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Buddhist nuns

Guidance from teachers of various Buddhist traditions on the importance of ensuring that women experience full equality in their opportunity to practice and teach the Dharma.

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

Monastic Rites

Kathina celebration 2018

A short talk about the kathina robe ceremony to celebrate the end of the monastic…

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Venerable Chodron cutting the hair of Venerable Semkye (then Nancy).
Becoming a Monastic

Becoming a nun

There are many ways to consider one's desire to ordain. Motivation is the most important…

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Venerable Chonyi smiling while sorthing through bins of mail.
A Nun's Life

A nun’s lifestyle

The lifestyle of a Buddhist nun or monk is based on Buddhist values of compassion,…

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Front page of Dharma Drum article showing Ven. Chodron smiling.
A Nun's Life

Guided by bodhicitta to create an energy field for c...

An interview with Dharma Drum Humanity Magazine, in which Venerable Chodron talks about her early…

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Ven. Chodron leading a group of monastics in a chant.
Life at Sravasti Abbey

The future is up to us

A participant in Sravasti Abbey's recent "Living Vinaya in the West" course considers how the…

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Group of monastics posing for a photo.
Life at Sravasti Abbey

Sravasti Abbey hosts “Living Vinaya in the Wes...

A historic event at Sravasti Abbey: 49 nuns gather to learn and live the Vinaya…

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Life at Sravasti Abbey

Transmitting the lamp of the Dharma

Encouraging all Buddhists to work together to transmit the lamp of the Dharma from one…

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Photo © Luminary International Buddhist Society Gen Heywood.
Life at Sravasti Abbey

The mutual relationship of monastics and lay practit...

Through mutual support the monastic and lay community grow in the Dharma. For the Dharma…

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Ven. Chodron teaching with Ven. Damcho translating.
Western Monastics

Tibetan Buddhism east and west

A personal account of how westerners met Tibetan Buddhist teachers, studied and practiced the Dharma…

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Group of nuns in Taiwan during bhikshuni ordination ceremony.
Full Ordination for Nuns

Brief history of bhiksunis

Venerable Chodron provides a short history of the issues surrounding ordination for women.

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Exploring Monastic Life 2017

Cutting bonds and going forth

Venerable Thubten Chodron finishes the ordination ceremony text, and concludes this set of teachings with…

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Exploring Monastic Life 2017

Renouncing worldly life

Advice on severing attachment to this body, loved ones and worldly life so we can…

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