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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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Statue of a Bodhisattva.
Essence of Refined Gold

Bodhisattva paths and grounds

The path the bodhisattva takes to become a Buddha.

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Painting of the ordination of Mahaprajapati.
Tibetan Tradition

Regarding the bhikshuni order in Tibetan Buddhism

An interview on bhikshuni ordination in Tibetan Buddhist, benefits of having bhikshuni in all Buddhist…

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Large Buddha statue against blue sky with clouds.
Essence of Refined Gold

Activities of a buddha

The Buddha's activities help all sentient beings to progress on the path.

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Face of Buddha
Essence of Refined Gold

Developing the qualities of a buddha

What a Buddha is, what a Buddha does, and how to become a Buddha.

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Open Heart, Clear Mind

Taking the ache out of attachment

Looking at how attachment causes problems and real happiness comes from letting go of attachment.

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Statue of the Buddha.
Essence of Refined Gold

Understanding the Three Jewels

The qualities of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

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Shakyamuni Buddha refuge tree
Essence of Refined Gold

The meaning of refuge

The meaning and purpose of taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.

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Two women give each other a high five while offering service at Sravasti Abbey.
Family and Friends

Cultivating equanimity

Cultivating healthy relationships based on loving-kindness and equanimity instead of attachment.

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Two women give each other a high five while offering service at Sravasti Abbey.
Family and Friends

Qualities of a friend

Characteristics of true friends and false friends, using this not only to recognize our friends…

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Two women give each other a high five while offering service at Sravasti Abbey.
Family and Friends

Attachment and its effects

Teachings on the dangers of attachment and difference between attachment vs love.

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Two women give each other a high five while offering service at Sravasti Abbey.
Family and Friends

Relating to others in the community

Summary of how our mind works and importance of cultivating good qualities to interact with…

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Bleeding heart flowers in the Sravasti Abbey garden.
Chenrezig

Eight verses of thought transformation: Verses 4-5

Looking into our hearts, seeing that we all want happiness and we do not want…

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