Eight excellent qualities of the buddha jewel
05 Following in the Buddha's Footsteps
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Volume 4 Following in the Buddha's Footsteps 
May 24, 2024 Part of an ongoing series of teachings based on the book Following in the Buddha's Footsteps, the fourth volume in The Library of Wisdom and Compassion series by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Venerable Thubten Chodron.
- Explanation of unconditioned, spontaneous and not being realized by extraneous conditions
- Three types of dualities
- Ability to see the ultimate truth and conventional truth simultaneously
- Description of wisdom, compassionate love and power
- Fulfilling one’s own benefit and fulfilling others welfare
- Two purities of truth body
- Relationship between buddha bodies and the excellent qualities
05 Eight Excellent Qualities of the Buddha Jewel (download)
Contemplation points
- From the Buddhist perspective, what is the purpose of our lives? How does understanding the qualities of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha inspire us to develop meaning and purpose in our lives?
- In your own words, describe the first three qualities of the Buddha listed in the text (unconditioned, spontaneous, and not being realized by extraneous conditions). How is it that these three accomplish the Buddha’s own aims?
- In your own words, describe the next three qualities of the Buddha from the text (knowledge, compassionate love, and power). How do these three accomplish the purpose of others? Why is it that although the Buddha has the ability to clear away sentient beings’ obscurations, we are still in samsara?
- In your own words, describe the final two qualities of the Buddha (one’s own benefit and other’s welfare). Which buddha body is each associated with and why?
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.
