--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Somehow, in the process of trying to deny…" description: "\"Somehow, in the process of trying to deny that things are always changing, we lose our sense of the sacredness of life. We tend to forget that we are p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7d/pema-ch-dr-n-327_buddhism_somehow-in-the-process-of-trying-to-deny_561352.png" --- # Somehow, in the process of trying to deny that things are… ![“Somehow, in the process of trying to deny that things are always changing, we lose our sense of the sacredness of life. We tend to forget that we are part of the natural scheme of things.” quote by Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7d/pema-ch-dr-n-327_buddhism_somehow-in-the-process-of-trying-to-deny_561352.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7d/pema-ch-dr-n-327_buddhism_somehow-in-the-process-of-trying-to-deny_561352.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7d/pema-ch-dr-n-327_buddhism_somehow-in-the-process-of-trying-to-deny_561352.png) > “Somehow, in the process of trying to deny that things are always changing, we lose our sense of the sacredness of life. We tend to forget that we are part of the natural scheme of things.” [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Denial of life's constant change erodes reverence for existence and our place in nature. **In simple terms:** Ignoring change makes life feel less sacred. Key Takeaway Embrace change to honor life's sacredness. Themes change spirituality interconnectedness Mood reflective calm Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - environmental activism - spiritual practice - education Key Concepts impermanence mindfulness nature Questions to Reflect On - How does accepting change affect your daily choices? - What rituals help you reconnect with life's sacredness? A Different Perspective Change is inevitable; denial may cause stagnation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Sacredness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacredness/) [Sacredness of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacredness-of-life/) [Schemes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/schemes/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [We have really lost in our society the sense of the sacredness of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/basil-hume/we-have-really-lost-in-our-society-the-sense-of-the-sacredness-of-life/) [Basil Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/basil-hume/) > [Contemplation is life itself, fully awake, fully active, and fully aware that it is alive. It is spiritual wonder. It is spontaneous awe at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/contemplation-is-life-itself-fully-awake-fully-active-and-fully-aware/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“We have a gift beyond measure, the daily bliss of being alive. Forced by our disease to walk through the valley of the shadow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-hooper/we-have-a-gift-beyond-measure-the-daily-bliss-of-being-alive-forced/) Judith Hooper > [Faced with the sacredness of life and of the human person, and before the marvels of the universe, wonder is the only appropriate attitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/faced-with-the-sacredness-of-life-and-of-the-human-person-and-before/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [You who have received so much love, show your love by protecting the sacredness of life. The sacredness of life is the greatest gifts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/you-who-have-received-so-much-love-show-your-love-by-protecting-the/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [When you treat your time as though you are a machine; a doing machine; you are committing violence against the sacredness of life itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-moffitt/when-you-treat-your-time-as-though-you-are-a-machine-a-doing-machine/) [Phillip Moffitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-moffitt/) > [“you begin to sense the sacredness of your being.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-s-sharma/you-begin-to-sense-the-sacredness-of-your-being/) [Robin S. Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-s-sharma/) > [I cannot find language of sufficient energy to convey my sense of the sacredness of private integrity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/i-cannot-find-language-of-sufficient-energy-to-convey-my-sense-of-the-2/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The five principles of aloha, when practiced together, awaken our awareness of our human potential and the sacredness of our life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pearsall/the-five-principles-of-aloha-when-practiced-together-awaken-our/) [Paul Pearsall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pearsall/) > [I cannot find language of sufficient energy to convey my sense of the sacredness of private integrity. All men, all things, the state, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/i-cannot-find-language-of-sufficient-energy-to-convey-my-sense-of-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I think that if you have a sense of the sacredness of nature and of human relations, I think you will be uplifted in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-green/i-think-that-if-you-have-a-sense-of-the-sacredness-of-nature-and-of/) [Eugene Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-green/) > [I can maintain my sense of the sacredness of existence only by understanding my own limitations and losing my self-importance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harrison/i-can-maintain-my-sense-of-the-sacredness-of-existence-only-by/) [Jim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harrison/) > [That sense of sacredness, that thinking in generations, must begin with reverence for this earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tsongas/that-sense-of-sacredness-that-thinking-in-generations-must-begin-with/) [Paul Tsongas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tsongas/) > [“Whether you accept or reject the idea of God, the sacredness of all life is a goal devoutly to be wished”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlton-d-pearson/whether-you-accept-or-reject-the-idea-of-god-the-sacredness-of-all/) [Carlton D. Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlton-d-pearson/) > [“Any pursuit—be it physical or cognitive—that supports high levels of skill can also generate a sense of sacredness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/any-pursuit-be-it-physical-or-cognitive-that-supports-high-levels-of/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) ## More by Pema Chodron > [“LIFE’S work is to wake up, to let the things that enter into your life wake you up rather than put you to sleep.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/life-s-work-is-to-wake-up-to-let-the-things-that-enter-into-your-life/) [Pema Chödrön](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [Since death is certain and the time of death is uncertain, what is the most important thing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/since-death-is-certain-and-the-time-of-death-is-uncertain-what-is-the/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [Buddhist words such as compassion and emptiness don't mean much until we start cultivating our innate ability simply to be there with pain with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/buddhist-words-such-as-compassion-and-emptiness-don-t-mean-much-until/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [The essence of generosity is letting go. Pain is always a sign that we are holding on to something - usually ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/the-essence-of-generosity-is-letting-go-pain-is-always-a-sign-that-we/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [“If the object of meditation were something concrete, something solid and graspable - an image or a statue or a dot on the floor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/if-the-object-of-meditation-were-something-concrete-something-solid/) [Pema Chödrön](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [It's a transformative experience to simply pause instead of immediately fill up the space. By waiting, we begin to connect with fundamental restlessness as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/it-s-a-transformative-experience-to-simply-pause-instead-of/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [“The essence of life is that it’s challenging. Sometimes it is sweet, and sometimes it is bitter. Sometimes your body tenses, and sometimes it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/the-essence-of-life-is-that-it-s-challenging-sometimes-it-is-sweet/) [Pema Chödrön](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [If we run a hundred miles an hour to the other end of the continent in order to get away from the obstacle, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/if-we-run-a-hundred-miles-an-hour-to-the-other-end-of-the-continent/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [“But in this meditation technique, we are with the out-breath; there's no particular instruction about what to do until the next out-breath.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/but-in-this-meditation-technique-we-are-with-the-out-breath-there-s/) [Pema Chödrön](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [“Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know. Nothing ever really attacks us except our own confusion. Perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/nothing-ever-goes-away-until-it-has-taught-us-what-we-need-to-know/) [Pema Chödrön](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [So even if the hot loneliness is there, and for 1.6 seconds we sit with that restlessness when yesterday we couldn't sit for even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/so-even-if-the-hot-loneliness-is-there-and-for-1-6-seconds-we-sit/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [If you have rage and righteously act it out and blame it all on others, it's really you who suffers. The other people and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/if-you-have-rage-and-righteously-act-it-out-and-blame-it-all-on/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [“When we realize that the path is the goal, there’s a sense of workability. Trungpa Rinpoche said, “Whatever occurs in the confused mind is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/when-we-realize-that-the-path-is-the-goal-there-s-a-sense-of/) [Pema Chödrön](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [Every day is a new opportunity to work with what you have inside toward enlightenment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/every-day-is-a-new-opportunity-to-work-with-what-you-have-inside/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [If someone comes along and shoots an arrow into your heart, it’s fruitless to stand there and yell at the person. It would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/if-someone-comes-along-and-shoots-an-arrow-into-your-heart-it-s/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) [Explore all 664 Pema Chodron quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) ## More Buddhism quotes > [There are places that are very draining. There are places where there is another dimensional crossover but to a dimension that is not powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-are-places-that-are-very-draining-there-are-places-where-there/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Enlightenment is lightening up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-myers/enlightenment-is-lightening-up/) [Mike Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-myers/) > [The very best players, when they are practicing, put everything they've got into it. But then they leave it for a while. And it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/the-very-best-players-when-they-are-practicing-put-everything-they-ve/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [Everyone will admire you when you do well. What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Nirvana is a word that means enlightenment, being beyond the illusion of birth and death, the illusion of pain, the illusion of love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/nirvana-is-a-word-that-means-enlightenment-being-beyond-the-illusion/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I think the most miraculous thing is learning. I get out of the way and let the students learn. Then you get to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-think-the-most-miraculous-thing-is-learning-i-get-out-of-the-way/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“Exactly. I think the original tantric Buddhists took notice of was some very wise old people who never studied in their youth, but took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-niemczura/exactly-i-think-the-original-tantric-buddhists-took-notice-of-was/) [Joe Niemczura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-niemczura/) > [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [My mom and my aunties are really devout Christians. My mom married a Muslim when I was 12, so I got teachings from both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tech-n9ne/my-mom-and-my-aunties-are-really-devout-christians-my-mom-married-a/) [Tech N9ne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tech-n9ne/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“The extraction of discrete parts of Chöd teachings from their broader philosophical contexts is symptomatic of how Chöd has been incorporated into and transmitted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-sorensen/the-extraction-of-discrete-parts-of-ch-d-teachings-from-their-broader/) [Michelle Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-sorensen/) > [Buddhism advises you not to implant feelings that you don’t really have or avoid feelings that you do have. If you are miserable you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/buddhism-advises-you-not-to-implant-feelings-that-you-don-t-really/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“That's all there is, enlightenment on the end of a cock. It doesn't get any more Zen than that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaden-wilkes/that-s-all-there-is-enlightenment-on-the-end-of-a-cock-it-doesn-t-get/) [Jaden Wilkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaden-wilkes/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) [Browse all 6,100 Buddhism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Somehow, in the process of trying to deny that things are always changing, we lose our sense of the sacredness of life. We tend to forget that we are part of the natural scheme of things.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pema Chodron" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/somehow-in-the-process-of-trying-to-deny-that-things-are-always/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Buddhism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/somehow-in-the-process-of-trying-to-deny-that-things-are-always/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7d/pema-ch-dr-n-327_buddhism_somehow-in-the-process-of-trying-to-deny_561352.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7d/pema-ch-dr-n-327_buddhism_somehow-in-the-process-of-trying-to-deny_561352.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e7d/pema-ch-dr-n-327_buddhism_somehow-in-the-process-of-trying-to-deny_561352.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Somehow, in the process of trying to deny that things are always changing, we lose our sense of the…” — Pema Chodron", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Pema Chodron", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Somehow, in the process of trying...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/somehow-in-the-process-of-trying-to-deny-that-things-are-always/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/somehow-in-the-process-of-trying-to-deny-that-things-are-always/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```