The rarity of a precious human life
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Shantideva Teachings at Sravasti Abbey 
Jan 28, 2021 Part of an ongoing series of teachings based on Shantideva’s classic text, "Bodhisattvacharyavatara", often translated as “Engaging in the Bodhisattva’s Deeds.” Venerable Thubten Chodron also refers to the outline of the commentary by Gyaltsab Dharma Rinchen and the commentary by the Abbot Dragpa Gyaltsen.|Part of an ongoing series of teachings based on Shantideva’s classic text, "Bodhisattvacharyavatara", often translated as “Engaging in the Bodhisattva’s Deeds.” Venerable Thubten Chodron also refers to the outline of the commentary by Gyaltsab Dharma Rinchen and the commentary by the Abbot Dragpa Gyaltsen.
- Disadvantages of giving up bodhicitta
- Reflecting on the consequences of our actions
- Four conditions for practicing the Mahayana path
- No opportunity for creating virtue in the lower realms
- Rarity and difficulty of obtaining a precious human life in terms of analogy, numbers, and creating the causes
- Q&A:
- Is it possible to create the causes for a precious human life?
33 Engaging in the Bodhisattva’s Deeds: The Rarity of a Precious Human Life (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.
