Venerable Thubten Tarpa

Venerable Thubten Tarpa is an American practicing in the Tibetan tradition since 2000 when she took formal refuge. She has lived at Sravasti Abbey under the guidance of Venerable Thubten Chodron since May of 2005. She was the first person to ordain at Sravasti Abbey, taking her sramanerika and sikasamana ordinations with Venerable Chodron as her preceptor in 2006. See pictures of her ordination. Her other main teachers are H.H. Jigdal Dagchen Sakya and H.E. Dagmo Kusho. She has had the good fortune to receive teachings from some of Venerable Chodron's teachers as well. Before moving to Sravasti Abbey, Venerable Tarpa (then Jan Howell) worked as a Physical Therapist/Athletic Trainer for 30 years in colleges, hospital clinics, and private practice settings. In this career she had the opportunity to help patients and teach students and colleagues, which was very rewarding. She has B.S. degrees from Michigan State and University of Washington and an M.S. degree from the University of Oregon. She coordinates the Abbey's building projects. On December 20, 2008 Ven. Tarpa traveled to Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights California receiving bhikhshuni ordination. The temple is affiliated with Taiwan's Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order.

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Volume 2 The Foundation of Buddhist Practice

Review of precious human life

Reviewing Chapter 8, discussing 8 freedoms and 10 fortunes required for a precious human life.

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Volume 2 The Foundation of Buddhist Practice

Review of Chapter 2

Reviewing Chapter 2, leading a discussion on three types of phenomena and different types of…

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Volume 2 The Foundation of Buddhist Practice

Structuring a meditation session

Venerable Thubten Tarpa leads the "Meditation on the Buddha," and covers from Chapter 6 "How…

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Buddhist Reasoning and Debate

Review of three possibilities

Venerable Thubten Tarpa leads a review of the section in Chapter 24 “When a Person…

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Volume 1 Approaching the Buddhist Path

Religion in the modern world

Venerable Thubten Tarpa leads an interactive review of pages 11-15 of "Approaching the Buddhist Path."

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An Open-Hearted Life

Compassionate understanding of emotions

How a compassionate understanding of how emotions play out in our minds gives us a…

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Gomchen Lamrim

The object of negation

Venerable Thubten Tarpa leads a review of the four point analysis meditation on emptiness, with…

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Stages of the Path to Awakening Podcast

Review of serenity

Venerable Thubten Tarpa reviews the teachings on serenity, focusing on what to take as your…

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Gomchen Lamrim

Six conditions for serenity

Venerable Thubten Tarpa leads a review of meditative stabilization, focusing on the the six conditions…

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