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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Pondering a Lump of Foam

A classic teaching by the Buddha, the Sutta on a Lump of Foam teaches us how to contemplate our body and mind to gain insight into their true nature and attain liberation and awakening. Venerable Chodron will unpack this sutta on December 15th on her Asia teaching tour. See here for a recent teaching on the same sutta.

It starts with the simile of a lump of foam. If you inspect it, there’s nothing you can grab. Everything you grab disappears.”
So too, when you examine any form—a thermos, book, or the body—there too you can’t find anything substantial.”
When you're in an unhappy, depressed mood do you say to yourself, 'Oh this is transient like a bubble and water'?”

Featured Teachings

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

Gems of Wisdom

Verse 16: The load of contaminated aggregates

Taking rebirth with polluted aggregates is a load that weighs…

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Seven-point Mind Training

The foundation of mind training

The first three points in the Seven-point Mind Training text…

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Seven-point Mind Training

Transforming adverse circumstances

How the mind training teachings challenge our self-centered thought and…

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Short Verses to Cultivate Bodhicitta

Verse 17-1: Closing the door to the lower realms

Closing the door to lower rebirths by abandoning ten non-virtues…

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Guided Meditations

Meditation on five aspects of impermanence

Guided meditation to deepen our understanding of impermanence.

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Teachings

Refuting a permanent self

A refutation of partless atoms, permanent objects, and other wrong…

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Latest Posts

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

Stages of the Path

The path to cultivate

Guarding ethical conduct and the four causes of infractions.

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Upcoming Live Teachings

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

Books

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

Book cover of "Vajrayana and the Culmination of the Path"

Vajrayana and the Culmination of the Path

The final volume of the Library of Wisdom and Compassion by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Vener...

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Book cover of Guided Buddhist Meditations

Guided Buddhist Meditations

This invaluable resource provides Dharma practitioners with clear explanations of the stages of t...

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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 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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Book cover of Pearl of Wisdom II

Pearl of Wisdom, Book II

An inspiring resource for students who have already entered into the practice of Tibetan Buddhism...

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Book cover of Samsara, Nirvana, and Buddha Nature

Samsara, Nirvana, and Buddha Nature

Volume 3 of The Library of Wisdom and Compassion addresses the unsatisfactory nature of samsara, ...

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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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Book cover of the Study Guide for Open Heart Clear Mind

Open Heart, Clear Mind: Study Guide

A complementary resource to Venerable Chodron’s book, Open Heart, Clear Mind, this study gu...

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