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renunciation

Renunciation, or the determination to be free, is the attitude aspiring to be free from all suffering and to attain the liberation that is freedom from cyclic existence.

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View all posts in Venerable Thubten Chodron's teaching archive.

Circles with a path and light in the middle of the circles.
On Cultivating Wisdom

Our circle of suffering

Analogy of struggles in samsara with the experience of a hunted animal. Unlike the animal,…

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Orange streaks in a cloudy sky as the sun sets.
Wheel of Sharp Weapons 2004-06

Wheel of Sharp Weapons: Verses 60-63

A continuation of verses that point out our bad habits and how our self-grasping ignorance…

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Orange streaks in a cloudy sky as the sun sets.
Wheel of Sharp Weapons 2004-06

Wheel of Sharp Weapons: Verses 38-42

A look at the karmic causes of difficulties in our practice or difficulties overcoming the…

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Metal door of a prison.
By Incarcerated People

Surviving in the system

How to bring personal responsibility to a difficult situation.

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A group of nuns from various religions sitting at a table, talking.
Interfaith Dialogue

“Nuns in the West I:” Interviews

Buddhist and Catholic monastics open discussion on various views.

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Inside of a prison cell.
On Attachment

Prison of desire

Finding inner freedom by seeing our shortcomings and working to change oneself.

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How Rebirth Works

Rebirth: Is it really possible?

Examining one of the key concepts in the Buddhist worldview, which is that we are…

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Image from Ascent Magazine – of Brother Wayne Teasdale, Venerable Chodron and Swami Radhananda.
Interfaith Dialogue

Determined to be free

A Buddhist nun, a sanyasi columnist and an urban mystic have an inspiring talk about…

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Ven. Chodron removes the last bit of Katya'shair.
For Young People

Look, Mommy, that lady has no hair!

The symbolism of shaving the head.

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Wheel of Life
Three Principal Aspects of the Path

Sufferings of cyclic existence

We can ground our intention to be free from the endless cycle of samsara by…

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Cover of Geshen Sonam Rinchen's book "The Three Principal Aspects of the Path".
Three Principal Aspects of the Path

General characteristics of karma

Karma is definite, expandable, doesn't get lost, and results from the causes that we have…

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Venerable Chodron meditating.
Three Principal Aspects of the Path

Nine-point death meditation

By reflecting carefully and thoroughly on death and impermanence, we reach the conclusion that we…

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