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Prayers, rituals, and practice

Prayers, rituals, and practice

Part of an ongoing series of teachings based on Approaching the Buddhist Path, the first book in “The Library of Wisdom and Compassion” series by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Venerable Thubten Chodron.

  • Real purpose of prayers and rituals
  • Importance of creating the causes for happiness through personal efforts
  • Developing our understanding through study, reflection, and meditation
  • Different techniques for learning a topic
  • Contemplating a topic by applying four principles
  • How study, reflection, and meditation mutually support each other

52 Approaching the Buddhist Path: Prayers, Rituals and Practice (download)

Contemplation points

  1. On what does our spiritual progress depend? What should we practice? How can prayers be effective?
  2. How do the buddhas benefit us the most?
  3. Why is it important to first study the teachings? How are we doing this?
Venerable Thubten Chodron

Venerable Chodron emphasizes the practical application of Buddha’s teachings in our daily lives and is especially skilled at explaining them in ways easily understood and practiced by Westerners. She is well known for her warm, humorous, and lucid teachings. She was ordained as a Buddhist nun in 1977 by Kyabje Ling Rinpoche in Dharamsala, India, and in 1986 she received bhikshuni (full) ordination in Taiwan. Read her full bio.