Concepts, Contemplations & Comments

“Coming Closer to Ourselves: Making Everything the Path of Awakening” is an audiobook by Pema Chodron, which we explored in this newsletter’s previous eight editions.

The book is 5 hours and 14 minutes in duration. It is a recording of a retreat conducted by Ani Pema. There is no book version that can be read for this audiobook. You can refer to the previous eight editions if you wish to read them alongside the book.

Here is a reading guide that contains an overview of the concepts covered in each chapter and some contemplation questions if you wish to use them to journal and reflect upon as you listen to this book.

Chapter 1: The Three Yanas and Path of Awakening

Concepts

1. Awakening or Enlightenment

2. The Three Yanas

3. Foundational Yana

4. Mahayana or The Greater Vehicle

5. Vajrayana or The Indestructible Vehicle

Contemplation

Explore in your own experience

• What escalates suffering? (clue: running away)

• What de-escalates suffering? (clue: learning to stay)

Chapter 2: The Foundational Yana Teachings

Concepts

1. Cultivation of Maitri

2. Four Foundations of Mindfulness

3. Development of Ego

4. Five Skandhas

5. Three Marks of Existence and Three Misunderstandings

Contemplation

1. What are your particular addictions? Look at them closely. Does it escalate or de-escalate your suffering?

2. Where do you take refuge when you are edgy and uncomfortable? Look at it closely. Does it cause more or less suffering?

3. Are you at home in your body & mind? Are you at home in the world?

4. Walk around a city block and notice how your mind separates and classifies whatever you see/hear/smell/taste. Notice the classification of for, against and neutral in reference to you.  Make a note of the intensity of the classification. Be curious about how your prejudices manifest from that duality.

Chapter 3: The Four Noble Truths and The Path of Meditation

Concepts

1. Three Prajnas - Learning, Contemplating and Meditating

2. The Four Noble Truths

3. Eight Fold Noble Path

4. Eight Worldly Dharmas

Contemplation

1. What is the root of suffering? What is the root of happiness?

2. What is the relationship with your meditation practice?

3. What is it that is currently being cultivated in your practice?

4. What would you like to cultivate in your practice?

5. How would you like to integrate the Prajnas into your path of awakening?

Chapter 4: The Heart Sutra (Mahayana)

Concepts

1. Shunyata or Emptiness

2. Becoming a Bodhisattva

3. Maha Prajna Paramita Hrdaya Sutra or The Heart Sutra

4. Obscuration of the Mind

5. Removal of Fear as Enlightenment

Contemplation

1. What are the uncomfortable feelings that other people trigger in you?

2. What is your relationship to those feelings when they arise in you?

Chapter 5: Vajrayana

Concepts

1. Working with Negativity

2. Spin-off of Negativity

3. Energy of Heightened Neurosis

4. Buddha Families

5. Samaya and Universality of Teacher

Contemplation

1. What is your big Negativity (rage, jealousy, craving of all kinds (addictions), pride, arrogance, anxiety, speediness, stress, denial?

2. How do you spin off when one of the above intense emotions arises?

3. What would you like to do to bring awareness to your spin-offs?

I’d like to know if this is useful to you and what else would be helpful to support you in strengthening your journey along this path.

As has become customary, I will end this edition with one of my favourite Zen stories (that is very relevant to me!)

A Cup of Tea

Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.

Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full and then kept on pouring.

The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. “It is overfull. No more will go in!”

“Like this cup,” Nan-in said, “you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”