Venerable Sangye Khadro

California-born, Venerable Sangye Khadro ordained as a Buddhist nun at Kopan Monastery in 1974, and is a longtime friend and colleague of Abbey founder Ven. Thubten Chodron. Ven. Sangye Khadro took the full (bhikshuni) ordination in 1988. While studying at Nalanda Monastery in France in the 1980s, she helped to start the Dorje Pamo Nunnery, along with Venerable Chodron. Venerable Sangye Khadro has studied Buddhism with many great masters including Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lama Yeshe, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, and Khensur Jampa Tegchok. She began teaching in 1979 and was a resident teacher at Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore for 11 years. She has been resident teacher at the FPMT centre in Denmark since 2016, and from 2008-2015, she followed the Masters Program at the Lama Tsong Khapa Institute in Italy. Venerable Sangye Khadro has authored several books, including the best-selling How to Meditate, now in its 17th printing, which has been translated into eight languages. She has taught at Sravasti Abbey since 2017 and is now a full-time resident.

Featured Series

Venerable Sangye Khadro stands next to a wooden statue of Kuan Yin.

37 Practices of Bodhisattvas with Venerable Sangye Khadro (2019)

Short talks by Venerable Sangye Khadro on "The 37 Practices of Bodhisattvas" by Gyelsay Togmay Zangpo.

View Series

70 Topics with Venerable Sangye Khadro (2022)

70 Topics is an important study of the entire sutra path to enlightenment as presented in Maitreya's "Ornament for Clear Realization," including all the fundamental features of the basis, path and goal in the Mahayana.

View Series
Venerable Sangye Khadro smiles while teaching.

Art of Transforming Suffering Retreat with Venerable Sangye Khadro (2017)

Teachings by Venerable Sangye Khadro on the art of transforming suffering given at Sravasti Abbey in July 2017.

View Series
Know Your Mind with Venerable Sangye Khadro livestream banner.

Know Your Mind with Venerable Sangye Khadro (2021)

An introduction to Buddhist psychology by Venerable Sangye Khadro. The course explores topics such as what the mind is, perception and conception, types of awareness, and the mental factors.

View Series
Venerable Sangye Khadro smiling while teaching in front of a thangka.

Meditation 101 by Venerable Sangye Khadro (2021)

Teachings by Venerable Sangye Khadro suitable for people encountering both meditation and Buddhism for the first time.

View Series
A path in the meadow that leads into the forest.

Mind and Mental Factors with Venerable Sangye Khadro (2019)

An overview of the Buddhist psychology of mind and mental factors given during a course on Buddhist reasoning and debate in 2019.

View Series
Blue sky with wispy clouds above a meadow.

Seven Kinds of Awareness with Venerable Sangye Khadro (2019)

An overview of the seven kinds of awareness according to the Buddhist philosophy of mind taught as part of a course on Buddhist reasoning and debate in 2019.

View Series
Venerable Sangye Khadro smiles while speaking into a microphone.

Tenets with Venerable Sangye Khadro (2022)

Weekly teachings on the text "Presentation of Tenets" by Jetsun Chokyi Gyaltsen by Venerable Sangye Khadro.

View Series

View Posts

Prostrations to the 35 Buddhas

Prostrations to the 35 Buddhas Practice

Instruction on the 35 Buddhas practice, including an overview of karma, and how to do…

View Post
Shantideva Teachings at Sravasti Abbey

Bodhisattva secondary misdeeds 1-9

Venerable Sangye Khadro discusses the four binding factors and the nine secondary misdeeds related to…

View Post
Kuan Yin statue on a pedestal with a flower garland in her lap under a tree.
37 Practices of Bodhisattvas

The 37 Practices of Bodhisattvas: Verses 27-32

Commentary on thought transformation verses on developing the far-reaching attitudes of fortitude, joyous effort, concentration…

View Post
Shantideva Teachings at Sravasti Abbey

Bodhisattva root downfalls 11-18

Venerable Sangye Khadro continues her commentary on the bodhisattva vow, discussing numbers 11-18 of the…

View Post
An Open-Hearted Life

Connecting with compassion

The importance of having compassionate individuals in our lives, who can inspire our own practice…

View Post
Shantideva Teachings at Sravasti Abbey

Root bodhisattva downfalls

Venerable Sangye Khadro continues her commentary on the bodhisattva vow, discussing numbers 3-10 of the…

View Post
Cultivating the Four Immeasurables

Immeasurable equanimity

The fourth immeasurable thought of equanimity, including its definitions, overcoming obstacles to it, and how…

View Post
Cultivating the Four Immeasurables

Immeasurable joy

The meaning of immeasurable joy, its near and far enemies, and the antidotes to apply…

View Post
Cultivating the Four Immeasurables

Immeasurable compassion

A teaching on the second immeasurable thought, compassion, and how to overcome obstacles to it.

View Post
Cultivating the Four Immeasurables

Transforming the mind

An overview of the Buddhist worldview and general approaches to working with the mind.

View Post
Shantideva Teachings at Sravasti Abbey

Meditation on taking the bodhisattva vow

Venerable Sangye Khadro reviews Verses 23-34 from Chapter 3, leads a meditation on taking the…

View Post