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An open-hearted life: The meaning of compassion

An open-hearted life: The meaning of compassion

Co-authors Professor Russell Kolts and Venerable Thubten Chodron discussed their book An Open-Hearted Life and took questions before a book signing in Moscow, Idaho. The event was sponsored by the Universalist Church of the Palouse Buddhist Fellowship and Bookpeople of Moscow.

  • Compassion requires courage, it’s not for wimps
  • The requirements for developing compassion
  • The problem of confusing compassion with personal distress
  • What it means to have compassion for our self
  • Compassion doesn’t mean being Mr. or Ms. fix-it
  • Sometimes compassion means being quiet, present and listening
  • The relationship between the mind and the brain

An open-hearted life book signing with Russell Kolts (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.

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