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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Buddhist Reasoning and Debate

Motivation to practice

How mindfulness of death and impermanence provides motivation to practice the Dharma, and why we…

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Chunks of coal.
On Working with Afflictions

Anger not nice

An 88-year-old father of one of Venerable Chodron's students writes a poem to explain what…

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Thought Training

Problems and unpleasant experiences

The Buddhist explanation of unpleasant experiences and techniques to transform suffering.

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Buddhist Reasoning and Debate

Why study debate?

Introduction to the text with an explanation of why we would want to study debate.

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Young Adults Explore Buddhism 2017

The path to awakening

An overview of the path to awakening, focusing on the three principal aspects of the…

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Young Adults Explore Buddhism 2017

Motivation and choosing our path

The importance of setting a virtuous motivation before engaging in any activities to transform them…

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Young man lying in hospital bed.
On Taking Illness Onto the Path

Learning from illness

A Dharma student contemplates his experiences while in the hospital.

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Stages of the Path to Awakening Podcast

Auxiliary bodhisattva ethical restraints 35-39

Teaching on the auxiliary bodhisattva ethical restraints associated with the ethic of benefiting others.

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An Open-Hearted Life

Setting our motivation

Pausing to cultivate a compassionate motivation before we act transforms our mental state, assists us…

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Stages of the Path to Awakening Podcast

Auxiliary bodhisattva ethical restraints 25-34

Finishing the auxiliary bodhisattva ethical restraints related to far-reaching fortitude and teaching on those related…

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Helping the Dying and Deceased

A Buddhist approach to helping the dying

An interview covering the Buddhist perspective on death, helping others create good karma before death…

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