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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People drinking beer
Ethics in the Modern World

Taking intoxicants

Getting our ethical conduct together as a foundation to progress along the path to find…

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Venerable Damcho during her head-shaving ceremony.
Becoming a Monastic

Letter to those considering monastic ordination

Advice and resources for those considering monastic life, and special advice for those who are…

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Venerable Chodron in the early years of her ordination.
A Nun's Life

You’re becoming a what?

Venerable Thubten Chodron shares her experience as a Westerner who made the decision to become…

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A group of nuns standing together under a tree.
Western Monastics

Western Buddhist nuns

What it's like to be a Buddhist nun in the West, the challenges faced and…

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Grounds and Paths

Benefits of studying the grounds and paths

The motivations of different levels of spiritual practitioners, and why it is beneficial to study…

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Shantideva on the Establishments of Mindfulness

Cherishing others

A continuation of the review and the importance of thinking about the disadvantages of self-centered…

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Shantideva on the Establishments of Mindfulness

The root of cyclic existence

A continuation of the review, and how important it is to eradicate the self-centered mind.

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Grounds and Paths

An introduction to grounds and paths

An introduction to the grounds and paths according to the Prasangika Madhyamaka beginning with the…

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