19 Sunday May 2013
Posted in Thubten Chodron & Sravasti Abbey, Videos
In this video, venerable Thubten Chodron uses analogies to explain periods of practice where it seems that despite much effort, nothing seems to be happening, and then everything falls into place, only to go back to thinking that nothing is happening.
01 Wednesday May 2013
Posted in Thubten Chodron & Sravasti Abbey, Videos
With the intense media coverage that has occured after the Boston Bombing, one of the outcomes has becomes a greater sense of fear and discrimination. In this video, Venerable Thubten Chodron talks about ways to develop event compassion for people during this period and ways to diminish conflict between different religious organizations.
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23 Tuesday Apr 2013
Posted in Thubten Chodron & Sravasti Abbey, Videos
In this interesting video, Ven Thubten Chodron of Sravasti Abbey gives advice on how to work with a judgemental or critical mind. She talks about possible reasons why it arises, and by understanding why, it provides a possible way to deal with it.
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18 Thursday Apr 2013
Posted in Thubten Chodron & Sravasti Abbey, Videos
Within Tibetan Buddhism, teachings on compassion often emphasize having compassion for others, rather than having compassion for one’s self. However within the context of western society, both Buddhist and non-Buddhist views on compassion have increasingly more emphasis on first having compassion for one’s self.
In this talk, Venerable Chodron talks about how compassion for one’s self can be used in Buddhist practiced rather than using it as a tool for self indulgence. She mentions that having compassion for one self can be a tool for going beyond one’s self in order to eventually have compassion for others, and why having compassion for others should eventually be the main emphasis.
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06 Saturday Apr 2013
Posted in Thubten Chodron & Sravasti Abbey, Videos
From an outer appearance Buddhist practice often seems filled with rituals. Among them, making prostrations is one topic people often are curious about. Questions arise, such as why do them and who are we prostrating too? In these series of videos, Venerable Thubten Chodron describes how prostrations are done in Tibetan Buddhism, and the intention and reasoning behind every movement and gesture done while doing prostrations.
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08 Friday Feb 2013
Posted in Thubten Chodron & Sravasti Abbey, Videos
People often wonder why its necessary to set up an altar, what it represents, how to actually set one up, and how to take care of it. In these videos, Venerable Sravasti Abbey answers these and other common questions regarding altars in a practical manner.
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26 Saturday Jan 2013
Posted in Thubten Chodron & Sravasti Abbey
Recently I wrote about Chenrezig Hall, a construction project at Sravasti Abbey that will be used for many of the Abbey’s main activities. It will include rooming for 17 guests, a prayer hall, chapel, and a larger kitchen facility.
21 Million Mani Recitations
In order to help create the merit for this activity, the Abbey and its supporters have been reciting “Om mani padme hum” and have been dedicating it towards the project’s completion. The goal was to reach 21 million recitations, and through the help of people from all over the world, the goal was finally reached. Venerable Thubten Chodron, the Abbey’s abbess, gave this response below:
Supporting the Project
In addition to the recitations, the Abbey has set a goal of 2 million dollars in order to fund the construction of the hall. Currently, through the efforts and kindness of people from numerous countries, the current count is over 850,000. Throughout this entire process, construction has been ongoing simultaneously with the fundraising and mani recitation. If you would like to give dana or a donation for the construction of the hall, click here. Or if you’d like information on the Abbey or would like to visit, click here.
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10 Monday Dec 2012
Posted in Thubten Chodron & Sravasti Abbey, Videos
In this interesting video, Venerable Chodron of Sravasti Abbey talks about being sensitive to one’s own mind and knowing how to work with mental energies. Some examples she mentions include knowing how to make the mind more alert when it feels sluggish, knowing how to settle it if it’s too excited, and knowing how to steer alertness towards meaningful activities.
Her main emphasis is on becoming skillful in working with the mind, instead of getting into “battle” situations where one forces the mind into things.
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20 Tuesday Nov 2012
Posted in Thubten Chodron & Sravasti Abbey, Videos
An example often given for Buddha Nature is like a clear sky that is free from polution. Venerable Thubten of Sravasti Abbey gives a talk about this useful and meaningful concept from Mahayana Buddhism.
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16 Friday Nov 2012
Posted in Thubten Chodron & Sravasti Abbey, Videos
I’ve been to Sravasti Abbey on numerous occasions and have been become very fond of how they support western practitioners, both monastic and lay. Here is an interesting video showing their comprehensive monastic training. I think its useful both for people considering monasticism, and also for lay practitioners so they can have a better understanding of the sangha jewel.
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26 Friday Oct 2012
Posted in Thubten Chodron & Sravasti Abbey, Videos
In this interesting video, Venerable Thubten Chodron of Sravasti Abbey talks about the difference between pitying someone and having compassion for them. She felt it was important to make this distinction because when people say that they feel sorry for someone, they often equate it with being compassionate. Not knowing the difference, as she puts it, can ruin seeing one’s own and other’s human capacity and potential.
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16 Sunday Sep 2012
Posted in Thubten Chodron & Sravasti Abbey, Videos
Like in many religions, Buddhism also has an element of faith. Venerable Thubten Chodron of Sravasti Abbey explains that this element of faith isn’t based on blind faith. She describes faith in Buddhism as falling into three catagories: admiring faith, aspiring faith, and conviction faith based on learning and reasoning. She also ties this in on how this all applies to our own practices.
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31 Friday Aug 2012
Posted in Thubten Chodron & Sravasti Abbey, Videos
I remember Venerable Thubten Chodron once saying that with new monastics, one of the first things they develop is a type of transparency. This comes from having developed self acceptance and not being afraid of any faults or weakpoints. I’ve thought about this a lot over the years, and have noticed this to be a common quality among many long time practitioners.
In this video, Venerable Chodron reflects on her own experience of moving towards “self-honesty” and how it moved her closer to the “three jewels.”
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17 Tuesday Jul 2012
I’ve been blogging about Sravasti Abbey for a while, and find it fascinating how quickly the community has grown in a short period of time. When I was last at the Abbey about 3 years ago, they just had completed construction on a house for the female monastics. Their next project is the building of Chenrezig hall, which is expected to triple the Abbey’s capacity to housing 30 resident practitioners (both lay and monastic). Here’s some stats about what the hall plans to offer:
With 10,000 square feet, Chenrezig Hall will include:
Here’s a video with Venerable Thubten Chodron, talking about the Chenrezig Hall:
The Abbey community has grown up until this point due to the support of practitioners from all over the world. If you would like to support the Abbey, there’s a couple of ways. One way is to dedicate recitations of “Om mani padme hum.” They’re trying to collectively do 21 million recitations in order to create the merit required to successfully complete the project. Another way is to make a cash offering. What’s impressive about the Abbeys’ development over the years is that they don’t have several rich sponsors, but have relied on the generousity of many supporters from all over the world.
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13 Friday Jul 2012
One topic that seems to be big within western Buddhist practitioners is compassion burnout, or people getting worn out from trying to do too much. Venerable Thubten Chodron addresses this issues by covering a wide range of topics. Some reasons that she lists for possible compassion burnout include:
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