when things fall apart pema chödrön read online

Letting there be room for not knowing is the most important thing of all. When we think that something is going to bring us pleasure, we’re just assuming. The healing comes into play when you let there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy. They come together, and they fall apart, then they come together again and fall apart again. We think that the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved.

Things falling apart is a kind of testing and also a kind of healing. We experience a sense of loss-loss of our loved ones, loss of our youth, loss of our life. Sometimes it’s because of illness or death that we find ourselves in this place. We can shut down and feel resentful, or we can touch in on that throbbing quality. We might realize that this is a very vulnerable and tender place. When things are shaky and nothing is working, we might realize that we are on the verge of something. These are words that point to what life really is when we let things fall apart and let ourselves be nailed to the present moment. The trick is to keep exploring and not bail out, even when we find out that something is not what we thought. Sooner or later, we understand that although we can’t make fear look pretty, it will nevertheless introduce us to all the teaching we’ve ever heard or read. We see it as well as anyone else-if not better than anyone else. The most profound spiritual truths seem pretty straightforward and ordinary. And it’s good to know that we do that-not as a way to beat ourselves up, but as a way to develop unconditional compassion.įear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth. In fact, anyone who stands on the edge of the unknown has experienced some groundlessness. It is part of being alive, something we all share.

Even the smallest insect feels it, which is to say that it’s not a terrible thing that we feel fear when faced with the unknown. When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron :: Intimacy With Fearįear is a universal experience.

When things fall apart pema chödrön read online