Realizing things as they are
Venerable Thubten Chodron 
Essence of Refined Gold 
May 29, 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 difference between the inferential realization of emptiness and direct realization
- The two extreme views of nihilism and absolutism
- Why the most crucial step in understanding emptiness is correctly identifying the object of negation
- How emptiness establishes the four noble truths and the Three Jewels
Essence of Refined Gold 57 (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.
