Contemplative Monday

 

 

The following passage is from 'Heart Advice, Weekly Quotes From Pema Chodron'.

 

 

Studying Ourselves

 

 

"Listening to talks about the dharma, or the teachings of Buddha,

or practicing meditation is nothing other than studying ourselves.

 

 

Whether we're eating, or working or meditating, or listening

or talking, the reason that we're here in this world at all

is to study ourselves.

 

 

In fact, it has been said that studying ourselves provides all

the books we need.

 

 

Maybe the reason there are dharma talks and books is just to encourage us

to understand this simple teaching:

 

 

all the wisdom about how we cause ourselves to suffer and all the wisdom about how joyful

and vast and uncomplicated our minds are---

 

 

these two things, the understanding of what we might call neurosis

 and the wisdom of  unconditioned and unbiased truth---

 

 

can only be found in our own experience."