• When Pain is the Doorway

  • Awakening in the Most Difficult Circumstances
  • By: Pema Chödrön
  • Narrated by: Pema Chödrön
  • Length: 1 hr and 55 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (614 ratings)

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When Pain is the Doorway  By  cover art

When Pain is the Doorway

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

Finding freedom in our most difficult circumstances.

What if the full sense of our aliveness were only to be found amidst our most challenging times and difficult experiences? In pain and crisis, teaches Pema Chödrön, there lies a hidden doorway to freedom that appears to us only when we're sure that there is no way out.

In these intimate audio learning sessions, Pema Chödrön helps us distinguish the triggers or external events that we blame for our suffering from the deeper habitual patterns that feed our anger, fear, or sadness. From this understanding, we learn how to free ourselves from our propensity to suffer through the transformative awareness of impermanence - the dynamic and ever-shifting nature of both joy and suffering, self and selflessness-and the absolute and eternal flow from which all of it arises.

What is causing my pain? What will happen if I simply lean in, keep company with it, hold it with tenderness? Moment by moment, Pema supports and encourages listeners to bring an openhearted sense of curiosity and welcoming to our apparently impossible situations or unbearable relationships - to discover the deeper freedom available just beneath the surface.

For those experiencing emotional crisis, When Pain Is the Doorway provides expert guidance to help us stop, stay present, and enter into a more welcoming, spacious place of being that is our true home.

©2013 Pema Chödrön (P)2013 Pema Chödrön

What listeners say about When Pain is the Doorway

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propensity, seeds, workplace criticism (HarveyMilk

"Drive all blames into one."
Asks, What is blame?
And what is ego clinging?
"kerosene on the flames"
"in a library or on a park bench"
"staying with the rawness"
"dent in the car, shot, torture"
"clear seeing, not enflaming"
"start singing"
Part 2 charnal ground

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Inspiring

Brings quite realistic descriptions of our daily lives and ways to change our reactions in order to grow. As always Pema Chodron presents her warm and assertiveness.

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very important, helpful information

I loved it. Pema makes it understandable and easy to take into my own practice.

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Wise woman Pema Chodrin

Pema Chodrin is cool water in a desert. She's that rare teacher that has lived what she teaches and is now leading others through the challenges this life brings with courage and compassion.

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Peanoot

The only thing is the quality of the recording isn’t very good & the chapter markers can be a challenge.

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Love it!

Her wisdom brings me healing and peace. I love these recordings. Her voice and humor are amazing.

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A different way to relate to life's obstacles

Pema patiently works with us till we can truly grasp how a keen awareness of impermanence of all phenomena can take us from the pain of the moment into the depths of our silent eternal being.

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4 people found this helpful

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Healing

There is so much peace wisdom and relief in her work. She is my living hero...
Thank you so much!

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1 person found this helpful

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Pema = divine<br />

Great audiobook, I listen repeatedly, and hear new things. I highly recommend this and her others

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Great building block

If you could sum up When Pain is the Doorway in three words, what would they be?

Insightful, beginner friendly

Any additional comments?

I am in the beginning stages of learning about Buddhist concepts. This was accessible and insightful for a beginner like me. There were a lot of new pieces of information that I found to be immediately useful and practical in day-to-day application.

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