Working with afflictive emotions
03 Exploring Monastic Life 2024
Venerable Sangye Khadro 
Exploring Monastic Life 2024 
Jul 26, 2024 Part of a series of teachings given during Sravasti Abbey's annual Exploring Monastic Life program in 2024.
- Afflictions as the main cause of suffering
- Transforming the mind is the essence of Buddhism
- Culture gap between Western students and Asian teachers
- The importance of asking questions and investigating doubts
- Discomfort with talking about afflictions and karma
- Difference between ten nonvirtues and ten commandments
- Afflictions that are more common in certain cultures, like self-hatred
- “Spiritual by-passing” of emotional issues
- Generating the wish to free oneself from afflictive emotions
- Guided meditation and discussion on afflictive emotions
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.
