Sangha of Auspicious Companions

DRIVE ALL BLAMES INTO ONESELF

There’s a slogan in the mahayana teachings that says, “Drive all blames into oneself.” The essence of this slogan

is, “When it hurts so bad, it’s because I am hanging on so tight.” It’s not saying that we should beat ourselves

up. It’s not advocating martyrdom. What it implies is that pain comes from holding so tightly to having it our

own way and that one of the main exits we take when we find ourselves uncomfortable, when we find ourselves in an

unwanted situation or an unwanted place, is to blame.

This slogan is a helpful and interesting suggestion that we could begin to shift that deep-seated, ancient,

habitual tendency to hang on to having everything on our own terms. The way to start would be, first, when we

feel the tendency to blame, to try to get in touch with what it feels like to be holding on to ourselves so

tightly.

Of Interest to Readers

Tell all your Spanish-speaking friends: this book is now available en Español (as an eBook, too)!

Has Pema’s teaching been important to you? Contribute to a new anthology by those who’ve put her wisdom into action—to benefit the Pema Chödrön Foundation. Read the call for submissions.

August 15, 2012

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The Measure of Meaning: Visiting Wendell Berry

“One of my favorite moments was when Wendell said that he is a member of two organizations: 1) The Slow Communication Movement and 2) The Preservation of Tangibility. He noted that anyone can join these and added with a grin, ‘Actually, I think I founded them.'” In this beguiling article, a young singer-songwriter, describes the pilgrimage she took with three friends and a baby to visit Wendell Berry, the famed farmer, writer and preservationist from Kentucky. { read more }

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