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Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears |  | Author: Pema Chodron
Publisher: Shambhala
Category: Book
List Price: $21.95
Buy New: $12.25
as of 3/15/2010 14:20 CDT details
You Save: $9.70 (44%)
New (36) Used (9) from $12.25
Seller: OB1S
Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 2160
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 128
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.8
ISBN: 1590306341
Dewey Decimal Number: 294.3444
EAN: 9781590306345
ASIN: 1590306341
Publication Date: September 8, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
In this book Pema Chödrön shows us how to break free of destructive patterns in our lives and experience a new sense of freedom and happiness. Drawing on the Buddhist concept of shenpa, she helps us to see how certain habits of mind tend to “hook” us and get us stuck in states of anger, blame, self-hatred, and addiction. The good news is that once we start to see these patterns, we can begin to change our lives for the better.
The key is learning a new way of facing the inevitable difficulties and insecurities of our daily lives: we must learn how to stay present and open our hearts. “This path entails uncovering three basic human qualities,” explains Pema. “These qualities have always been with us but perhaps have gotten buried and almost forgotten. They are natural intelligence, natural warmth, and natural openness. Everyone, everywhere, all over the globe, has these qualities and can call on them to help themselves and others."
This book gives us the insights and practices we can immediately put to use in our lives to awaken these essential qualities. In her friendly and encouraging style, Pema Chödrön helps us to take a bold leap toward a new way of living—one that will bring about positive transformation for ourselves and for our troubled world.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 15
 Make some tea, find a comfortable chair and enjoy this book that challenges and provokes thoughtful goodness... March 9, 2010
R. Neil Scott (Murfreesboro, TN USA)
There's a sense of ... well, calmness to this book. A peacefulness that makes reading it not only enlightening -- for lack of a better word -- and, peaceful. This is good, because one needs to stop, relax and open one's mind and heart to be receptive to change and trying another approach to whatever is vexing you.
It's a tough, competitive and chaotic world -- from the noise pollution of talking heads on tv pulling us one way or the other, politics becoming more and more polar -- my side's right and your's has got it all wrong -- to rushing here and there to meet work deadlines and sorting through what's best for family or employees. Stumbling on a book like this is like finding a pint of banana pudding in with your bag lunch -- it'll change your whole perspective.
So, what's it all about? Hard to summarize, but here's a taste: "As human beings we have the potential to disentangle ourselves from old habits, and [encourage] the potential to love and care about each other...[however] it's as if we are always at a crossroad, continually choosing which way to go. Moment by moment we can choose to go forward toward further clarity and ahppiness or toward confusion and pain."
Ok, so far so good -- but, what's the point? Pema Chodron is really laying down a challenge to the reader -- here it is: "For many, spiritual practice represents a way to relax and a way to access peace of mind. We want to feel calm, more focused; and with our frantic, stressful lives, who can blame us? Nevertheless, we have a responsibility to think bigger than that these days. If spiritual practice is relaxing, if it gives us some peace of mind, that's great-- but is this personal satisfaction helping us to address what's happening in the world? The main question is, are we living in a way that adds further aggression and self-centeredness to the mix, or are we adding some much needed sanity?"
Thus, we are offered a treatise on how we can train right now to call upon our inate spiritual being "to see what helps and what hurts, what escalates aggression and what uncovers our good-heartedness...to take the leap and do whatever we can to help turn things around...[as we realize that] now, more than ever, we are all in this together."
Make some tea, find a comfortable chair and sit back and enjoy a book that challenges and provokes thoughtful, forward-thinking goodness.
R. Neil Scott
Middle Tennessee State University
 not her best February 22, 2010
Kristin
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Pema Chodron is always superb, but this book is merely a compilation of some of her previous writings; in particular, it takes from her wonderful audio CD "Getting Unstuck." So why buy the condensed version when you can buy the real thing? Try "The Places That Scare You" or "When Things Fall Apart." These are rich, textured writings that you can read over and over. If you want a CD, I think "Getting Unstuck" is far and away her best.
I love Pema Chodrun February 2, 2010
Carolyn Mcfarlan (California)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have many of Chodron's books. She has helped change my life. This book does not speak to me as powerfully as some of her others, but it is always illuminating to read her.
 Glad I didn't buy the book January 7, 2010
JM (NYC)
5 out of 15 found this review helpful
I'm not a practicing Buddhist. I am merely someone who is interested in Buddhism and would like to learn more about it's lessons and practices.
That said, this book annoyed me greatly. It was confusing and didn't seem to have a real point. Sure there were tidbits strewn here and there amongst the stories about Pema and her experiences. But actually, one of the more annoying aspects of the book was all the stories about Pema. It reminded me of the pastor in my mother's church who blathers on about his family on Christmas Eve, not the story of Jesus. Different belief system, same concept. (note: I'm not a Christian but I was raised that way and Christmas Eve you talk about Jesus as it is the holiday/ceremony celebrating his birth - no matter when the actual birth occurred).
Maybe this sharing of personal stories is the way that Buddhist teachings are shared - I don't really know enough and have not participated enough in the community. I have read "Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames" by Thich Nhat Hanh and got a lot more from it. More explanation, more practical application, even with the inevitable personal stories. Maybe "Taking the Leap" is just a different style and that's fine - it's just not my style.
So maybe this is a book for the person who is already a practicing Buddhist but I don't really feel that it's a good book for the person exploring Buddhism and it's concepts and practices.
 Life-Changing Book December 15, 2009
Susan Peirce (Lyons, CO USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Like all of Pema Chodrin's books, this book is a treasure for self-examination and change.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 15
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