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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Volume 4 Following in the Buddha's Footsteps

Higher ethical codes and making mistakes

Explaining the ethical conduct for Bodhisattva and Tantric practitioners found in the Mahayana tradition, completing…

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Full Ordination for Nuns

“She loved being a bhikshuni”: Spreading...

Venerable Chodron talks about the contribution of Venerable Hengching to the spread of full ordination…

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Volume 4 Following in the Buddha's Footsteps

Intoxicants and celibacy

Explaining the two precepts westerners have the most difficulty with—taking intoxicants and unwise or unkind…

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Buddhist Worldview

Why is the Vinaya important if things are empty?

Why ethical conduct is the foundation of compassion and how these are essential for cultivating…

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Volume 7 Searching for the Self

Searching for the self 

Commentary on the "Sutta on a Lump of Foam" (SN 22.95) analyzing how the five…

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Volume 4 Following in the Buddha's Footsteps

Benefits of practicing the Pratimoksha

Explaining the different Vinaya schools, also how the practice of Vinaya and having limits helps…

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Volume 4 Following in the Buddha's Footsteps

The Pratimoksha ethical code

Explaining the Pratimoksha ethical code, for lay practitioners and monastics, continuing the teaching from Chapter…

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New to Buddhism

Study Buddhism: Buddhist practices

A series of videos featuring questions in an interview with Venerable Chodron covering various Buddhist…

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New to Buddhism

Study Buddhism: Buddhist way of life

A series of videos featuring questions in an interview with Venerable Chodron covering various topics…

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Volume 4 Following in the Buddha's Footsteps

The importance of ethical conduct

Outlining the various benefits of keeping precepts and describing the eight types of precepts for…

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