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

Visualizing the Three Jewels

How to visualize the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha as part of the preliminary practice (ngöndro)…

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Refuge Ngöndro

Visualizing the Buddha

Commentary on a verse from the Lama Chӧpa Jorchӧ Puja on how to visualize the…

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Refuge Ngöndro

Visualizing the merit field

How to visualize the merit field of holy beings as part of the preliminary practice…

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Venerable Chodron meditating.
Buddhist Worldview

Commentary on the Heart Sutra

Commentary on the Heart Sutra and how it outlines the five paths that culminate in…

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Venerable Chodron meditating.
Buddhist Worldview

Appreciating the opportunity to practice

Sharing from discussion groups about what we take for granted, what to prioritize in our…

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Venerable Chodron meditating.
Buddhist Worldview

I, me, myself and mine

A deeper look at the third seal: all phenomena lack a self. The meaning of…

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Venerable Chodron meditating.
Buddhist Worldview

Impermanence, dukkha and selflessness

Questions and answers on the first seal followed by teachings on the second seal: all…

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Refuge Ngöndro

Taking refuge in the guru

How to take refuge in the guru as part of the preliminary practice (ngöndro) of…

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Venerable Chodron meditating.
Buddhist Worldview

Contemplating impermanence

Introduction to the Heart Sutra, the four seals of Buddhism, and teachings on the first…

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Seven-point Mind Training

Resistance to practicing tonglen

How the taking and giving practice can transform our minds, making us happier.

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Monastic in meditation.
Preliminary Practices

Preliminary practice (ngöndro) overview

An introduction to the practices that help clear and purify our minds so that we…

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Cover of Taming the Mind.
Taming the Mind

Karma and the wish for freedom

An explanation of karma. How to benefit ourselves and others by developing the ten virtues.

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