Verbal non-virtues
54 The Foundation of Buddhist Practice
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Volume 2 The Foundation of Buddhist Practice 
Jul 31, 2020 Part of an ongoing series of teachings (retreat and Friday) based on the book The Foundation of Buddhist Practice, second volume in “The Library of Wisdom and Compassion” series by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Venerable Thubten Chodron.
- Broader scopes of killing and stealing
- Different aspects of unwise, unkind sexual behavior
- Examples of lying and divisive speech
- How lying damages the trust
- Various forms of harsh speech
- Importance of reviewing our own destructive actions and purifying them
The Foundation of Buddhist Practice 54: Verbal Non-virtues (download)
Contemplation points
- In your meditation, look what you have done in your life with regard to the 10 non-virtues. Pick out situations where you feel particularly uneasy and apply the four opponent powers to counteract.
- Also look at the actions others have done with regard to the 10 non-virtuous actions and learn from these examples. We may have done similar things in past lives or will do so in future lives. The best antidote is to purify even actions we can’t remember but likely have done in previous lives.
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.
