Tibetan Buddhist Nun Pema Chödrön

There I was yesterday staring at tulips at Descanso Gardens in between reading selections from The Pocket Pema Chödrön. And who is Pema Chödrön? Now retired, she is an American-born Buddhist nun practicing Tibetan Buddhism. She is a disciple of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche who has written a score of books on Buddhist practices. The following selection particularly interested me.

We already have everything we need. There is no need for self-improvement. All these trips that we lay on ourselves—the heavy-duty fearing that we’re bad and hoping that we’re good, the identities that we so dearly cling to, the rage, the jealousy and the addictions of all kinds—never touch our basic wealth. They are like clouds that temporarily block the sun. But all the time our warmth and brilliance are right here. This is who we really are. We are one blink of an eye away from being fully awake.

Looking at ourselves this way is very different from our usual habit. From this perspective we don’t need to change: you can feel as wretched as you like, and you’re still a good candidate for enlightenment. You can feel like the world’s most hepless basket case, but that feeling is your wealth, not something to be yjrown out or improved upon.