Spreading Dharma and Compassion from East to West
In April 2024, Venerable Thubten Chodron visited Shandao Monastery in Taipei, engaging with Chinese monastics.
An interview conducted by Haichao Yin (Sound of the Sea Tide) magazine highlighted her impressive journey and contributions to Buddhism.
Born in Chicago in 1950, Thubten Chodron grew up near Los Angeles, graduated from UCLA, and later pursued a master’s in education.
At 25, she renounced worldly life to study Buddhism at Kopan Monastery in Nepal, taking sramaneri precepts in 1977 under Yongdzin Ling Rinpoche.
She later taught Dharma in Europe and the U.S., ultimately founding Sravasti Abbey in 2003 in Washington State, creating a training ground for Western monastics.
Thubten Chodron’s visit coincided with the Triple Platform Ordination at Taiping Foen Temple in Taichung, where she served as a witness, bringing five disciples to seek full bhikṣuṇī ordination.
The interview underscored her pivotal role in transmitting Buddhist precepts, rooted in her realization that precepts have been passed down through generations.
Her teachings, steeped in her experiences with masters like the Dalai Lama, are accessible and practical.
She co-authored eleven books with the Dalai Lama, including the “Library of Wisdom and Compassion” series.
Thubten Chodron also emphasizes mindful technology use, fostering real-world connections and compassion.
Her work at Sravasti Abbey, supported by a diverse international community, continues to flourish, with a Buddha Hall under construction to facilitate ordination and practice.
