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Venerable Thubten Chodron

Pioneering American Buddhist teacher and founder of Sravasti Abbey, currently assisting His Holiness the Dalai Lama with The Library of Wisdom and Compassion book series.

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Compassion and Ethical Living

Living ethically is an expression of our compassion for others, and it enables us to feel good about ourselves. In this talk for Sharing the Dharma Day Venerable Thubten Chodron discusses how shifting our perspective can help us to create good relationships and answers questions about how to make sound ethical decisions in a complicated world.

Join us online or in-person for upcoming Sharing the Dharma Day events. The next one is Saturday, July 27th.

Ethical conduct is the means to live peacefully with others, feel good about ourselves, and is the basis for making our lives meaningful.”

We really need to dialogue more to understand other people that are so different from us. We need to get out of our silos.”

Whether we agree or disagree, to understand we need to get an idea of what other people are thinking, what's important to them.”

Featured Teachings

Check out highlights from Venerable Thubten Chodron's extensive teaching archive.

Venerable Chodron standing with participants of the 2018 Young Adult Week.

Ethical conduct and karma

How our behavior has effects for ourselves and others. Collective…

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Questions and answers on ethical conduct

Answers to questions on ethical conduct and Buddhism.

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Great compassion and nondual awareness

The three causes of bodhisattvas and nuances of the realization…

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Purple flowers blossom in a bunch.

Verse 10-3: Meditating on emptiness

The various levels of subduing the afflictions, from avoiding the…

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Receiving an initiation

What does it mean to receive a tantric initiation? Types…

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Paramita of ethical conduct

Examples from Buddhist scriptures of the bodhisattva perfection of ethical…

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Latest Posts

Keep up with recent teachings by Venerable Thubten Chodron and other Sravasti Abbey monastics.

Creating our world: dependent arising

An explanation of rebirth through dependent arising, based on commentaries…

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Three Jewels of the Vajra vehicle

Finishing the section of Final and Provisional Refuges, and explaining…

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Sexual misconduct, lying, and divisive speech

The four aspects of sexual misconduct, lying and divisive speech.

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Cultivating the wasteland

At this year’s Triple Platform Ordination at Taiping Foen Temple…

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Final and provisional refuges

Describing the difference between the Three Jewels and the objects…

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The four aspects of killing and stealing

What comprises a complete path of action of killing and…

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Eight excellent qualities of sangha jewel

Explaining the eight qualities of sangha jewel found in Maitreya’s…

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The general characteristics of karma

Explanation of the four general characteristics of karma.

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Venerable Chodron during an interview.

Cultivation of Compassion

How compassion gets us going in the right direction in…

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Upcoming Live Teachings

Follow Venerable Thubten Chodron's teachings at Sravasti Abbey, online, and worldwide.

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Books

Learn more about Buddhist books written and edited by Venerable Thubten Chodron.

Cover of Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions

Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions

This unique text maps out the convergence and divergence of the two major Buddhist movements—the ...

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Book cover of Courageous Compassion

Courageous Compassion

The 6th book in the multi-volume collection and the 2nd devoted to compassion. Courageous Compass...

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Book cover of Appearing and Empty

Appearing and Empty

In this third and final volume on emptiness, the authors impart the Prasangika view of the ultima...

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Book cover of Awaken Every Day

Awaken Every Day

An instant dose of everyday wisdom, these insightful reflections help us understand our minds, ou...

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Working with Anger

A variety of Buddhist methods for subduing anger, not by changing what is happening, but by worki...

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Book cover of Buddhism for Beginners

Buddhism for Beginners

An accessible and engaging introduction to some of the most commonly asked questions about the es...

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Book cover of Gavin Discovers the Secret

Gavin Discovers the Secret to Happiness

A book enjoyable and beneficial for all ages, Gavin Discovers the Secret to Happiness has much to...

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Book cover of Refuge Resource Book

Refuge Resource Book

A collection of articles compiled by Venerable Thubten Chodron as a resource for preparing to tak...

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Book cover of Pearl of Wisdom I

Pearl of Wisdom, Book I

A compilation of prayers and practices commonly taught to people beginning to study and practice ...

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