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

Ven. Sangye Khadro laughs in the teacher's seat of the Meditation Hall.

Easy Path to Travel to Omniscience with Venerable Sangye Khadro

Teachings on the stages of the path to awakening by Venerable Sangye Khadro hosted by Thubten Norbu Ling Center in New Mexico, USA.

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Venerable Sangye Khadro teaching a group at Sravasti Abbey with a Vajrasattva Thangka

Introduction to Tantra with Venerable Sangye Khadro 2021 and 2023

Teachings on Tantra (Vajrayana), including its relationship with other Buddhist practices, the correct motivation, preparation for practice, and extensive topics covering emptiness. Covers two series from 2021 and 2023.

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

Middle-Length Lamrim with Venerable Sangye Khadro (2023-present)

Ongoing teachings on the Middle-Length Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment by Lama Tsongkhapa. Streamed live on the Sravasti Abbey YouTube channel on Thursday mornings at 9 am Pacific Time.

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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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Stages of the Path

How to see the spiritual mentor

Explaining the characteristics of a student and describing how to develop faith and three ways…

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Stages of the Path

The importance of a teacher

Explaining the qualities of a spiritual mentor, continuing the teaching from Chapter 4.

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Stages of the Path

How to explain the Dharma

Continuing teaching from Chapter 3, explaining the benefits of teaching the dharma and the proper…

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Stages of the Path

How to approach the Dharma

Explaining giving up the three faults of a vessel and relying on the six perceptions,…

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Stages of the Path

The greatness of the Dharma

Explaining the greatness of the dharma from Chapter 2 and describing the benefits of listening…

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Working with Emotions

Compassion for oneself, compassion for others

How we can overcome self-hatred and self-criticism and learn to be more kind and friendly…

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Stages of the Path

The roadmap to enlightenment

Covering Chapter 1, "Greatness of the Author" and beginning Chapter 2, "Greatness of the Dharma"

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Living with Impermanence

A matter of life and death

How being mindful of death in our daily life can help us and how to…

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Dealing with Grief

Transforming problems into the path

Whether grief can be seen as an affliction, the four distorted conceptions, and how to…

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Dealing with Grief

Stages of grief

A teaching on the seven stages of grief with a meditation.

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Dealing with Grief

Five remembrances

An introduction to the topic of grief and the five remembrances.

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