When you practice staying present, one thing you’ll quickly discover is how persistent the story line is. Traditionally, in the Buddhist texts, our tendencies with their habitual story lines are described as seeds in the unconscious. When the right causes and conditions come together, these preexisting propensities pop up like flowers in the springtime. It’s helpful to contemplate that it’s these propensities and not what triggers them that are the real cause of our suffering.

Pema Chödron

from the book Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change

Read a random quote or see all quotes by Pema Chödron.

Further quotes from the book Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change:

• Groundlessness
• Holding a diversity party in our living room
• Building Inner Strength
• A Wall of Truth
• Unfettered mind
• Stepping-stones for awakening our compassion
• What are you doing when you are unhappy
• Beyond our comfort zone
• The mandala of our life
• Just our personal viewpoint
• We Have a Choice
• Difficult relationships
• Forever in flux
• Everything and everyone is in process
• Embracing the groundlessness of our situation
• The knack of refraining
• The detox period
• Renouncing one thing
• Practicing with Strong Emotions