Ten questions for Venerable Thubten Chodron
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Dharma in Daily Life 
Jun 9, 2026 A series of questions-and-answers for the Majjhima Nikaya Book Club, an international, bilingual online community dedicated to studying the Pali canon
1. How does self-care differ from self-cherishing?
2. What would you say to someone who does not believe they can change?
3. What are the main dangers that arise for a lay practitioner?
4. How can we make the bodhisattva vow personal in our own lives?
5. Which of your own qualities was the hardest to work with?
6. If even the Triple Gem is empty, how does one take refuge in it?
7. What can replace a guru’s guidance, and why have a teacher at all?
8. Would the Dharma be rediscovered after a world catastrophe?
9. Why does the Tibetan path of compassion use wrathful imagery?
10. What is the most important practice in ordinary city life?
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.
