Venerable Thubten Semkye
Ven. Semkye was the Abbey's first lay resident, coming to help Venerable Chodron with the gardens and land management in the spring of 2004. She became the Abbey's third nun in 2007 and received bhikshuni ordination in Taiwan in 2010. She met Venerable Chodron at the Dharma Friendship Foundation in Seattle in 1996. She took refuge in 1999. When the land was acquired for the Abbey in 2003, Ven. Semye coordinated volunteers for the initial move-in and early remodeling. A founder of Friends of Sravasti Abbey, she accepted the position of chairperson to provide the Four Requisites for the monastic community. Realizing that was a difficult task to do from 350 miles away, she moved to the Abbey in spring of 2004. Although she didn't originally see ordination in her future, after the 2006 Chenrezig retreat when she spent half of her meditation time reflecting on death and impermanence, Ven. Semkye realized that ordaining would be the wisest, most compassionate use of her life. View pictures of her ordination. Ven. Semkye draws on her extensive experience in landscaping and horticulture to manage the Abbey's forests and gardens. She oversees "Offering Volunteer Service Weekends" during which volunteers help with construction, gardening, and forest stewardship.
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Venerable Thubten Semkye Guided nine-point death meditation
Meditating on death brings meaning and purpose to our life and helps to avoid wasting…
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The misery of attachment
Investigating the affliction of attachment and how it leads to dissatisfaction and dukkha. Changing our…
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Guided meditation on precious human rebirth
A meditation on the unique qualities of a precious human life to see our fortunate…
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Review 1 of Chapter 8: Verses 184-188
The first review of chapter 8 of Aryadeva's "400 Stanzas on the Middle Way" continues,…
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Review 1 of Chapter 8: Verses 176-183
This first review on Chapter 8 of Aryadeva's "400 Stanzas on the Middle Way" focuses…
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Shifting from the self-centered thought to cherishin...
The equalizing and exchanging self with others method of generating bodhicitta, and examining how the…
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Review of Chapter 5
A review on Chapter 5 of Aryadeva's "400 Stanzas on the Middle Way" focuses on…
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Review of Chapter 3
A review of Chapter 3 of Aryadeva's "400 Stanzas on the Middle Way" focuses on…
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Development of the first sangha
Stories of the early monastic community and how the guidelines became established.
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Review of Chapter 1: Remembering death
Meditations on death. How remembering death give us an incentive to practice.
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Precious human life and how to use it wisely
The importance of making good use of our precious human life and what it means…
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The Buddhist traditions
An overview of the different Buddhist traditions, their similarities and differences, and some common misperceptions…
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