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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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Buddha Potential: Our Pets, Other Beings, and Ours

Our well-loved pets give us an opportunity to better understand buddha nature—how it is the basis for the duhkha of samsara (the unpurified mind) and what is needed to attain nirvana (the purified mind).

Watch here as Venerable Chodron uses the death of a pet to guide us in seeing buddha nature more clearly. To delve more deeply into buddha nature—how to purify our minds and cultivate awakened qualities— browse here for other teachings on the topic.

Wishing the kitty Achala to have the happiness of lying in the sun in catnip—that’s really rather limited and not the right kind of happiness to wish for.”

Achala, like us, is a sentient being merely labeled. He has the buddha nature, the clear light nature of mind and there’s no inherently existent kitty there.”

If I’m going to wish him happiness to take with him when he dies, we can dedicate our merit so that he can quickly become an enlightened buddha.”

Featured Teachings

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

Emptiness and buddha nature

The eight qualities of the Buddha listed in Maitreya's Treatise…

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Are sentient beings already Buddhas?

Explaining whether sentient beings are already buddhas and covering the…

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Venerable Tarpa hodling the cat Achala.

Is euthanizing pets advisable?

Watching a beloved pet's decline is painful. What course is…

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Purple flowers blossom in a bunch.

Verse 10-2: Counteracting the defilements

The different ways of counteracting the defilements, particularly the afflictions.…

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The four purities and four classes of tantra

Ordinary view and ordinary grasping are obstacles to tantric practice.

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Review of Buddha nature

Explaining Buddha Nature according to different tenet systems, reviewing the…

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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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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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Eight excellent qualities of the dharma jewel

Explaining the eight excellent qualities of the dharma jewel found…

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Upcoming Live Teachings

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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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