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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Buddhist Reasoning and Debate

The root affliction of anger

Venerable Sangye Khadro continues teaching on the first root affliction of attachment and moves onto…

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Buddhist Reasoning and Debate

The root affliction of attachment

Venerable Sangye Khadro reviews what is virtue and non-virtue and begins the first root affliction…

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Buddhist Reasoning and Debate

Virtuous mental factors #7-11

Venerable Sangye Khadro explains virtuous mental factors #7-11, encouraging discussion about how to cultivate them…

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Buddhist Reasoning and Debate

Virtuous mental factors #2-6

Venerable Sangye Khadro continues her commentary on the virtuous mental factors, explaining integrity, consideration for…

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Buddhist Reasoning and Debate

Object ascertaining mental factors

Venerable Sangye Khadro discusses the 5 object ascertaining mental factors, and begins explaining the 11…

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Peaceful Living, Peaceful Dying Retreats

Preparing spiritually for death

Reviewing the four tasks of living and dying, and how to prepare spiritually for death.

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Peaceful Living, Peaceful Dying Retreats

What helps at the time of death

Continuing the 9-point meditation on death, covering the third root of what helps at the…

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Peaceful Living, Peaceful Dying Retreats

Buddhist perspectives on death

Venerable Sangye Khadro begins the Peaceful Living and Dying retreat with Buddhist perspectives on death.

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Buddhist Reasoning and Debate

The omnipresent mental factors

Venerable Sangye Khadro begins teaching on 'Mind and Mental Factors', giving an introduction, and covering…

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Buddhist Reasoning and Debate

Inattentive perceptions, doubt, and wrong consciousn...

Venerable Sangye Khadro finishes teaching on the seven types of awareness, explaining inattentive perceptions, doubt…

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An Open-Hearted Life

Being responsible for our emotions

When disturbing emotions arise we have a choice. The Buddhist teachings offer practical methods to…

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