Five questions on navigating the Buddhist path
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Buddhist Worldview 
Aug 29, 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 can we combine renunciation and dispassion with the emotional practices of the four immeasurables?
2. If there is no self and volition is conditioned, what is free will?
3. What teachings from 30 years ago do you now see as wrong or harmful?
4. Is love between partners another form of defilement?
5. Can higher realizations be attained without practicing jhana?
Russian-language versions
The following videos include English voice-overs and Russian captions; the original audio is not included:
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.
