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 Venerable Thubten Chodron. She took bhikshuni (full) 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 with many Buddhist masters including Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lama Yeshe, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, and Khensur Jampa Tegchok. At her teachers’ request, she began teaching in 1980 and has since taught in countries around the world, occasionally taking time off for personal retreats. She served as resident teacher in Buddha House, Australia, Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore, and the FPMT centre in Denmark. From 2008-2015, she followed the Masters Program at the Lama Tsong Khapa Institute in Italy. Venerable has authored a number books found here, including the best-selling How to Meditate. 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

Peaceful Living, Peaceful Dying Retreats

How to prepare for death

Teaching on how to prepare ourselves for death, on the five powers, and answering questions…

View Post
Peaceful Living, Peaceful Dying Retreats

The uncertainty of the time of death

Leading a guided meditation on the second three points in the 9-point death meditation on…

View Post
Peaceful Living, Peaceful Dying Retreats

The inevitability of death

Covering the first three points in the nine-point meditation on death focusing on the inevitability…

View Post
Peaceful Living, Peaceful Dying Retreats

What Buddhism says about death

Reviewing Buddhist views on death and speaking on the importance of accepting our death so…

View Post
Antidotes to Afflictions

Meditation on overcoming attachment to reputation

A guided meditation on the eight worldly concerns, focusing on overcoming attachment to a good…

View Post
Living a Meaningful Life

Meditation on precious human life

Meditating on the good circumstances of a precious human rebirth inspires us to use our…

View Post
Ven. Sangye Khadro smiling and holding a text while teaching at Gardenia Center.
Thought Training

Thought transformation: Changing perspective when pr...

How thought transformation practices can be used to transform problems into something useful and beneficial.

View Post
Exploring Monastic Life 2019

Ethical conduct

Exploring the meaning of ethics and morality, its benefits, and how to cultivate and protect…

View Post
Buddhist Reasoning and Debate

The root affliction of anger

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

View Post
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…

View Post
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…

View Post