A diagram illustrating attaining serenity
64 Following in the Buddha's Footsteps
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Volume 4 Following in the Buddha's Footsteps 
Aug 22, 2025 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.
- Mental pliancy, physical pliancy, bliss of physical pliancy and bliss of mental pliancy
- Benefits of attaining serenity
- Three qualities of serenity
- Four afflictions that interfere maintaining and improving serenity
- Explanation of the diagram depicting the stages of attaining serenity
- Serenity combined with renunciation, bodhicitta or emptiness
64 A Diagram Illustrating Attaining Serenity (download)
Contemplation points
- Review what pliancy is and how it supports attaining serenity.
- Review the progression of mental pliancy to physical pliancy to the bliss of physical pliancy and finally to the bliss of mental pliancy. What does the meditator experience in each of these?
- After attaining serenity, four afflictions can still interfere with improving and maintaining the quality of concentration: attachment, arrogance, ignorance, and wrong views. Describe each of these as well as how each interferes with serenity in particular.
- Spend some time contemplating the diagram Illustrating the Process of Attaining Serenity along with the description from the text, going through each of the 33 items that are symbolized in the diagram. How does each help us gain serenity?
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.
