Thubten Chodron
Encyclopedia
Thubten Chodron is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Tibetan Buddhist nun and a central figure in reinstating the Bhikshuni (tib. Gelongma
Gelongma
Gelongma or Gelong is the Tibetan word for a fully ordained monastic observing the entire vinaya....

) ordination of women. She is a student of H. H. XIVth Dalai Lama, Tsenzhap Serkong Rinpoche, Thubten Zopa Rinpoche
Thubten Zopa Rinpoche
Not to be confused with Geshe Lhundub Sopa Rinpoche, Geshe Tenzin Zopa, Lama Zopa Tharchin , and Geshe Lobsang Zopa ...

 and other Tibetan masters.

Biography

Born in 1950, she grew up in a "non-religious" Jewish family near Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and earned her B.A. in History, University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...

 at Los Angeles in 1971. While doing graduate work in Education, she taught elementary school. She took a course with Ven. Lama Yeshe and Ven. Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Thubten Zopa Rinpoche
Not to be confused with Geshe Lhundub Sopa Rinpoche, Geshe Tenzin Zopa, Lama Zopa Tharchin , and Geshe Lobsang Zopa ...

 in 1975, inspiring her to study and practice Tibetan tradition at their monastery in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...

. In 1977, she received Sramanerika (novice) ordination, and in 1986, she travelled to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

 to receive the full Bhikshuni ordination.

She has studied and practiced Buddhism of the Tibetan tradition extensively, in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 and Nepal, and for three years at Dorje Pamo Monastery in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. She has held several significant posts, including Director of the spiritual program at Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 for two years, Resident Teacher at Amitabha Buddhist Centre
Amitabha Buddhist Centre
The Amitabha Buddhist Centre, known as 'ABC' by its devotees, is a major Buddhist institution of the Gelug tradition of Tibetan Buddhism in Singapore. ABC is affiliated to the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition , an international non-profit organisation, founded by the late...

 in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

, and ten years as Spiritual Director and Resident Teacher at Dharma Friendship Foundation in Seattle. She has written numerous articles and books, such as Open Heart, Clear Mind; Buddhism for Beginners; Taming the Mind; Working with Anger; How to Free Your Mind: Tara the Liberator; and Cultivating a Compassionate Heart: The Yoga Method of Chenrezig.

Ven. Chodron is known for her work in re-establishing the Bhikshuni lineage, cultivating interfaith dialogue, creating Dharma outreach in prisons, and teaching the Dharma worldwide. Her teaching emphasizes practical application of Buddhist practices in daily life and she is respected for making them easily understood and practiced by Westerners. Ven. Chodron is a co-organizer of Life as a Western Buddhist Nun, an international conference of Western Buddhist nuns. She was also a crucial participant in the 1993 and 1994 Western Buddhist teachers conferences with H. H. XIVth Dalai Lama and was instrumental in the creation of the 2007 International Congress on Buddhist Women's Role in the Sangha
International Congress on Buddhist Women's Role in the Sangha
The International Congress on Buddhist Women's Role in the Sangha: Bhikshuni Vinaya and Ordination Lineages, took place on July 18–20, 2007, was an historic event. It was a meeting of internationally recognized Buddhist scholars specializing in monastic discipline and history, as well as...

. She is a member of the Committee of Western Bhikshunis and attends the annual gatherings of Western Buddhist Monastics in the USA.

She is founder and Abbess of Sravasti Abbey
Sravasti Abbey
Sravasti Abbey is a Buddhist monastery in the Tibetan tradition established in October 2003 by Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron. Situated on of forest and meadows; it is outside of Newport, Washington, near the Idaho state line...

, a Buddhist monastery near Newport, Washington
Newport, Washington
Newport is a city in, and the county seat of, Pend Oreille County, Washington. The population was 2,126 at the 2010 census.-History:Newport was given its name in 1890 because it was selected as a landing site for the first steamboat on the Pend Oreille River. Newport was officially incorporated on...

.

External links

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