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A bodhisattva is one who seeks liberation from suffering not only for themselves, but for all beings. If you were a bodhisattva, how would you respond in the face of chaos and difficulty? Is it possible to find calm in the middle of a storm?

On Bodhisattva Mind, Pema Ch dr n explores timeless insights and practices from the teachings of an eighth-century Buddhist classic, Shantideva's The Way of the Bodhisattva, to reveal a powerful core truth that can move us all closer to the bodhisattva ideal.

An Unlikely Voice on Living a Virtuous Life

In the eyes of his fellow Indian scholars, Shantideva seemed lazy and uninterested in his studies and was greatly resented. So they invited the young slacker to give a prestigious talk--an honor reserved for only the most realized Buddhist masters--hoping to humiliate him and force him to leave the school. Instead, he delivered the timeless jewel known today as The Way of the Bodhisattva.

Paradoxically, the key to true liberation, he taught, is in taming the mind. Like a wild elephant, the distracted mind causes emotions to escalate. But if the mind is trained to be steady and open, no matter what comes at you, you will remain solid in the immediacy of your experience.

On Bodhisattva Mind, Pema Ch dr n leads you through an all-new series of practices inspired by Shantideva to help you tether your thoughts and emotions--not as a limiting force, but as a means to restore yourself in the freedom of the present moment.

Experience the Spaciousness Available in Every Moment

If we approach the wildness of our mind like a horse whisperer using gentleness, compassion, and kindness, we return to our natural state of expansiveness that is always available to us, says Pema Ch dr n. Encompassing a rich span of insights from this gifted teacher, Bodhisattva Mind shows us how to connect with the spacious, clear, and unbiased nature of our minds, and experience the joy of complete freedom.

Master recordings for Bodhisattva Mind graciously provided by Great Path Tapes.

Ani Pema Chödrön was born Deirdre Blomfield-Brown in 1936, in New York City. She attended Miss Porter's School in Connecticut and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley. She taught as an elementary school teacher for many years in both New Mexico and California. Pema has two children and three grandchildren.

While in her mid-thirties, Ani Pema traveled to the French Alps and encountered Lama Chime Rinpoche, with whom she studied for several years. She became a novice nun in 1974 while studying with Lama Chime in London. His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa came to Scotland at that time, and Ani Pema received her ordination from him.

Pema first met her root guru, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, in 1972. Lama Chime encouraged her to work with Rinpoche, and it was with him that she ultimately made her most profound connection, studying with him from 1974 until his death in 1987. At the request of the Sixteenth Karmapa, she received the full bikshuni ordination in the Chinese lineage of Buddhism in 1981 in Hong Kong.

Ani Pema served as the director of Karma Dzong in Boulder, Colorado until moving in 1984 to rural Cape Breton, Nova Scotia to be the director of Gampo Abbey. Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche gave her explicit instructions on establishing this monastery for western monks and nuns.

Ani Pema currently teaches in the United States and Canada and plans for an increased amount of time in solitary retreat under the guidance of Venerable Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. She is also a student of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, the oldest son and lineage holder of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

Ani Pema is interested in helping establish Tibetan Buddhist monasticism in the West, as well as continuing her work with western Buddhists of all traditions, sharing ideas and teachings. Her non-profit, The Pema Chödrön Foundation, was set up to assist in this purpose.

She has written several books: The Wisdom of No Escape, Start Where You Are, When Things Fall Apart, The Places that Scare You, No Time To Lose, Practicing Peace in Times of War, How to Meditate, and Living Beautifully. All are available from Shambhala Publications and Sounds True.