True Happiness [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Pema Chodron (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2006

Meditations to focus and expand on the small 'sweetnesses' to fullfill your life.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Pema Chödrön is an American Buddhist nun who has authored several books, including When Things Fall Apart (Shambhala, 2000), Comfortable with Uncertainty (Shambhala, 2002), and No Time to Lose (Shambhala, 2005). She is resident teacher at Gampo Abbey Monastery in Nova Scotia and a devoted student of Chögyam Trungpa and Dzigar Kontrül.

From AudioFile

A live audience at a monastery in Nova Scotia hears the author describe how anyone can cultivate satisfaction and contentment. To access our ultimate wisdom, she offers simple advice: Pursue what brings happiness and refrain from doing things that bring harm. Be kind to yourself--not by pampering or protecting yourself from life's harshness, but by always respecting and valuing yourself even when you screw up and have grief, heartbreak, or black moods. It's not easy advice to follow, but it's made more attainable by Chšdršn's warm and genuine speaking style. Her voice radiates enough kindness that almost any listener will feel supported and emotionally lifted. An immensely calming and therapeutic experience for anyone prone to self-criticism and doubting. T.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Sounds True, Incorporated; abridged edition edition (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591795397
• ISBN-13: 978-1591795391
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #161,564 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good refresher,;complements "No Time to Lose", November 23, 2006

By 

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

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: True Happiness (Audio CD)

This 2 CD set (CD1 runs 1:19 in 11 Tracks/CD2 runs 1:08 in 7 Tracks) complements Pema's "No Time to Lose" commentary on Shantideva's classic on Bodhisattvas including a guided meditation on sharing happiness & the root of happiness at the very end. She begins (similar to her "Practicing Peace in Times of War") by addressing obstructions to happiness--our dysfunctional techniques to achieve it which actually cause unhappiness--"Moths are us," seeking the flame they destroy themselves. She proposes we develop "the courage to be happy" by facing our compulsions, habits, & addictions, using Buddhist precepts (a chart is included) to detox ourselves. Otherwise, our self-protective ego is a "walking target" (i.e. "offended waiting to happen"). "You need to acknowledge boundaries before you can dissolve them" (i.e. recognizing the problem is ½ the solution). We can avoid being irritable & miserable by developing virtue--as means not ends. She provides examples & exercises to accomplish this--e.g. reviewing our possessions to see which ones we are loath to give away & mentally giving away 100's of them. This parallels the standard Buddhist practice of "dedicating the merit" which Pema says connects us with the world--choosing freedom over a "poverty mentality."

This set is a lovely introduction to Pema's Western approach to Tibetan Buddhism (with references to Nagarjuna, Shantideva, & Longchenpa)--especially recommended to those relatively unfamiliar with Pema's works. For those immersed in her works, it can serve as a refresher with a few additional insights & exercises--but not a great deal of new material. But, perhaps the greatest value in her audio & video recordings is the experience of "being with" Pema--the emotional or feeling value often equals or exceeds the intellectual or thinking value.

48 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the syndrome of attachment/addiction, March 2, 2005

By 

[e-mail] (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: True Happiness (Audio CD)

This book was listed in a little catalog that came in the mail to me. Reading the indepth description covering nearly two pages was in itself almost therapy for me. Pema Chodron's book is for those of us who have placated our bodies and brains with food, alcohol, sex or medications/drugs to drive away the stresses, insecurities and pains of life. The book addresses this cycle of self-denigration, blame, anger, and other emotions which keep us from experiencing happiness. I am planning on purchasing these cd's.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very very good!!, August 5, 2007

By 

M. K. Martin "mkmarti" (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: True Happiness (Audio CD)

I had not listened to Pema speak until I bought Getting Unstuck and True Happiness...Found them both to be very uplifting and just great. She uses real life examples and is easy to understand to relate to. Great.