It’s Never Too Late
This Sunday, we'll continue our exploration of Buddhist Principles and how they are applied in every day life, using Pema Chödrön's "When Things Fall Apart." We will also honor those who have fallen in service to our country with a special service featuring moving music and a meaningful ceremony.
Join us in person or online to contemplate and commemorate.
Watch & Listen
Sermon Notes
Book Talk Series
“When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times” by Pema Chödrön
Sunday, May 23, read chapters 1–4
Sunday, May 30, read chapters 5–8
Sunday, June 6, read chapters 9–12
Chapter 5 – It’s Never Too Late
"What makes maitri such a different approach is that we are not trying to solve a problem. We are not striving to make pain go away or to become a better person. In fact, we are giving up control altogether and letting concepts and ideals fall apart.” (26)
“The way to dissolve our resistance to life is to meet it face to face.” (30)
Chapter 6 – Not Causing Harm
“Refraining is the method for getting to know the nature of this restlessness and fear. It’s a method for settling into groundlessness.” (33)
“Not causing harm requires staying awake. Part of being awake is slowing down enough to notice what we say and do. The more we witness our emotional chain reactions and understand how they work, the easier it is to refrain. It becomes a way of life to stay awake, slow down, and notice.” (36)
Chapter 7 – Hopelessness and Death
“The difference between theism and nontheism is not whether one does or does not believe in God…Theism is a deep-seated conviction that there’s some hand to hold: if we just do the right things, someone will appreciate us and take care of us…Nontheism is relaxing with the ambiguity and uncertainty of the present moment without reaching for anything to protect ourselves.” (38)
Chapter 8 – Eight Worldly Dharmas
hope for gain and fear of loss
hope for pleasure and fear of pain
hope for fame and fear of disgrace
hope for praise and fear of blame
“The irony is that we make up the eight worldly dharmas. We make them up in reaction to what happens to us in this world. They are nothing concrete in themselves…We have a concept of ourselves that we reconstruct moment by moment and reflexively try to protect. But this concept that we are protecting is questionable. It’s all “much ado about nothing” (46–47)
“A more practical approach would be to get to know [the eight worldly dharmas], see how they hook us, see how they color our perception of reality, see how they aren’t all that solid. Then [they] become the means for growing wiser as well as kinder and more content.” (47)
