The spiritual journey involves going beyond hope and fear, stepping into unknown territory, continually moving forward. The most important aspect of being on the spiritual path may be just to keep moving.
Pema ChodronRead
Holding on to anything blocks wisdom.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Clinging to possessions or ideas prevents us from gaining true understanding.
This quote by Pema Chodron suggests that attachment to material things or rigid beliefs can cloud our judgment and hinder our ability to gain insight. Letting go of these attachments allows us to be more open to wisdom and new perspectives, enabling personal growth and a deeper understanding of life.
Themes
WisdomAttachmentLetting GoInsightUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared during a meditation retreat to encourage participants to release their attachments.
More from Pema Chodron
All quotes →Without giving up hope—that there’s somewhere better to be, that there’s someone better to be—we will never relax with where we are or who we are.
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When we scratch the wound and give into our addictions we do not allow the wound to heal.
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It's said that when we die, the four elements - earth, air, fire and water - dissolve one by one, each into the other, and finally just dissolve into space. But while we're living, we share the energy that makes everything, from a blade of grass to an elephant, grow and live and then inevitably wear out and die. This energy, this life force, creates the whole world.
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Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It’s about befriending who we are already. The ground of practice is you or me or whoever we are right now, just as we are. That’s the ground, that’s what we study, that’s what we come to know with tremendous curiosity and interest.
Pema ChodronRead
We have two alternatives: either we question our beliefs - or we don't. Either we accept our fixed versions of reality- or we begin to challenge them. In Buddha's opinion, to train in staying open and curious - to train in dissolving our assumptions and beliefs - is the best use of our human lives.
Pema ChodronRead
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