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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Monk with palms together, reciting prayers.
Monastic Life

Reinforcing ordination in daily life

The Abbot of Namgyal Monastery in Dharamsala explains how precepts contribute to the attainment of…

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Nagarjuna’s Precious Garland

The importance of ethical conduct

Emphasizing the importance of ethical conduct to secure a precious human rebirth, and explaining the…

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Volume 1 Approaching the Buddhist Path

Checking our meditation experiences

Finishing Chapter 10, covering sections "Checking Our Meditation Experiences" and "Signs of Progress" and beginning…

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An Open-Hearted Life

The seven-point instruction of cause and effect

How to reflect on the first three steps of the seven-point instruction to recognize the…

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Healing after a Suicide

Suicide Prevention Awareness Month: September 2019

The state of Washington is active in preventing suicide deaths. Venerable Chodron shares information on…

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Buddhist Reasoning and Debate

More debate practice

The Abbey community practices the debates they wrote with each other.

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Volume 1 Approaching the Buddhist Path

Role models

Teaching from the last two sections of Chapter 9, on memorization, debate, and role models.

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Buddhist Reasoning and Debate

Practicing the defender’s answers

Helping the class practice different answers that the defender can give in response to statements…

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Cultivating Concentration Retreat 2019

Stages of sustained attention

The nine stages of sustained attention prior to developing serenity or calm abiding.

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