Hubbry Logo
Thubten ChodronThubten ChodronMain
Open search
Thubten Chodron
Community hub
Thubten Chodron
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Thubten Chodron
Thubten Chodron
Thubten Chodron
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Thubten Chodron (德林 — De Lin), born Cheryl Greene, is an American Tibetan Buddhist nun, author, teacher, and the founder and abbess of Sravasti Abbey, the only Tibetan Buddhist training monastery for Western nuns and monks in the United States.[2] Chodron is a central figure in the reinstatement of the Bhikshuni (Tib. Gelongma) ordination of women. She is a student of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tsenzhab Serkong Rinpoche, Lama Thubten Yeshe, Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, and other Tibetan masters. She has published many books on Buddhist philosophy and meditation, and is co-authoring with the Dalai Lama a multi-volume series of teachings on the Buddhist path, The Library of Wisdom and Compassion.

Key Information

Biography

[edit]

Born in 1950, Thubten Chodron grew up in a "non-religious Jewish" family near Los Angeles, California, and earned her B.A. in history from University of California at Los Angeles in 1971. After traveling through Europe, North Africa and Asia for one and a half years, she received a teaching credential and went to the University of Southern California to do post-graduate work in education while working as a teacher in the Los Angeles City School System. In 1975, she attended a meditation course given by Lama Thubten Yeshe and Kyabje Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, and subsequently went to Kopan Monastery in Nepal to continue studying Buddhism. In 1977 she was ordained as a Buddhist nun by Kyabje Ling Rinpoche in Dharamshala, and in 1986 she received bhikshuni (full) ordination in Taiwan.

Chodron has studied and practiced Buddhism in the Tibetan tradition extensively in India and Nepal under the guidance of the 14th Dalai Lama, Tsenzhab Serkong Rinpoche, Lama Thubten Yeshe, Thubten Zopa Rinpoche and other Tibetan masters and for three years at Dorje Pamo Monastery in France. She directed the spiritual program at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa in Italy[1] for nearly two years, was resident teacher at Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore,[1] and for 10 years was spiritual director and resident teacher at Dharma Friendship Foundation in Seattle, US.[1]

Emphasizing the practical application of the Buddha's teachings in daily life, Chodron tries to explain them in ways easily understood and practised by Westerners. She has worked on re-establishing the Bhikshuni lineage of Buddhist nuns, cultivating interfaith dialogue, and Dharma outreach in prisons. Seeing the importance and necessity of a monastery for Westerners training in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, she founded Sravasti Abbey, a Buddhist monastic community north of Spokane, Washington, and is the abbess there. It is the only Tibetan Buddhist training monastery for Western monks and nuns in America.

Chodron is also author of 29 books and editor of 23 books on Buddhism, including eleven works co-written with the 14th Dalai Lama: Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions and The Library of Wisdom and Compassion, a ten-volume collection presenting the Dalai Lama's comprehensive explanation of the Buddhist path. Other popular works include Buddhism for Beginners; Open Heart, Clear Mind; Working with Anger; and Don't Believe Everything You Think.[3]

Chodron was a co-organizer of Life as a Western Buddhist Nun,[4] an international conference of Western Buddhist nuns held in 1996. She was a participant in the 1993 and 1994 Western Buddhist teachers' conferences with the 14th Dalai Lama, and she was instrumental in the creation of the 2007 International Congress on Buddhist Women's Role in the Sangha. She is a member of the Committee for Bhikshuni Ordination and attends the annual Western Buddhist Monastic Gathering in the US. Keen on interfaith dialogue, she was present during the Jewish delegation's visit to Dharamshala in 1990, which was the basis for Rodger Kamenetz’s The Jew in the Lotus, and she attended the Second Gethsemani Encounter in 2002.[5] She has been present at several Mind and Life Institute conferences in which the 14th Dalai Lama dialogues with Western scientists.

Chodron travels worldwide to teach the Dharma: North America, Latin America, Singapore, Malaysia, India, and the former Soviet countries. Seeing the importance and necessity of a monastery for Westerners training in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, she founded Sravasti Abbey, a Buddhist monastery in Newport, Washington, US, in 2003, and became its abbess.[2]

In 2016 she was awarded the Global Bhikkhuni Award, presented by the Chinese Buddhist Bhikkhuni Association of Taiwan.[6]

Teaching schedule

[edit]

Chodron permanently resides at Sravasti Abbey in Washington, US, when she is not on her international teaching tours.

The abbey has a program of weekly teachings as well as other one-day events, courses, and meditation retreats:

  • Weekly teachings, which are broadcast via livestream and posted on the Sravasti Abbey YouTube channel;[7]
  • Annual 'Young Adults Explore Buddhism' program;
  • Annual 'Exploring Monastic Life' three-week residential program for those thinking about becoming a Buddhist monk or nun;
  • Annual month-long winter retreat;
  • Various other courses and retreats.[7]

Bibliography

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Thubten Chodron

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Thubten Chodron (born Cheryl Greene; September 18, 1950) is an American Tibetan Buddhist bhikṣuṇī, author, and teacher renowned for adapting Buddhist teachings to Western audiences. Born in Chicago and raised near Los Angeles, she graduated with a B.A. in history from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1971 before pursuing postgraduate studies in education. Her encounter with Buddhism began in 1975 through a meditation course led by Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, prompting further study at Kopan Monastery in Nepal. Ordained as a novice (śrāmaṇerī) in 1977 by Kyabje in , Chodron received full bhikṣuṇī ordination in 1986 in , bridging Tibetan and East Asian lineages amid ongoing debates on nuns' full ordination in . In 2003, she founded Sravasti Abbey near , establishing the only Tibetan Buddhist training monastery for Western monastics in the United States, emphasizing , compassion, and wisdom to foster . Chodron's teachings, delivered with clarity and humor, focus on practical applications of , including and ethical living, and she has authored numerous books such as Buddhism for Beginners and Open Heart, Clear Mind, while co-authoring the multi-volume The Library of Wisdom and Compassion series with the . Her efforts extend to programs, interfaith dialogues, and global teaching tours, contributing significantly to the growth of and the training of monastic communities.

Early Life

Childhood and Education

Thubten Chodron, born Cheryl Greene on September 18, 1950, in , , was the daughter of Bernard and Adele Greene. Her family background was secular and non-religious, with Jewish heritage but no emphasis on observance. Greene grew up in a middle-class suburb near , , after her family relocated from the Midwest. Her childhood involved typical American experiences, including public schooling, family vacations, and recreational activities common to suburban youth of the era, fostering a conventional secular worldview shaped by post-World War II prosperity and cultural norms. She pursued higher education at the (UCLA), earning a degree in history in 1971. This academic focus reflected an interest in historical narratives and societal development, completed amid the social upheavals of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Pre-Monastic Career

Born in Chicago in 1950 and raised near Los Angeles, Thubten Chodron, then known by her lay name, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1971. Following her undergraduate studies, she embarked on extensive travels lasting one and a half years through Europe, North Africa, and Asia, encountering diverse cultures that began to foster existential reflections on life's purpose. Upon returning to the , she married, pursued postgraduate studies in education at the , obtained a teaching credential, and worked as an elementary school teacher in the public school system during the early . Despite her professional achievements, including a university education and stable career, she experienced growing dissatisfaction with conventional lay life, including relational commitments, which prompted a deeper personal quest for meaning beyond material and social norms.

Path to Ordination

Initial Exposure to Buddhism

Chödrön's early travels through Europe, North Africa, and Asia from 1971 to 1973, following her 1971 graduation from the University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in history, exposed her to diverse cultures but did not yet result in formal engagement with Buddhist teachings. These journeys, undertaken amid personal questioning of life's meaning influenced by events like the Vietnam War and social upheavals, fostered a skeptical worldview that rejected organized religions such as Judaism and Christianity for their perceived lack of logical resolution to human suffering. Her initial substantive contact with Buddhism occurred in 1975 during a month-long retreat in led by Tibetan lamas and Zopa Rinpoche. Prompted by a bookstore poster advertising the course, Chödrön attended seeking alternatives to her dissatisfactions with secular life and prior spiritual explorations, marking a shift from casual curiosity to structured practice. The teachings introduced core concepts like karma and through a framework emphasizing empirical verification and logical analysis rather than unquestioned faith, appealing to her preference for doctrines amenable to personal investigation. This exposure highlighted Buddhism's practical methods for addressing afflictions such as and attachment, which Chödrön evaluated as causally effective based on their alignment with observed mental processes and ethical imperatives. Interactions with the lamas and fellow participants underscored the tradition's focus on individual responsibility and ethical conduct grounded in cause-and-effect reasoning, distinguishing it from dogmatic systems she had previously dismissed. These elements catalyzed her commitment, leading her to pursue further study at in under the same teachers.

Ordination and Early Training

In 1977, Cheryl Linda Anderson, having encountered Tibetan Buddhism during travels in Asia, received sramanerika (novice nun) ordination from Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, the junior tutor to the Dalai Lama, in Dharamsala, India, adopting the ordination name Thubten Chodron, meaning "Dharma holder of extensive teaching." This step marked her formal commitment to monastic life within the Tibetan Gelug tradition, motivated by a recognition that lay practice lacked the intensity needed to address deep-seated mental habits and dissatisfaction observed in her pre-monastic experiences. After nearly a decade as a , during which she engaged in basic training and under Tibetan teachers in and , Chodron sought full unavailable in the Tibetan lineage at the time. In 1986, she received bhikshuni (fully ordained nun) precepts in through the tradition, prevalent in and conducted with the Dalai Lama's approval. This , involving 348 precepts compared to the novice's 36, has sparked ongoing debate in Tibetan Buddhist communities over its procedural validity and integration with the used in , with some authorities questioning cross-lineage equivalence while others, including Chodron, affirm its efficacy based on shared core principles of and ethical conduct. Adapting to monastic discipline proved challenging for Chodron, whose American upbringing emphasized and , contrasting with the vinaya's demands for communal , deference to seniors, and strict observance of rules governing speech, possessions, and associations. She later recounted initial difficulties in suppressing habitual self-assertion and worldly inclinations, noting that consistent precept adherence causally interrupted reactive patterns, cultivating observable shifts toward and reduced internal agitation through enforced restraint and reflection. These early experiences underscored the discipline's practical role in reshaping behavior via incremental rather than abstract idealization, though they required persistent effort to reconcile cultural predispositions with monastic norms.

Monastic Development

Studies Under Key Teachers

Following her novice ordination in 1977 by Kyabje Ling Rinpoche in , Thubten Chodron engaged in intensive studies of in and , spanning the late 1970s to the 1990s. These efforts centered on core Gelugpa traditions, including in-depth examination of Tibetan scriptural texts, the vinaya—the Buddha's 253 precepts for monastic discipline—and the lamrim, or stages of the path, which outline progressive cultivation from initial to full enlightenment as systematized by in the 14th century. Under His Holiness the , she received extensive oral transmissions and commentaries on sutras and tantras during repeated visits to Bodhgaya and Dharamsala, , integrating philosophical analysis with meditative application. Tsenzhab Serkong , a strict disciplinarian and tutor to the , guided her in rigorous scriptural debate and ethical conduct, emphasizing direct experiential verification of doctrines through sustained contemplation rather than rote memorization. She also trained with Geshe Rabten at his center in and , focusing on philosophy and logic; Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey in , , on and ; and Geshe Thubten Ngawang on practical vinaya implementation, including karmic implications of precepts. Additional masters such as Geshe Lhundub Sopa and Geshe Urgyen Tseten contributed to her command of lamrim texts, fostering skills in dialectical reasoning honed at monastic institutions like Sera and in . This curriculum, rooted in the Gelugpa emphasis on logical debate (tsodpa) and analytical meditation, enabled precise discernment of causal mechanisms in mind training, setting her approach apart from less structured interpretive methods.

Travels and Advanced Practices

After receiving novice in 1977 from Kyabje in Dharamsala, , Thubten Chodron remained in for extended periods of study and practice, primarily in and Nepal, under teachers including His Holiness the . These years in the and involved immersion in Tibetan Buddhist traditions, including scriptural analysis and retreats, which facilitated skill development in ethical and as foundational mechanisms for . In 1986, she traveled to to receive bhikshuni (full) from the Chinese lineage, followed by further training there, marking a key phase of integrating precepts with practical application. Her engagements extended to sutric studies on and , alongside initiations into tantric practices within the framework, where she emphasized causal prerequisites such as unshakeable ethical conduct and renunciation of attachment to enable subtle mind transformation. These advanced methods, received from qualified lamas, required rigorous preparation to avoid pitfalls like misconstrued ritualism, focusing instead on for realizing non-dual awareness. Periodic returns to the West in the 1980s and 1990s allowed her to adapt these practices for lay audiences while maintaining retreats in , including for teaching and reflection. Thubten Chodron has observed that Western cultural tendencies toward often impede the communal interdependence essential for monastic progress, contrasting with Asian models where deference to norms supports ethical consistency and collective . This requires deliberate adaptation, as unchecked self-focus can undermine the causal efficacy of precepts in curbing afflictions, though individuality in expression remains compatible with disciplined harmony. Such insights, drawn from her experiences, underscore the need for Western practitioners to prioritize relational over autonomous pursuits to replicate Asia-derived practice outcomes.

Teaching and Scholarly Work

Core Teachings and Methods

Thubten Chodron's instructional approach centers on the , or stages of the path to enlightenment, a structured framework derived from Tibetan Buddhist traditions, particularly the school's synthesis by Tsongkhapa, emphasizing foundational practices, ethical conduct, and meditative cultivation leading to awakening. Her teachings integrate discipline—monastic ethics governing behavior and —with analytical on concepts like impermanence and interdependence, presented as systematic steps applicable sequentially for practitioners at varying levels. This fidelity to traditional sources is evident in her reliance on scriptural commentaries, such as those expounded by her primary teacher, the , without altering core doctrines, though she prioritizes logical reasoning over rote memorization to verify teachings against personal experience, aligning with Buddhism's emphasis on investigation over blind faith. For Western audiences, Chodron adapts delivery by employing humor and relatable analogies to demystify complex doctrines, rendering them accessible without diluting doctrinal precision, as seen in her post-1990s retreats and talks where abstract topics are linked to everyday challenges like managing anger or interpersonal conflicts through Buddhist psychological insights on mind training. This method enhances effectiveness by bridging cultural gaps—Westerners often lack familiarity with Asian contexts—fostering causal understanding of how ethical restraint reduces via reduced reactivity, while her adherence to , including and communal living standards, models undisrupted discipline amid adaptations. Such tailoring preserves tradition's causal logic: builds on to cultivate , verifiable through practitioners' reported reductions in afflictive emotions when applied consistently. As of 2025, her engagements include ongoing retreats at Sravasti Abbey, such as the March Seven-Point Mind Training series on practices for transforming adversity and the Memorial Day Good Karma teachings on karmic causation, alongside online sessions like "Working with Anger" started in April, demonstrating sustained emphasis on and for diverse audiences. Collaborations, notably co-authoring the Dalai Lama's "Library of Wisdom and Compassion" series tailored for contemporary readers, further underscore her role in transmitting unaltered teachings through methodical exposition. This approach's reasoning-based evaluation reveals high fidelity—rooted in verifiable scriptural lineage—coupled with pragmatic efficacy, as adaptations facilitate broader adoption without compromising the path's empirical testability through direct mind observation.

Publications and Collaborations

Thubten Chodron has authored more than 30 books and edited 24 others, primarily elucidating Tibetan Buddhist teachings within the Gelug tradition. Her independent publications focus on practical ethics, the workings of karma, and realizations of emptiness, presenting these doctrines through structured explanations derived from scriptural sources and direct instruction from qualified teachers. Works such as Open Heart, Clear Mind (1987) apply Buddhist psychology to daily emotional regulation, emphasizing cause-and-effect reasoning in mind training without introducing unsubstantiated interpretations. Similarly, Working with Anger (2001) dissects afflictive emotions via analytical meditation, grounding solutions in the Buddha's teachings on interdependence and impermanence. Buddhism for Beginners (2000) systematically outlines foundational concepts, including the Four Noble Truths as diagnostic tools for identifying suffering's origins in ignorance and attachment. In collaborative efforts, Chodron co-authors the multi-volume Library of Wisdom and Compassion series with the , initiated in 2017 with Approaching the Buddhist Path. This ongoing project, planned for ten volumes, methodically unfolds the —stages of the path to enlightenment—integrating , , and conduct. Chodron's contributions clarify technical terms and contextualize doctrines for Western readers, maintaining strict adherence to texts like the Lamrim Chenmo while highlighting causal mechanisms, such as how mistaken views of self perpetuate cyclic existence. Subsequent volumes, including Samsara, Nirvana, and (2019) and Searching for the Self (2023), rigorously analyze as the absence of inherent existence, countering common reifications through logical debate and scriptural citation, thus preserving doctrinal precision amid adaptive exposition. Chodron's commentaries on root texts, such as those on the and ethical precepts, prioritize verbatim fidelity to original Tibetan and sources, with explanatory notes confined to resolving ambiguities for non-specialist comprehension rather than doctrinal innovation. Her output extends to articles and guided meditations, reinforcing these themes by linking abstract principles to verifiable personal experience, as in explorations of karma's inexorable . Translations of her works into over 20 languages facilitate global dissemination, though content remains unaltered to uphold the integrity of transmitted teachings.

Founding and Leadership of Sravasti Abbey

Establishment and Vision

Sravasti Abbey was founded in 2003 by Thubten Chodron on a 240-acre property near , marking it as the only Tibetan Buddhist training monastery for Western monks and nuns in the United States. The site was selected after unsuccessful attempts to establish the monastery in and , with Chodron purchasing the forested and meadowed land in August 2003 following a viewing that highlighted its suitability for monastic retreat and practice. The vision for Sravasti Abbey centers on creating a stable monastic community in the West to preserve and propagate the Buddha's teachings on , , and , particularly through rigorous training in the full monastic discipline known as . Chodron aimed to adapt this Tibetan Buddhist tradition—rooted in the lineage of the —for Western practitioners, addressing challenges such as materialism and secular influences by emphasizing practical application of the in daily life and fostering an enduring . This includes providing ordination and ongoing education for both bhikshus (fully ordained monks) and bhikshunis (fully ordained nuns), underscoring the importance of complete monastic vows to maintain doctrinal integrity. Initial establishment faced hurdles in funding and logistics, which were overcome through donations and the formation of Friends of Sravasti Abbey (FOSA) by Chodron's lay students, who handled publicity, accounting, and facilities groundwork. Despite these obstacles, the determination to realize a dedicated space for Western monastics led to rapid progress, with Chodron moving onto the property shortly after acquisition, supported by community efforts that transitioned some lay helpers into monastics.

Programs and Community Impact

Sravasti Abbey offers a range of programs centered on monastic , guest retreats, and online resources, all designed to foster self-sufficiency through ethical conduct, , and communal service. The annual Exploring Monastic Life (EML) program, held from July 25 to August 13 in 2025, provides intensive for lay individuals considering and for monastics ordained within the past five years, featuring daily teachings on monastic , group discussions on , and structured practice to evaluate commitment. Monastic residents and guests follow a rigorous daily schedule including sessions, Dharma study, physical labor for , and ethical reflection, emphasizing precepts that promote independence from material dependencies and internal discipline over external validation. Guest retreats accommodate lay participants in this environment, integrating them into community service and teachings to model sustainable ethical living without reliance on institutional subsidies. Online initiatives extend these practices globally via platforms like Sravasti Abbey Friends Education (SAFE), which delivers 12-week facilitated courses on , , and through Zoom and , enabling remote study and discussion for thousands of participants. The abbey commits to lifelong support for its monastics, covering essentials through voluntary lay donations rather than state funding, reinforcing a model of communal self-sufficiency rooted in the discipline. The community has expanded to include approximately 11 resident monastics as of 2023, comprising six and two ordained at the abbey plus three previously ordained , with five additional achieving full bhikshuni in in March 2024. Lay supporters, organized as Friends of Sravasti Abbey, provide financial and volunteer contributions that sustain operations and infrastructure, such as the consecration of a new Hall in September 2025, funded without debt through these networks. This growth has facilitated the preservation of Tibetan Buddhist traditions in the United States by rooting practices in a Western context, Western monastics in unaltered scriptural lineages, and offering a rare mixed-gender monastic model in the Tibetan tradition. The abbey's emphasis on ethical interdependence—where lay supports monastic practice, yielding teachings that guide societal —has cultivated a stable that adapts to modern challenges, such as digital dissemination during isolation periods, while maintaining doctrinal purity.

Advocacy and Public Engagement

Efforts for Bhikshuni Ordination

Thubten Chodron received bhikshuni in in 1986, becoming one of the first Western women to attain full ordination in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, as the bhikshuni lineage had not been transmitted to historically. This step followed her initial novice in 1977 by in and reflected her long-standing commitment to restoring full ordination for women, amid the absence of such a lineage in due to its non-establishment during the religion's transmission from . From the late 1980s onward, Chodron advocated for reviving the bhikshuni ordination within Tibetan Buddhism, emphasizing its compatibility with the Buddha's original vinaya and the need for gender equity in monastic practice to support women's spiritual development. She collaborated with the Dalai Lama, who encouraged the formation of the Committee for Bhiksuni Ordination in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition in 2005 to study and consensus-build on reinstating the vows through dialogue among vinaya holders. Chodron participated in international conferences, such as the 2008 gathering on women's sangha, where discussions focused on integrating bhikshuni ordination into traditions lacking it, including proposals for dual ordination procedures involving both Tibetan bhikshus and existing bhikshunis from East Asian lineages. Under her guidance at Sravasti Abbey, founded in 2003, Chodron facilitated bhikshuni ordinations for nuns, such as the first in 2006, which required inviting bhikshunis from to form the necessary quorum under rules, demonstrating practical implementation despite ongoing debates. She served as a witness in Taiwanese ordinations and promoted on precepts for newly ordained women to ensure adherence across lineages. These efforts aligned with the Dalai Lama's repeated calls, including in 2007, for introducing bhikshuni vows into to align with the Buddha's intent, though final consensus among monastic leaders remains pending. Conservative perspectives within question the validity of using the Taiwanese lineage for Tibetan Mulasarvastivadin practitioners, citing potential discontinuities in transmission and the historical loss of bhikshuni ordination in during the ninth-century persecutions under King Langdarma, which prevented its revival without unanimous monastic agreement. Chodron counters that texts permit revival through validly ordained bhikshunis regardless of school, supported by empirical cases of ordained women maintaining precepts and contributing to activities, though critics argue for caution to preserve doctrinal purity over expediency.

Views on Ethics and Society

Thubten Chodron advises Buddhists to engage in democratic processes, such as voting, as a means to promote societal welfare in alignment with the Buddha's emphasis on benefiting others, while cautioning against attachment to political outcomes or ideologies that foster and division. In discussions surrounding the 2012, 2016, and 2020 U.S. elections, she promotes maintaining by viewing political opponents as products of conditioning rather than inherent enemies, thereby applying non-partisan ethical principles to counteract partisan reactivity. Following the 2024 U.S. election, she recommended practices to address anxiety and disillusionment through and perspective-taking, emphasizing that societal change arises from inner transformation rather than ideological triumph. On broader societal ethics, Chodron underscores the role of guided by Buddhist precepts, advocating for actions rooted in and non-harming over expediency or cultural norms. She critiques Western as a root cause of dissatisfaction and environmental harm, arguing that excessive acquisition fails to yield lasting happiness and constitutes an ethical lapse by prioritizing immediate over long-term and . In contrast, she highlights —practiced through and monastic discipline—as empirically supportive of psychological stability, drawing on the Buddha's teachings that ethical restraint and reduced desires mitigate more effectively than . Regarding gender roles, Chodron affirms equal spiritual potential across sexes, aligning with the Buddha's intent for all to attain awakening, but accepts traditional monastic constraints, including additional precepts for , as functional adaptations to societal conditions rather than inherent inequalities. She discourages conflating Buddhist practice with politicized activism, urging adherents to avoid co-opting for ideological agendas and instead prioritize universal and karma-based causality in addressing social issues. This approach favors causal analysis—examining how individual actions aggregate into societal patterns—over narrative-driven reforms disconnected from verifiable ethical outcomes.

Reception and Assessment

Achievements and Influence


Thubten Chodron received the Outstanding Women in Buddhism Award in 2002, recognizing her contributions to Buddhist practice and community. In 2016, she was honored with the inaugural Global Bhikkhuni Award at a in attended by ten thousand people, one of fifty bhikshunis selected worldwide for promoting, protecting, and preserving the , particularly through efforts in monastic and education. The award, presented by leaders of the Chinese Buddhist Association, highlighted her role in advancing full for women in Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Her influence extends to Western Buddhism through the establishment and leadership of Sravasti Abbey, founded in 2003 in Washington State as a monastic community adhering to the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya while adapting Tibetan Gelug practices to a self-reliant, Western context. The abbey has served as a training ground for Western men and women in intensive Dharma study, meditation, and Vinaya observance, preserving undiluted monastic discipline amid cultural transplantation. This model fosters sustainable communities capable of independent operation, countering challenges faced by early Western Buddhist centers reliant on imported traditions. Chodron's dissemination of teachings has amplified her impact globally, with an extensive online archive of audio, video, and textual resources available through platforms like thubtenchodron.org and Sravasti Abbey's distance learning programs, such as the Studying and Friendship Education (SAFE) courses. These resources provide structured access to core Buddhist principles, enabling lay practitioners and monastics worldwide to engage with rigorous expositions derived from her decades of study under Tibetan masters. Her approach emphasizes practical application without compromise, contributing to the maturation of by bridging scriptural authenticity with contemporary needs.

Criticisms and Debates

Some traditionalists within Tibetan Buddhist lineages have expressed reservations about reviving full bhikshuni , arguing that the bhikshuni lineage became extinct in following the ninth-century persecution under King , rendering any restoration via external lineages—such as the tradition from —potentially invalid and a risk to purity. This perspective holds that such innovations could disrupt the unbroken transmission essential to monastic precepts, prioritizing preservation of doctrinal integrity over egalitarian reforms, even as figures like the have advocated exploration of valid pathways. Critics of Western adaptations to , including those promoted by Chodron's emphasis on accessibility and community integration at Sravasti Abbey, contend that prioritizing lay-friendly presentations may inadvertently dilute the rigor of traditional discipline, such as intensive retreat practices and hierarchical authority structures prevalent in Asian monasteries. These adaptations, while enabling broader engagement, are seen by some as fostering a selective focus on psychological benefits over and esoteric elements central to Tibetan teachings, potentially yielding less transformative outcomes than in culturally embedded Asian contexts where monastic life demands stricter . Broader skepticism persists regarding the long-term viability of monastic institutions like Sravasti Abbey in the individualistic West, where cultural norms emphasizing personal and material pursuits contribute to challenges in sustaining commitment, including higher rates of disrobing compared to Asian counterparts. Discussions highlight potential clashes between communal demands and Western expectations of flexibility, questioning whether such models can endure without diluting core precepts or relying on ongoing adaptations that traditionalists view as concessions to secular influences.

References

  1. https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/chodron-thubten-1950
  2. https://thubtenchodron.org/biography/
  3. https://thubtenchodron.org/2019/06/ordination-lineage/
  4. https://sravastiabbey.org/who-we-are/history/
  5. https://thubtenchodron.org/2011/06/decision-to-ordain/
  6. https://northwestdharma.org/sravhome/
  7. https://www.shambhala.com/an-interview-with-thubten-chodron/
  8. https://sravastiabbey.org/community-member/thubten-chodron/
  9. https://thubtenchodron.org/2006/11/living-within-precepts/
  10. https://fpmt.org/mandala/archives/mandala-for-2014/october/buddhisms-common-ground/
  11. https://wisdomexperience.org/content-author/thubten-chodron/
  12. https://www.dorjeshugden.com/forum/index.php?topic=2374.0
  13. http://www.buddha.sg/htm/people/thubten.htm
  14. https://thubtenchodron.org/2006/08/uniqueness-buddhist-practice/
  15. https://thubtenchodron.org/books/vajrayana-and-the-culmination-of-the-path/
  16. https://thubtenchodron.org/2023/04/tantric-empowerments/
  17. https://thubtenchodron.org/2006/06/importance-monastics-west/
  18. https://www.facebook.com/groups/horanabodu/posts/1142700545929868/
  19. https://thubtenchodron.org/2007/06/ordained-life-west/
  20. https://thubtenchodron.org/2001/01/gradual-path-instructions/
  21. https://thubtenchodron.org/books/lamrim-teachings-foundations-of-the-path/
  22. https://thubtenchodron.org/1991/01/index-lamrim-teachings/
  23. https://studybuddhism.com/en/essentials/interviews/interview-with-bhikshuni-thubten-chodron
  24. https://thubtenchodron.org/2013/01/stages-path/
  25. https://www.shambhala.com/snowlion_articles/thubten_chodron_teaches_dharma/
  26. https://fpmt.org/in-depth-stories/presenting-the-path-to-modern-students-an-interview-with-ven-thubten-chodron/
  27. https://thubtenchodron.org/books/taming-the-mind/
  28. https://sravastiabbey.org/event/the-seven-point-mind-training-with-ven-thubten-chodron-03-08-2025/
  29. https://sravastiabbey.org/event/good-karma-memorial-day-weekend-retreat-2025/
  30. https://thubtenchodron.org/series/working-with-anger/
  31. https://thubtenchodron.org/buddhism/
  32. https://www.dakinipower.com/thubten-chodron
  33. https://thubtenchodron.org/books/
  34. https://www.shambhala.com/authors/a-f/thubten-chodron.html
  35. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/buddhism-for-beginners-thubten-chodron/1100465489
  36. https://wisdomexperience.org/library-wisdom-compassion/
  37. https://thubtenchodron.org/books/samsara-nirvana-and-buddha-nature/
  38. https://thubtenchodron.org/books/searching-for-the-self/
  39. https://thubtenchodron.org/commentaries/
  40. https://americanbuddhism.pages.wm.edu/sravasti-abbey/
  41. https://thubtenchodron.org/2004/04/aspiration-vision-monastery/
  42. https://sravastiabbey.org/program-overview/exploring-monastic-life/
  43. https://www.facebook.com/AbbeySravasti/posts/our-exploring-monastic-life-program-will-be-july-25-august-13-its-an-intensive-t/735667219005392/
  44. https://sravastiabbey.org/discover-monastic-life/training/
  45. https://sravastiabbey.org/program-overview/courses-and-retreats/
  46. https://sravastiabbey.org/program-overview/distance-learning/
  47. https://sravastiabbey.org/guide-to-abbey-online-programs/
  48. https://religionnews.com/2023/04/26/tibetan-buddhist-monastery-once-all-nuns-makes-room-for-monks/
  49. https://www.buddhistdoor.net/news/fourfold-sangha-five-nuns-from-sravasti-abbey-in-the-us-receive-full-bhikshuni-ordination-in-taiwan/
  50. https://www.buddhistdoor.net/news/sravasti-abbey-consecrates-new-buddha-hall-in-washington-state/
  51. https://sravastiabbey.org/sravasti-abbey-a-dependent-arising/
  52. https://sravastiabbey.org/the-practice-of-generosity/
  53. https://sravastiabbey.org/who-we-are/how-we-help/covid-19-practice-resources/
  54. https://sravastiabbey.org/first-ordination-sravasti-abbey/
  55. https://thubtenchodron.org/2007/05/buddhist-nun-tibetan/
  56. https://thubtenchodron.org/monasticism/04-bhikshuni-ordination/
  57. https://www.bhiksuniordination.org/about_history.html
  58. https://thubtenchodron.org/2005/06/work-full-ordination-women/
  59. https://thubtenchodron.org/2008/05/conference-women-sangha/
  60. https://thubtenchodron.org/2019/04/bhikshuni-ordination/
  61. https://fpmt.org/mandala/archives/mandala-issues-for-2007/october/buddhist-women-a-mandala-special-report/
  62. https://www.bhiksuniordination.org/issue.html
  63. https://studybuddhism.com/en/advanced-studies/prayers-rituals/vows/conference-report-on-bhikshuni-ordination-lineages/issues-in-reinstating-bhikshuni-ordination
  64. https://sravastiabbey.org/should-buddhists-vote/
  65. https://thubtenchodron.org/2012/08/politics-dharma-equanimity/
  66. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZEoD0YQJpc
  67. https://thubtenchodron.org/2024/04/happiness-and-ethical-conduct/
  68. https://thubtenchodron.org/2016/04/materialism/
  69. https://thubtenchodron.org/2019/11/buying-habitat/
  70. https://thubtenchodron.org/2021/05/society-conscience/
  71. https://thubtenchodron.org/2015/12/buddhist-gender-roles/
  72. https://iwmcf.net/award/2002
  73. https://sravastiabbey.org/ven-chodron-receives-global-bhikkhuni-award/
  74. https://www.lionsroar.com/pema-chodron-and-thubten-chodron-receive-global-bhikkhuni-award/
  75. https://northwestdharma.org/washington-nun-one-of-six-from-north-america-awarded-in-global-ceremony-in-taiwan/
  76. https://pluralismarchive.hsites.harvard.edu/sravasti-abbey-2006
  77. https://thubtenchodron.org/
  78. https://thubtenchodron.org/2003/03/path-to-buddhism/
  79. https://thubtenchodron.org/2014/09/arguments-for-against-full-nun-order/
  80. https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/10/877
  81. https://www.shambhala.com/snowlion_articles/tibetan-buddhism-in-the-west-is-it-working/
  82. https://info-buddhism.com/Problems_of_Tibetan_Buddhism_West-Dagyab_Rinpoche.html
  83. https://newbuddhist.com/discussion/11173/constructive-criticism-of-tibetan-buddhism
  84. https://fpmt.org/mandala/archives/mandala-for-2016/january/benedict-and-the-buddha-monasticism-in-the-west/
  85. https://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?t=29658
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.