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.

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Front page of Dharma Drum article showing Ven. Chodron smiling.
A Nun's Life

Guided by bodhicitta to create an energy field for c...

An interview with Dharma Drum Humanity Magazine, in which Venerable Chodron talks about her early…

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Buddhist Reasoning and Debate

Outline of the selfless

Continuing Chapter 9 “Basic Buddhist Ontology” and reviewing the outline of the selfless, which includes…

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Gomchen Lamrim

Illusion-like appearances

Covering three sections on the illusion-like appearance of conventional reality experienced after meditative equipoise on…

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Buddhist Reasoning and Debate

Correct signs practice and review

Sharing practice signs sent in by students and starting on Chapter 9 on “Basic Buddhist…

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Gomchen Lamrim

Identifying inherent existence

Covering the section “Establishing the lack of an intrinsic nature of 'mine'” and explores how…

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Buddhist Reasoning and Debate

Three types of correct signs

Covering Chapter 8 on “The Three Types of Correct Signs” - effect, nature, and non-observation.

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Gomchen Lamrim

Identifying the person

Teaching on how to identify the conventionally existent person and challenge its appearance of being…

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Buddhist Reasoning and Debate

Valid syllogisms

Going over practice syllogisms and teaching on Chapter 7 on the two types of valid…

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Gomchen Lamrim

Realizing selflessness

Continuing the section on insight and explaining how realizing selflessness cuts the root of samsara.

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Buddhist Reasoning and Debate

Practice syllogisms

Leading the class in analyzing practice syllogisms written by students.

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Ven. Chodron leading a group of monastics in a chant.
Life at Sravasti Abbey

The future is up to us

A participant in Sravasti Abbey's recent "Living Vinaya in the West" course considers how the…

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