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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Venerable Thubten Chodron Refuge advice
In preparation for retreat: how to recite the mantra to take refuge in the guru,…
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More refuge meditation topics
Examining one's doubts with honesty while taking refuge can enhance the meditation practice.
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Refuge meditation topics
How reflecting on the qualities of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha can enhance one's meditation…
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Sangha refuge
How to receive the qualities of the Sangha as part of the preliminary practice (ngöndro)…
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Dharma refuge
How to purify wrong views about the Buddha's teachings when engaging in the preliminary practice…
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Purifying our negativities
How to use the preliminary practice (ngöndro) of taking refuge to purify our negativities.
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How to see the guru
How to purify our relationship with our spiritual mentors when engaging in the preliminary practice…
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Visualizing sentient beings
How to visualize other sentient beings as part of the preliminary practice (ngöndro) of taking…
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Visualizing the Three Jewels
How to visualize the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha as part of the preliminary practice (ngöndro)…
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Visualizing the Buddha
Commentary on a verse from the Lama Chӧpa Jorchӧ Puja on how to visualize the…
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Visualizing the merit field
How to visualize the merit field of holy beings as part of the preliminary practice…
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Commentary on the Heart Sutra
Commentary on the Heart Sutra and how it outlines the five paths that culminate in…
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