Awakening From Grief with Pema Chödrön

Abstract

Death is an event that our society encourages us to avoid, cheat, hide, delay, and deny though it pervades our daily lives with every experience of loss that we encounter. Consequently, we are further conditioned to limit the duration, intensity, and open expressions of our grief. This paper provides an autoethnographic account of my experience with becoming a widow, and the transformational healing that has occurred with the help of Pema Chödrön‟s teachings, including teachings on cultivating fearlessness, compassion, and loving kindness, as well as meditation practices known as shamatha-vipashyanaand tonglen. By sharing my personal narrative, I hope to encourage awareness, insights, and open dialogues on death and grieving, as readers are invited to vicariously share my experience of loss, grief, and healing.