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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Stages of the Path in the Guru Puja

The 10 non-virtues: Lying

Lying is a complex of trying to hide something and saying the untruth. It has…

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Stages of the Path in the Guru Puja

The 10 non-virtues: 3 of body

A description of the three harmful actions of body and the connection to karma.

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Stages of the Path in the Guru Puja

The four general characteristics of karma

Observing cause and effect helps to understand the development of positive and negative results.

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Seven-point Mind Training

Taking and giving meditation

Practical ways to use love and compassion for others when afflictions arise in daily life.

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Refuge Ngöndro

Refuge advice

In preparation for retreat: how to recite the mantra to take refuge in the guru,…

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Refuge Ngöndro

More refuge meditation topics

Examining one's doubts with honesty while taking refuge can enhance the meditation practice.

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Refuge Ngöndro

Refuge meditation topics

How reflecting on the qualities of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha can enhance one's meditation…

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Refuge Ngöndro

Sangha refuge

How to receive the qualities of the Sangha as part of the preliminary practice (ngöndro)…

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Refuge Ngöndro

Dharma refuge

How to purify wrong views about the Buddha's teachings when engaging in the preliminary practice…

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Refuge Ngöndro

Purifying our negativities

How to use the preliminary practice (ngöndro) of taking refuge to purify our negativities.

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Stages of the Path in the Guru Puja

How to see the guru

How to purify our relationship with our spiritual mentors when engaging in the preliminary practice…

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Refuge Ngöndro

Visualizing sentient beings

How to visualize other sentient beings as part of the preliminary practice (ngöndro) of taking…

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