Talk
Pema Chödrön - Welcoming the Unwelcome | Super Soul Sunday S9E18 | Full Episode | OWN
A Super Soul Sunday conversation on welcoming difficulty rather than resisting it.
About the teacher
Pema Chödrön
Pema Chödrön became a student of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and was ordained as a nun within his Kagyu-rooted Shambhala lineage, later serving as resident teacher at Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia. Books such as When Things Fall Apart and The Places That Scare You made her one of the most widely read Western Buddhist teachers, known for meeting fear and uncertainty directly rather than resolving them.
Turning 90 in July 2026, she stepped back from her role as acharya within the Shambhala organisation in 2020 and no longer keeps a touring schedule; the Pema Chödrön Foundation continues to offer seasonal online teachings.
“No matter what the size, color, or shape is, the point is still to lean toward the discomfort of life and see it clearly rather than to protect ourselves from it. (Pema Chödrön, from "When Things Fall Apart")”Pema Chödrön
Upcoming events
Meet Pema Chödrön in person.
Talks, day programmes and retreats currently listed in the Paths Are Many calendar.
Talks & videos
Watch before you attend.
Short introductions and longer conversations, to hear this teacher in their own words.
Talk
Pema Chödrön – Smile at Fear: Living from the Heart
Pema Chödrön on meeting fear directly rather than being ruled by it, drawn from Smile at Fear.
Path
The wider context.
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Mahamudra & the yogas
Kagyu
Meditation lineages especially associated with Mahāmudrā and yogic transmission.
Explore the path →