In the Simple Place Where Awakening Happens

In wild, beautiful Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, I sat down with Pema Chödrön for a rare interview at her cabin adjacent to Gampo Abbey, where she is the principal teacher. Many years ago, when I was doing a retreat at the abbey, she was my meditation instructor, and in 2016 I was honored to return and benefit from her wisdom again. Pema’s teachings come from her own hard-won experience, in meditation and in life, and so they are natural, trustworthy, and clear. I am very pleased to share some of our conversation with you.

It seems to me there is a strong common theme that runs through all your teachings. Is it possible to summarize your basic message?

I think it’s about being able to stay with difficult and unpleasant experiences, all those things we habitually push away. If we can be open to the entirety of the human experience—the pleasant and unpleasant—then our experience of life is complete, and from that comes a deep sense of well-being and happiness. You see, the problem with avoiding the negative parts is that you also are closing yourself off from the joyful parts, so the whole thing is unsatisfying.

The most fundamental way we keep ourselves stuck