Reflecting on the empty nature of phenomena
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Essence of Refined Gold 
May 1, 2008 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.
- The benefits of listening to teachings on emptiness
- The prerequisites for the special insight that realizes emptiness
- The different tenet systems and their views of emptiness
- The difference between definitive and interpretable teachings
Essence of Refined Gold 53 (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.
