Authentic joy is a state of appreciation that allows us to participate fully in our lives. We train in rejoicing in the good fortune of self and others.
Pema Chödrön
Authentic Joy
Topic: Joy & Happiness
Authentic joy is not a euphoric state or a feeling of being high. Rather, it is a state of appreciation that allows us to participate fully in our lives. We train in rejoicing in the good fortune of self and others.
Early Life and Education
Pema Chödrön, born as Deirdre Blomfield-Brown in 1936 in New York City, embarked on her educational journey at Miss Porter’s School in Connecticut, followed by the University of California, Berkeley. After her graduation, she dedicated many years to teaching elementary school in New Mexico and California. A mother of two and a grandmother to three, Pema has always been a guiding light for her family, instilling values and wisdom from her rich life experiences.
Spiritual Awakening and Ordination
In her mid-thirties, Pema experienced a significant spiritual awakening during a trip to the French Alps, where she met Lama Chime Rinpoche. This encounter led her to take her novice nun vows in 1974 in London, a pivotal moment in her life, further solidified by her ordination by His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa. Her spiritual journey continued under the mentorship of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche from 1974 until his passing in 1987, deepening her Buddhist practice and understanding. In 1981, Pema was fully ordained in the Chinese lineage of Buddhism in Hong Kong, marking a significant milestone in her spiritual path.
Teaching and Legacy
Pema Chödrön's commitment to spreading Buddhist teachings led her to assume the role of director at Karma Dzong in Boulder, Colorado. In 1984, following Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche's vision, she moved to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, to lead Gampo Abbey, a monastery for Western practitioners. Pema continues to focus on teaching in the US and Canada, interspersed with solitary retreats under the guidance of Venerable Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. Her literary contributions, including "The Wisdom of No Escape", "Start Where You Are", and "Smile at Fear", reflect her profound insights and her commitment to establishing monastic traditions in the Western world.
The Places That Scare You
Pema Chödrön, The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times, Shambhala Publications, 2001.
Pema Chödrön
Theme: Joy
About This Pema Chödrön Quote [Commentary]
Pema Chödrön’s reflection on “authentic joy” redefines common ideas of happiness, shifting the focus from fleeting pleasure to a steady state of appreciation. She explains that authentic joy is not momentary elation but a cultivated capacity for presence and gratitude. This perspective allows individuals to engage fully in life, finding value in both personal triumphs and the success of others. By nurturing this deeper form of joy, Chödrön encourages a shift from seeking external validation to fostering an inner state of contentment rooted in awareness.
Central to Chödrön’s teaching is the practice of “rejoicing in the good fortune of self and others.” This emphasizes joy as a shared experience that fosters a sense of connection. Instead of viewing life through comparison or envy, Chödrön advocates for an appreciative mindset that celebrates collective success. This practice transforms perspectives from isolation to community, cultivating personal joy while enriching relationships.
Chödrön’s insight highlights that authentic joy is an active, conscious effort. It requires “training,” a consistent return to mindfulness and appreciation, even amid challenges. This practice balances the recognition of both positives and hardships, integrating joy into daily life. By rooting joy in appreciation, individuals create a foundation for presence and fulfillment that endures.
Pema Chodron—Finding The Ability To Rejoice
“As we train in the bodhichitta practices, we gradually feel more joy, the joy that comes from a growing appreciation of our basic goodness. We still experience strong conflicting emotions, we still experience the illusion of separateness, but there’s a fundamental openness that we begin to trust. This trust in our fresh, unbiased nature brings us unlimited joy—a happiness that’s completely devoid of clinging and craving. This is the joy of happiness without a hangover.
How do we cultivate the conditions for joy to expand? We train in staying present. In sitting meditation, we train in mindfulness and maitri: in being steadfast with our bodies, our emotions, our thoughts. We stay with our own little plot of earth and trust that it can be cultivated, that cultivation will bring it to it’s full potential. Even though it’s full of rocks and the soil is dry, we begin to plow this plot with patience. We let the process evolve naturally…
But as we use the bodhichitta practices to train, we may come to the point where we see the magic of the present moment; we may gradually wake up to the truth that we have always been warriors living in a sacred world. This is the ongoing experience of limitless joy. We won’t always experience this, it’s true. But year by year it becomes more and more accessible.”
—Pema Chödrön, “The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times”, Shambhala Publications, 2001. Pp. 61 & 65.
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