Introduction to Buddhism

A talk given at the opening session of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's five days of teachings on Je Tsongkhapa's "Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (Lam Rim Chenmo)" at Lehigh University, Bethelehem, Pennsylvania.

  • Layout of the stages of the path and how they relate to meditation practice
  • How to explore going beyond our present limitations and discovering our individual potential
  • Current worldview of an objective world
  • Challenging the strong view of the ME which seems to be the center of universe
  • “Don’t believe everything you think”
  • Disadvantages of having the self-centered way of thinking
  • Mind transformation
  • Lack of inherent existence
  • Cultivating caring for others
  • Dharma practice—internalizing the teachings and the creation of the causes of enlightenment, that we are not alone on the path

Introduction to Buddhism (download)

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.