Awakening Compassion [Unabridged, Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Pema Chodron (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2003

For more than eight hundred years, Tibetan Buddhists have used the principles of lojong (literally meaning "mind training") to transform difficulties into insights, and conflict into genuine communication. Awakening Compassion is the first full-length audio retreat on the practice of lojong taught by Pema Chödrön. With many on-the-spot techniques for dealing with jealousy, anger, and fear, Awakening Compassion is a unique resource for bringing compassion into the world and stopping the cycle of suffering in our own lives. Comes complete with study guide covering the fifty-nine traditional lojong slogans.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Sounds True, Incorporated; Abridged edition (November 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591791286
• ISBN-13: 978-1591791287
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 10 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #276,763 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Doll!, September 4, 2000

By 

Bill Butler "Bill Butler" (Tarzana, Ca. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Awakening Compassion (Audio Cassette)

I was at the Dharmadhatu Center in Los Angeles in 1980. I had listened to some Tibetan nun lecturing. That was fine. I was talking to the guy at the desk. Asking him if I could only pay half on some seminar. It was a hassle. Suddenly, I turned around. There was the Tibetan nun standing in the doorway. She was looking at me with such intense love that I felt embarrassed. Just open love beaming at me. I don't know if the reader has ever felt that. Someone not loving YOU in a grasping way. But just total love. From the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. I suddenly turned away. It was a weird experience. Anyway, that was Pema Chodren. I have bought these tapes. You will do something called "Tonglen". You will also do Shamatha Meditation. And have 59 Lojungs (items to practice). I would like to simplify this if I may. You will learn a simple breathing technique (Buy "Start Where You Are" by Pema Chodren where she will tell you how to do this very simple technique of just following your outbreath). Then Tonglen. Another very simple meditation technique which you can also use during difficult times during the day. And then the slogans. I would like to share with you my experience with one of the slogans. "Drive All Blames into One". In this slogan, your focus is not on the person who is irritaing you, or the situation, but the focus is switched to paying attention to your anger. No matter what the situation. You are taking responsiblity for your emotions. Pema explains how this will enable you to be even more assertive! Because the anger is gone. You will eventually find yourself responding accurately to the person or situation. No back-talking in one of the slogans. No putting others down. It's a whole journey. I have only one question. Where will Bill Butler go?

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great door to understanding, August 9, 2005

By 

Dr. Jan B. Newman (Clinton, Mt. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Awakening Compassion (Audio CD)

Years ago I first bought these tapes. Since then I have recommended them to many from beginning seeker to long time student. Pema Chodron teaches mind training in a warm and humorous way to help us learn to become compassionate toward ourselves and others.

I sent these tapes to my brother. They were intercepted by my mother who had had a difficult life. She listened to them night and day until the day she died. She constantly told me on the phone how wonderful they were and how often she listened to them. They enabled her to die a peaceful death. I don't think that there can be a more powerful recommendation than that.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pema is a star: bright, warm, life-enhancing, inspiring, January 24, 2005

By 

Neal J. Pollock (VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Awakening Compassion (Audio Cassette)

This set of 6 cassette tapes simulates being at her Gompa in Nova Scotia with your eyes closed. She is a Western Tibetan Buddhist nun who studied with Trungpa Rinpoche. She's published several lovely books (e.g. "Places that Scare You" and "Start Where You Are") as well as videos (e.g. "Good Medicine") and tape sets (e.g. "Noble Heart"). This particular item addresses her two main topics of the Lojong mind training and the practice of Tonglen (sending & receiving). The many techniques, meditations, explanations, etc. are VERY useful in daily life even if you don't do regular, daily, spiritual practices. Some Lojong items are: "Make friends with yourself," finding the soft spot within (sometimes hard to do!), resistence to capacitence, "how to do your best when you feel your worst," and "when you ask a question wholeheartedly, you begin to get the answer everywhere." Tonglen means taking in (mentally) other person's suffering and sending them your own happiness instead. Not easy at first, but she provides ways to ease into it and, best of all, a terrific "on-the-spot" method which is FAR easier to employ. This is simply a super set of tapes by a fantastic teacher.