You have to want to lose your appetite for violence or aggression. And to do that, you have to lose your self-righteousness.

—Pema Chödrön

desire violence aggression self-righteousness

More quotations from Pema Chödrön

If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher.

—Pema Chödrön

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It's also helpful to realize that this very body that we have, that's sitting right here right now… with its aches and it pleasures… is exactly what we need to be fully human, fully awake, fully alive.

—Pema Chödrön

How did I get so lucky to have my heart awakened to others and their suffering?

—Pema Chödrön

Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.

—Pema Chödrön

humanity presence relationship compassion equality darkness healer wounded similarity

The only reason that we don't open our hearts and minds to other people is that they trigger confusion in us that we don't feel brave enough or sane enough to deal with. To the degree that we look clearly and compassionately at ourselves, we feel confident and fearless about looking into someone else's eyes.

—Pema Chödrön

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More quotations tagged with “aggression”

The crucial disadvantage of aggression, competitiveness, and skepticism as national characteristics is that these qualities cannot be turned off at five o'clock.

—Margaret Halsey

aggression skepticism competion

Spiritual awakening is frequently described as a journey to the top of a mountain. We leave our attachments and our worldliness behind and slowly make our way to the top. At the peak we have transcended all pain. The only problem with this metaphor is that we leave all the others behind.… In the process of discovering our true nature, the journey goes down, not up.… Instead of transcending the suffering of all creatures, we move toward the turbulence and doubt.… We explore the reality and unpredictability of insecurity and pain, and we try not to push it away. If it takes years, if it takes lifetimes, we will let it be as it is. At our own pace, without speed or aggression, we move down and down and down. With us move millions of others, our companions in awakening from fear. At the bottom we discover water, the healing water of compassion. Right down there in the thick of things, we discover the love that will not die.

—Pema Chödrön

You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.

—Indira Gandhi

peace anger aggression

History

23 Nov 2013 Added