Pema Chodron is the director of the Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia and a master teacher in the lineage of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. On these three audio retreats, she lays out some of the essential practices of Buddhism. The six CDs run for seven hours and showcase Chodron's trademark teaching style which is relaxed, humorous, and eminently down-to-earth.
On Pure Meditation, she delineates the qualities (such as steadfastness, clear seeing, living with flexibility) that are cultivated in us as a result of Tibetan meditation. She explains that the point of sitting is to become loving people, friendly toward ourselves and toward the world. On Good Medicine, she presents the thousand-year-old meditation practice of tonglen, which means "taking in and sending out." It is called good medicine because it enables us to take our difficulties, problems, and disappointments and turn them around into a force that can heal the suffering of all beings. On From Fear to Fearlessness, Chodron examines the four noble aspirations that can be used to cultivate strength and openness in any situation. Her treatment of "the four great catalysts of awakening" hits the mark. We especially like her thoughts about equanimity and the image of a person using this practice to melt and soften hardness of the heart. As always, Pema Chodron sheds light on emotions that play an important role in our lives.
