Making life meaningful
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Essence of Refined Gold 
Mar 8, 2007 Part of a series of teachings on Essence of Refined Gold by the Third Dalai Lama, Gyalwa Sonam Gyatso. The text is a commentary on Songs of Experience by Lama Tsongkhapa. These teachings were given during the 2007 Chenrezig Winter Retreat at Sravasti Abbey.
Putting the teachings into practice
- Taking the responsibility to practice the teachings we receive
- The importance of developing conviction in the law of cause and effect
- The difficulty of attaining a precious human life and making it meaningful
- Seeing our life as more precious than a wish fulfilling gem
- Guarding against the eight worldly concerns
- How thinking about death and impermanence helps us to practice the path
Essence of Refined Gold 09 (download)
Questions and answers
- The disadvantages of translating “dukkha” as suffering
- The hindrance of bringing wrong views into Buddhist practice
- Avoiding extremes in our understanding of the Dharma
- Getting clear about our worldview in order to make good decisions
- The importance of choosing a conducive environment and supportive companions in facilitating spiritual practice
Essence of Refined Gold 10 (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.
