The spread of the Dharma

05 Exploring Monastic Life 2022

Part of a series of teachings given during Sravasti Abbey's annual Exploring Monastic Life program in 2022.

  • What attracts people to Buddhism?
  • Monasticism as a life choice, not a career
  • Three “baskets” of Buddha’s teachings
  • Origin and evolution of precepts
  • Variations across geographic regions

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.