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Relying on a spiritual friend

Relying on a spiritual friend

A series of talks based on Don’t Believe Everything You Think given at Sravasti Abbey’s monthly Sharing the Dharma Day starting in March 2013. The book is a commentary on The 37 Practices of Bodhisattvas.

When you rely on them your faults come to an end
And your good qualities grow like the waxing moon.
Cherish spiritual teachers
Even more than your own body
This is the practice of Bodhisattvas.

  • The importance and benefits of a spiritual mentor in the Buddhist tradition
  • The basic qualities to look for in choosing spiritual mentors
  • How to rely on spiritual mentors and how to cultivate a beneficial relationship with them

SDD 06, Verse 6: Relying on a spiritual friend (download)

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.