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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Politics, Power, and Peace

Is it possible to take an ethical stand on issues and disagree with people while remaining harmonious and open-hearted? Is anger ever justified for countering injustice? Are Buddhism and politics even compatible? Listen and reflect as Venerable Chodron speaks to these questions with advice as beneficial today as it was in 2020.

Imagine a politician who drives you buggy. That person as they're appearing to you now is not who they have always been.”
We create a very limited image of who this [difficult] person is when we actually don't know very much about them, what they're like inside.”
I make dedication prayers to progress along the path to buddhahood so when I encounter [difficult people] in future lives, I may benefit them.”

Featured Teachings

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

Practicing Democracy

A balanced mind in an election year

Cultivating equanimity towards people whose political views we disagree with.

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Fear, Anxiety, and Other Emotions

Combating anxiety with a meditative mind

Ways that Buddhist practices of love and compassion for others…

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A tree with knobs that look like two eyes and a mouth. Healing Anger

Dealing with anger using mind training

When we're angry our view of the situation is an…

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Short Verses to Cultivate Bodhicitta

Verse 15-2: Three kinds of bodhisattvas

Explaining the three kinds of bodhisattvas to generate bodhicitta. With…

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Thought Training

Skillfully dealing with problems

Traditional ways to deal with problems skillfully and four good…

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The Six Perfections

Paramita of fortitude

Examples from Buddhist scriptures of the bodhisattva perfection of fortitude.

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Latest Posts

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

Stages of the Path

Identifying attachment

Review of the lamrim outline and examining attachment and its…

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White flowers and green leaves amongst rocks. By Prison Volunteers

Worthwhile people

In the Beginning Buddhism class in Spokane, Abbey monastics are…

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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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Book cover of In Praise of Great Compassion

In Praise of Great Compassion

Volume 5 of The Library of Wisdom and Compassion takes us beyond our present situation and guides...

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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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Working with Anger

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

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Cover of 365 Gems of Wisdom

365 Gems of Wisdom

Reflections by Venerable Thubten Chodron and other Sravasti Abbey monastics to guide us in settin...

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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 the study guide to Approaching the Buddhist Path

Approaching the Buddhist Path: Study Guide

Approaching the Buddhist Path, Volume 1 in The Library of Wisdom and Compassion, introduces us to...

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