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What Buddhism says about death

Venerable Sangye Khadro teaches on how to prepare for a peaceful death through spiritual practices in daily life. Links to books referenced during the course can be found here. For course outline and supplementary material, click here.

  • Near-death experience as an opportunity to grow in the Dharma practice and recognize areas we need to work on
  • What Buddhism says about death:
    • Death is a natural, inevitable part of life
    • Death is when the mind separates from the body and goes to another life
    • Two reasons for accepting and being aware of death
    • Importance of a positive state of mind when we die
    • It is possible to become free of death and rebirth

Venerable Sangye Khadro

California-born, Venerable Sangye Khadro ordained as a Buddhist nun at Kopan Monastery in 1974 and is a longtime friend and colleague of Abbey founder Venerable Thubten Chodron. She took bhikshuni (full) ordination in 1988. While studying at Nalanda Monastery in France in the 1980s, she helped to start the Dorje Pamo Nunnery, along with Venerable Chodron. Venerable Sangye Khadro has studied with many Buddhist masters including Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lama Yeshe, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, and Khensur Jampa Tegchok. At her teachers’ request, she began teaching in 1980 and has since taught in countries around the world, occasionally taking time off for personal retreats. She served as resident teacher in Buddha House, Australia, Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore, and the FPMT centre in Denmark. From 2008-2015, she followed the Masters Program at the Lama Tsong Khapa Institute in Italy. Venerable has authored a number books found here, including the best-selling How to Meditate. She has taught at Sravasti Abbey since 2017 and is now a full-time resident.

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