The development of the Mahayana tradition
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Exploring Monastic Life 2006 
Aug 12, 2006 A talk given during Sravasti Abbey's annual Exploring Monastic Life program in 2006.
The Mahayana appears
- Abhidharma: taxonomy/organization of the Buddha’s teachings (3rd basket of teachings)
- Development of the Mahayana
- Similarities of different traditions
- Mahayana is based on Theravada
- Vajrayana is based on Mahayana
Exploring Monastic Life 2006: Session 8, 1-3 (download)
The teacher
- Three-tier system of relating to the teacher
- Importance of talking about Vajrayana to an appropriate audience
- Appearance of statues, paintings, scriptures and stupas
- Concept of merit field
Exploring Monastic Life 2006: Session 8, 2-3 (download)
Questions and answers
- Veneration of holy objects
- Empowerment of lay people
- Practicing as a lay person versus as a monastic
- Giving birth to a child with a precious human rebirth
- Disrobing of monastics
- Consort practice
Venerable Thubten Chodron
Venerable Chodron emphasizes the practical application of Buddha’s teachings in our daily lives and is especially skilled at explaining them in ways easily understood and practiced by Westerners. She is well known for her warm, humorous, and lucid teachings. She was ordained as a Buddhist nun in 1977 by Kyabje Ling Rinpoche in Dharamsala, India, and in 1986 she received bhikshuni (full) ordination in Taiwan. Read her full bio.
