• Coming Closer to Ourselves

  • Making Everything the Path of Awakening
  • By: Pema Chödrön
  • Narrated by: Pema Chödrön
  • Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (881 ratings)

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Coming Closer to Ourselves  By  cover art

Coming Closer to Ourselves

By: Pema Chödrön
Narrated by: Pema Chödrön
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Publisher's summary

How to Befriend Your Most Challenging Emotions and Experiences

In challenging times, why do so many of us turn to Pema Chödrön for guidance? Many say that it’s her honest and caring way of communicating the core teachings of Buddhism - not just conceptually, but directly from her heart to ours. In these inspiring sessions, she teaches us how to give that compassion to the person we neglect most often - ourselves. With her, you will explore:

  • What to do when it feels impossible to be kind to ourselves.
  • In challenging relationships and situations, how to let go of our story and see what’s really happening.
  • Cultivating inner comfort and greater kindness toward our bodies.
  • Leaning into frustration, sadness, and fear with a spirit of trust and intimacy.
  • Many other insights and recommendations to befriend the difficult places within us.

Through gentle and clear guidance, Coming Closer to Ourselves shows us how, even in the tumult of life’s uncertainties, we can begin with a glimmer of curiosity, move closer into our experiences, and discover a place of welcome and refuge within.

©2012 Pema Chödrön (P)2012 Pema Chödrön

What listeners say about Coming Closer to Ourselves

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Listened to at least a dozen times

This has been one of my favorite of Pema's audiobooks. She talks a lot about groundlessness, & nurturing your relationship with fear. One of my favorite phrases ((which I have written on the wall by my desk)) is "If there is PRAISE, there will be BLAME". I would recommend this book to anyone :) love you Pema!!

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26 people found this helpful

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This is a lecture

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is a lecture in front of an audience, not a book. That said, it's nice .

Who was your favorite character and why?

Pema Chodron. I'm new to Buddism so have no insight or judgements about it. There are words anyone more familiar would certainly understand, references to other apparently famous teachers in the world yet I was able to grasp the main messages. Sit with it. Whatever discomforts you... Just sit with it. Examine things that way (instead of reaching for food, another distraction, etc.) don't block things out, just welcome everything. That's what I got out of it anyway.

What does Pema Chödrön bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

A soft loving voice,& a sense of humor.

What insight do you think you’ll apply from Coming Closer to Ourselves?

That where there is discomfort, therein lies an opportunity for me to learn what's really there.

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15 people found this helpful

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Helpful with addiction/recovery hurdles.

Pema's narrative is a soft voice in your ear, giving helpful information with a dose of humor all the while being humble.

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10 people found this helpful

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Sweet, tender, accessible wisdom seasoned with hilarity

Listening to these talks by Pema which seem to be five weekly lessons in a course she taught, was an amazing, gentle way to become introduced to buddhism and provided a whole new perspective on learning versus many of the other books I've been reading by people who seem to have discovered their own approaches.

By contrast, Pema, is it gifted teacher of the already known and does a masterful job of explaining the basics of Buddhism in an easy to understand, yet complex and in-depth fashion which was replete with new insights and transmutational thoughts for me, personally.

In particular, she explores the concept of anger as wisdom often towards the end of the book. This is a profound transformation (anger into wisdom instead of destruction) that can do a world of good in this day and age.

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9 people found this helpful

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Great Reminders for ourselves to just be...

Would you consider the audio edition of Coming Closer to Ourselves to be better than the print version?

Yes, you can connect with Pema's voice.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Coming Closer to Ourselves?

All of them.

Have you listened to any of Pema Chödrön’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

It's about the same

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Just Be.....

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6 people found this helpful

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Nuggets

My first exposure to her teachings was in "When Things Fall Apart". As with that book, in this workshop recording are golden bits of practical and clear methods of approaching every day situations. I would not recommend it as a first text, but certainly it is not necessary to be long time student to benefit. She is as charming and funny as she is open and kind.

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5 people found this helpful

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Maybe my favorite Pema teaching of all

Pema is so clear and approachable. Her way of talking about the Heart Sutra, the different forms of Buddhist teachings are easy to understand and her explanations of the practice of being present with strong energy are so incredibly helpful! I can't recommend this one enough if you're going through a difficult time.

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5 people found this helpful

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Insight full and painful truths

Thes words in this audio file have been recorded during some sort of a seminar or class setting. In that way it is not really a audiobook. I would like to recommend these recordings to people who have a hard time accepting a painful reality. Pemma is a buddhist teacher that makes theoretical concepts, chrystal clear and practical.
Relatively easy to understand and learn from her experiences.

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5 people found this helpful

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I've come to be truly moved by her

This is a book of lectures, and the sound resonance of her voice differs from chapter to chapter.

But what she says is something I can listen to many times. It's one step on a journey of awakening and it's a beautiful one.

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5 people found this helpful

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Tough concept taught with clarity

Outstanding discussion of abstract concepts. Highly recommend to anyone going down this road. Excited to start meditation as a daily gift to myself.

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4 people found this helpful