"Start Where You Are" is an indispensable handbook for cultivating fearlessness and awakening a compassionate heart. With insight and humor, Pema Chodron presents down-to-earth guidance on how we can "start where we are"--embracing rather than denying the painful aspects of our lives. Pema Chodron frames her teachings on compassion around fifty-nine traditional Tibetan Buddhist maxims, or slogans, such as: "Always apply only a joyful state of mind," "Don't seek others' pain as the limbs of your own happiness," and "Always meditate on whatever provokes resentment." Working with these slogans and through the practice of meditation, "Start Where You Are" shows how we can all develop the courage to work with our inner pain and discover joy, well-being, and confidence.

"Chodron's teachings are supported by personal reflections, clear explanations, and an attention to how one may achieve the goal of compassion. Useful both for Buddhist meditators and those wanting to understand Buddhist spirituality..." Library Journal

Includes bibliographical references (p. 149) and index.