How a Westerner became a Buddhist nun
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Thubten Chodron 
Nov 30, 2025 A talk given at Tibetan Association of Washington in Seattle, Washington.
- Preserving the Tibetan language and the Dharma in the Tibetan community
- How a Westerner became a Buddhist nun
- Meeting the Dharma and teachers
- Deciding to ordain
- Starting a Buddhist monastery in the United States
- Questions and answers
- Did you have difficulty letting go of the idea of a creator god?
- How do you view Buddhist deities like Tara?
- Was it difficult to separate from your family when you ordained?
- Talking about Buddhist values with children
- Geshe Dadul Namgyal’s book, Driving the Dharma Home
How a Westerner became a Buddhist nun (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.
