Introduction to meditation
Venerable Sangye Khadro 
Young Adults Explore Buddhism 2023 
Jun 9, 2023 Part of a series of talks given during Sravasti Abbey’s annual Young Adults Explore Buddhism program in the summer of 2023.
- Basic Buddhist meditation to familiarize our mind with positive and beneficial thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
- Enlightenment is a state of mind where all negative states are gone and all positive qualities are perfected.
- Qualities of the enlightened mind of Buddha and our buddha nature.
- Purpose of Buddhist meditation to bring about transformation of our mind and how to establish a fruitful practice.
- The motivation to cultivate is the altruistic intention.
- Two main types of meditation:
- Shamatha to concentrate the mind.
- Analytical to develop wisdom.
- Guided meditation on the breath.
- Third type of meditation is visualization meditation and a guided meditation called the “Body of Light.”
Venerable Sangye Khadro
California-born, Venerable Sangye Khadro ordained as a Buddhist nun at Kopan Monastery in 1974 and is a longtime friend and colleague of Abbey founder Venerable Thubten Chodron. She took bhikshuni (full) ordination in 1988. While studying at Nalanda Monastery in France in the 1980s, she helped to start the Dorje Pamo Nunnery, along with Venerable Chodron. Venerable Sangye Khadro has studied with many Buddhist masters including Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lama Yeshe, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, and Khensur Jampa Tegchok. At her teachers’ request, she began teaching in 1980 and has since taught in countries around the world, occasionally taking time off for personal retreats. She served as resident teacher in Buddha House, Australia, Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore, and the FPMT centre in Denmark. From 2008-2015, she followed the Masters Program at the Lama Tsong Khapa Institute in Italy. Venerable has authored a number books found here, including the best-selling How to Meditate. She has taught at Sravasti Abbey since 2017 and is now a full-time resident.
