Welcome to Mystics Reading Society. We’re slow-reading When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chödrön, one chapter a week. Each Sunday you’ll find a chapter summary, a mystic lesson, and an oracle card. Subscribe to explore these teachings with us.
You belong here,
—Emma Veritas, Host of Mystics Reading Society
✨ What This Chapter Teaches
This week we’re reading Chapter 10 of When Things Fall Apart: Curious About Existence.
In this chapter, Pema Chödrön explores three truths of existence—impermanence, suffering, and egolessness—which Buddhism calls our “fundamental situation.”
Even though these truths are natural parts of life, she notes that “it’s easy to get the idea that there is something wrong with impermanence, suffering, and egolessness.”
Her teaching here is to stay curious about these experiences and name them when they arise: “Ah, this angst is impermanence,” or “this confusion is suffering,” or “this fear is egolessness.”
Just as in the last chapter she showed how loneliness can become “cool loneliness,” here she reminds us that when we meet these truths with curiosity—without judgment—what we discover on the other side is peace, the fourth truth of existence.
“This isn’t the peace that’s the opposite of war. It’s the well-being that comes when we can see the infinite pairs of opposites as complementary. If there is beauty, there must be ugliness. If there is right, there is wrong. Wisdom and ignorance cannot be separated…. Cultivating moment-to-moment curiosity, we just might find that day by day this kind of peace dawns on us, and we begin to understand what all the books are talking about.”
—Pema Chodron
Curiosity is at the heart of this teaching. But what does that mean for us as mystics? In this week’s video, I explore curiosity on the mystic path.
🔮 A Lesson for the Mystic Path
✨ In this video, I share a story from growing up as a kid with very big feelings — laughter that spilled out too loud, tears that wouldn’t stop, fear that overtook my whole body. Like many of us, I wasn’t taught how to work with those big feelings. Instead, I learned to stifle them, criticize myself, or eventually, escape them altogether. For me, that escape became alcohol in my teens and twenties. For others, it might be overthinking, perfectionism, or just wishing the feelings would go away. From there, I connect this personal history to Chapter 10 of When Things Fall Apart: Curious About Existence by Pema Chödrön.
Here’s what you’ll hear me explore:
🌿 The story of growing up with “too big” feelings and learning unhealthy ways to escape them.
📖 Pema’s teaching that the Buddhist truths of impermanence, suffering, and egolessness are uncomfortable — and instead of running, we can stay curious.
💫 The practice of naming our experience — being able to pause and say: oh, this is impermanence or this is suffering.
🦢 Why this matters for mystics: we’re often sensitive, intuitive, and deep-feeling, which can make life intense, but also opens the door to wisdom.
🌙 How curiosity and naming can gradually lead to peace — not the absence of conflict, but a gentle acceptance of life as it is.
🌠 Guidance from the Cards
Each week I pull a card to deepen our reflection and give us another lens on Pema’s teachings.
This week’s card comes from The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit deck by Kim Krans.
Question: What more do we need to know about being curious about existence?
Card: Peacock 🦚
“The beauty of the Peacock is unrivaled. It’s easy to think it comes from the plumage…but the secret of the Peacock is that the beauty resides within and extends outward indefinitely. This adept creature can assimilate or ‘digest’ all experiences in life, so it does not harbor resentment, conflict, or past pain within its psyche. The Peacock type is extremely rare — not many of us have reached this advanced level of acceptance of the self and others.
Element: Air
Keywords: Inner-beauty, compassion, assimilator of anything
When in balance: confident, kind
When out of balance: can’t ‘digest’ situations
To bring into balance: meditation on navel”
— Kim Krans
This card reminds me that stepping back and getting curious about existence is part of a healthy way to integrate life’s experiences. Yes, life can be painful at times and beautiful at others—and I can cultivate a steady curiosity about how I respond to it all.
“This adept creature can assimilate or ‘digest’ all experiences in life, so it does not harbor resentment, conflict, or past pain within its psyche.”
💬Join the Conversation
Now I’d love to hear from you:
🌀 What stood out to you in this chapter?
📜 What quote(s) landed for you?
🌹 Did the oracle message speak to you?
Come share in the comments. Remember, we are not a dogmatic bunch here. It’s okay to disagree. It’s okay to explore.
—Emma
🌀 Take the Next Step
Join an advanced practice for getting curious about your life, within a kind-hearted circle of fellow mystics.
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Hi, I’m Emma Veritas! I’m a reader, writer, and mystic living on the beautiful coast of Portugal. I created Mystics Reading Society as a welcoming space for seekers, dreamers, and magic-makers who want to weave spiritual and intuitive wisdom into everyday life. Here, we explore empowering, healing, and mystical books while building a supportive community for those walking their own authentic, unconventional, and wildly fulfilling path.
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✨If you love to read cozy books, don’t miss Sleuth, Hero, Alien—for fans of cozy mysteries, charming sci-fi, and cozy fantasy. Read my latest post: Cozy TBR Stack — Paranormal Mysteries
🌊Curious about life abroad? Check out Reading in Portugal to follow my adventures. Read the most recent post: 3 Weeks in Portugal
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