Freedom from cyclic existence
03 Samsara, Nirvana, and Buddha Nature
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Volume 3 Samsara, Nirvana, and Buddha Nature 
Aug 15, 2026 An online talk hosted by Vajrayana Institute and Kunsang Yeshe Retreat Center
- A general overview of the Buddhist path and goal
- Three vehicles and five paths
- How stream-enterers, once-returners, non-returners, and arhats practice
- How bodhisattvas practice
- Rebirth in pure land
- Questions and answers
- Are there invisible bodhisattvas around us?
- How does karma work in the bardo?
- Why is it important to differentiate between throwing and completing karma?
- Do arhats appear or emanate like bodhisattvas?
- Is it accurate to say that we aspire to liberate sentient beings?
- Are there buddhas who attained arhatship before entering the bodhisattva path?
- Does our relative’s karma get cleared by our chanting when they are in the bardo?
The next teaching in this series:
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.
