Chapter 1: Verses 10-13
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Teachings at Sravasti Abbey 
May 21, 2015 Chapter 1 addresses what to abandon and what to practice to attain upper rebirth and highest good. Part of a series of talks on Nagarjuna's Precious Garland of Advice for a King.
- The 16 factors needed to practice to attain upper rebirth
- Ceasing three other nonvirtues: not taking intoxicants, maintaining a proper livelihood and ceasing harming others
- Three practices to engage in to attain upper rebirth: being respectfully generous, honoring the worthy and practicing the four immeasurables
- The specific benefit of practicing the 16 factors for upper rebirth
- Engaging in imperfect paths harms our self and others. Practicing such things as physical austerities does not lead to the Dharma
- The disadvantages of engaging in wrong paths. If we want to take the essence of our precious human life, we need to seek an unmistaken path
Precious Garland 04: Verses 10-13 (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.
