Skip to content

Emptiness is not what we thought. Neither is mindfulness or fear. Compassion—not what we thought. Love. Buddha nature. Courage.

— Pema Chödrön When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (1997)

Another quote →

Topics

More quotes by Pema Chödrön

You are the sky. Everything else – it’s just the weather.

We all need to be reminded and encouraged to relax with whatever arises and bring whatever we encounter to the path.

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (1997)

Impermanence becomes vivid in the present moment; so do compassion and wonder and courage. And so does fear.

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (1997)

The principle of nowness is very important to any effort to establish an enlightened society.

How to Meditate: A Practical Guide to Making Friends with Your Mind (2008)

Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (1997)

All Pema Chödrön quotes →

You may also like

Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind.

William Shakespeare A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595)

To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead.

Bertrand Russell Marriage and Morals (1929)

Not for the body, but for the heart; companion and company are needed.

Sanu Sharma

Love seldom haunts the breast where learning lies,
And Venus sets ere Mercury can rise.

Alexander Pope

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Pema Chödrön (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.