Wisdom of No Escape - Book Review

Wisdom of No Escape and the Path of Loving Kindness by Pema Chodron

Pema Chodron is one of my favorite authors, and this book introduced her to me. It’s about how to sit still – in that still point, as T.S. Elliot termed the place (“At the still point of the turning world,” in Burnt Norton. I strongly encourage you to read the poem, one of my favorites.)

In short chapters, Chodron outlines Buddhist ideas and attitudes, and, as presented here, they are simple, doable, and desirable.

The chapter titles reveal the subjects she discusses:

• No Such Thing as a True Story;
• Taking a Bigger Perspective;
• Not too Tight, Not too Loose;
• Taking Refuge;
• Sticking to One Boat;
• Not Preferring Samsara or Nirvana (Samsara is defined as the “vicious cycle of existence,” and nirvana is defined as the “cessation of ignorance and of conflicting emotions.”)

A reader can dip into any one of these essays and come away enriched.