Pema Chödrön

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Pema Chodron (book cover)

Pema Chödrön (formerly Deirdre Blomfield-Brown, born 1936) is a fully ordained Buddhist nun in the Tibetan vajrayana tradition, and a teacher in the lineage of Chögyam Trungpa. The goal of her work is the ability to apply Buddhist teachings in everyday life. She is one of the most successful interpreters of Tibetan Buddhism for westerners, noted for her approachable and down-to-earth teaching style.^{[citation needed]}

Pema Chödrön has conducted workshops, seminars, and meditation retreats in Europe, Australia, and throughout North America. She is resident teacher of Gampo Abbey, a monastery in rural Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada.

[edit] History

Pema Chödrön was born in New York City and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. She previously worked as an elementary school teacher before converting to Buddhism.

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Chödrön began to study with Lama Chime Rinpoche in the French Alps, and became a Buddhist nun in 1974 while studying with him in London. She first met Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1972, and at the urging of Lama Chime Rinpoche, she took him as her root guru. She studied with him continuously from 1974 until his death in 1987.

In 1984, Chödrön moved to Gampo Abbey, and became its director. There, she published her first two books to widespread critical acclaim. In late 2005, Pema Chödrön published No Time to Lose, a commentary on Shantideva's Bodhisattva's Way of Life.

Pema has two children and three grandchildren.

[edit] Works

Her books include:

Practicing Peace in Times of War: A Buddhist Perspective (Sept 2006) (ISBN 1590304012)
No Time to Lose: A Timely Guide to the Way of the Bodhisattva (2005) (ISBN 1590301358)
Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion (ISBN 1-59030-078-5)
The Places that Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times (2002) (ISBN 1570624097)
Tonglen: The Path of Transformation (2001)(ISBN 1570624097)
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (1996) (ISBN 1570629692)
Awakening Loving-Kindness (abridged version of The Wisdom of No Escape) (1996) (ISBN 1570622590)
Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living (1994) (ISBN 0877738807)
The Wisdom of No Escape (1991) (ISBN 1-57062-872-6)