastest,” and “Be grateful to everyone.” This book presents each of these slogans and includes Pema’s clear, succinct guidance on how to understand them—and how they can enrich our lives. It also features a forty-five-minute downloadable audio program entitled “Opening the Heart,” in which Pema offers in-depth instruction on \u003ci\u003etonglen \u003c\/i\u003emeditation, a powerful practice that anyone can undertake to awaken compassion for oneself and others.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56304580198773,"sku":"9781611804201","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781611804201_e9c90920-f964-4027-ba0a-b43fa9ceaaf4.jpg?v=1786023476"},{"product_id":"9781611804423","title":"The Pocket Pema Chodron","description":"\u003cb\u003eA collection of short inspirational readings by \"one of the world's wisest women\"--\u003ci\u003eO, the Oprah Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePema Chödrön, beloved Buddhist nun and best-selling author, offers this treasury of 108 short selections from her more than four decades of study and writings. Here she presents teachings on breaking free of destructive patterns; developing patience, kindness, and joy amid our everyday struggles; becoming fearless; and unlocking our natural warmth, intelligence, and goodness. Designed for on-the-go inspiration, this is a perfect guide to Buddhist principles and the foundations of meditation and mindfulness.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book is part of the Shambhala Pocket Library series.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Shambhala Pocket Library is a collection of short, portable teachings from notable figures across religious traditions and classic texts. The covers in this series are rendered by Colorado artist Robert Spellman. The books in this collection distill the wisdom and heart of the work Shambhala Publications has published over 50 years into a compact format that is collectible, reader-friendly, and applicable to everyday life.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56304580264309,"sku":"9781611804423","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781611804423_927daa57-2916-4138-a1a7-a80fd9b932b7.jpg?v=1786023480"},{"product_id":"9781611806328","title":"Becoming Bodhisattvas","description":"\u003cb\u003eBest-selling American Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön presents a friendly and encouraging guide to spiritual practice for all those who want to take up the path of the bodhisattva--one who aspires to live life with courage, generosity, patience, fearlessness, and compassion.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Way of the Bodhisattva\u003c\/i\u003e has long been treasured as an indispensable guide to enlightened living, offering a window into the greatest potential within us all. Written in the eighth century by the scholar and saint Shantideva, it presents a comprehensive view of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition’s highest ideal—to commit oneself to the life of a bodhisattva warrior, a person who is wholeheartedly dedicated to the freedom and common good of all beings. And it has inspired many of the tradition’s greatest teachers, providing a remarkable source of insight on the means by which we may heal ourselves and our troubled world. These essential teachings present the core of the Buddhist path, from cultivating deep-seated confidence to infusing one’s life with selflessness, joyfulness, kindness, and compassion. Pema Chödrön here invites you to journey more deeply into this liberating way of life, presenting Shantideva’s text verse-by-verse and offering both illuminating stories and practical exercises to enrich the text and bring its timeless teachings to life in our world today. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePreviously published under the title \u003ci\u003eNo Time to Lose\u003c\/i\u003e.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56304580362613,"sku":"9781611806328","price":27.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781611806328_fa5f634c-5e2f-43d3-b30a-7b03e55f1fe4.jpg?v=1786023516"},{"product_id":"living-beautifully","title":"Living Beautifully","description":"\u003cb\u003eInstant bestseller: Buddhist teacher Pema Chödrön shares life-changing practices for living with wisdom, confidence, and integrity amidst confusing situations and uncertain times\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe live in difficult times. Life so often seems like a turbulent river threatening to drown us and destroy our world. Why, then, shouldn’t we cling to the certainty of the comfortable—to our deep-seated habits and familiar ways? Because, Pema Chödrön teaches, that kind of fear-based clinging keeps us from the infinitely more powerful experience of being fully alive. The Buddhist teachings she presents here—known as the “Three Commitments”—provide a treasure trove of wisdom for learning to step right into the unknown, to completely and fearlessly embrace the groundlessness of being human, for people of all faiths. When we do, we begin to see not only how much better it feels to live an openhearted life, but we find that we begin to naturally and more effectively reach out to help and heal all those around us.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57484312904053,"sku":"9781611806809","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781611806809.jpg?v=1786266370"},{"product_id":"welcoming-the-unwelcome","title":"Welcoming the Unwelcome","description":"\u003cb\u003eFrom the bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eWhen Things Fall Apart\u003c\/i\u003e, an open-hearted call for human connection, compassion, and learning to love the world just as it is during these most challenging times. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In her first new book of spiritual teachings in over seven years, Pema Chödrön offers a combination of wisdom, heartfelt reflections, and the signature mix of humor and insight that have made her a beloved figure to turn to during times of change. In an increasingly polarized world, Pema shows us how to strengthen our abilities to find common ground, even when we disagree, and influence our environment in positive ways. Sharing never-before told personal stories from her remarkable life, simple and powerful everyday practices, and directly relatable advice, Pema encourages us all to become triumphant bodhisattvas--compassionate beings--in times of hardship.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eWelcoming the Unwelcome \u003c\/i\u003eincludes teachings on the true meaning of karma, recognizing the basic goodness in ourselves and the people we share our lives with--even the most challenging ones, transforming adversity into opportunities for growth, and freeing ourselves from the empty and illusory labels that separate us. Pema also provides step-by-step guides to a basic sitting meditation and a compassion meditation that anyone can use to bring light to the darkness we face, wherever and whatever it may be.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57484316082549,"sku":"9781611808681","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781611808681.jpg?v=1786266374"},{"product_id":"another-kind-of-freedom","title":"Another Kind of Freedom","description":"\u003cb\u003eIn a world of endless distractions and quick fixes that leave us wanting, beloved Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön, author of\u003ci\u003e When Things Fall Apart\u003c\/i\u003e, reveals why true freedom arises not in escape but in developing our natural capacity for presence, openness, and wholehearted acceptance.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat if the freedom you seek isn’t found by changing your circumstances but by embracing life exactly as it is? Pema Chödrön goes back to her very foundations in her latest and possibly most important book. With the spiritual classic \u003ci\u003eThe Myth of Freedom\u003c\/i\u003e as the touchstone, Pema invites us to look beyond the “myth of freedom”—the idea that we can escape discomfort—and to work compassionately and wisely with what keeps us stuck.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDrawing from the seminal work from her beloved teacher Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Pema explores how meditation, mindfulness, and radical self-acceptance can transform our struggles, neuroses, and pain into gateways to awakening. “These were the teachings,” Pema says, “that inspired me most in my early years of practicing Buddhism. They continue to inspire me now and have influenced all the teachings I’ve given over the years.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith her characteristic humor, practical wisdom, and compassionate insight, she shows us how to make friends with our minds, work skillfully with emotions, and open our hearts to the richness of human experience. Inspiring and accessible, this book is an essential companion for anyone longing for genuine freedom, clarity, and connection in a world of uncertainty and change.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57487845228917,"sku":"9781645473268","price":23.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781645473268.jpg?v=1786355068"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-pema-chodron.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}