The filth of the body
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Shantideva Teachings at Sravasti Abbey 
May 27, 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.
- Abandoning a cause for not training in ethical conduct – attachment to the body
- Meditating on the impurity of the body
- Contemplating the lack of inherent existence of the body
- Reason why it is unsuitable to be attached to the body
- The body can be used to practice virtue and benefit others
- Example of how it is inappropriate to procrastinate due to attachment
49 Engaging in the Bodhisattva’s Deeds: The Filth of the Body (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.
