Fri Mar 28: Three Principal Aspects of the Path

Venerable Thubten Chodron teaches Lama Tsongkhapa’s roadmap to spiritual awakening, Three Principal Aspects of the Path. This short but powerful text explains the main pathways necessary for making spiritual progress: 1) Renunciation, the mindset that turns away from illusory sources of happiness and the cycles of suffering, both within and across lifetimes; 2) Bodhicitta, the deep care for all beings that motivates one to seek Buddhahood for all of their sake; and 3) Emptiness, the transformative insight into the impermanent and interdependent nature of all phenomena. 

Lama Tsongkhapa, the primary founder of the Gelug tradition, is renowned for organizing the Buddha’s teachings into step-by-step instructions that follow a logical progression. Venerable Thubten Chodron’s teaching style is warm, approachable, and deeply relatable. She skillfully connects everyday human experiences to the wisdom of the Dharma, making complex Buddhist concepts clear and compelling. This combination of Lama Tsongkhapa’s essential teachings and Venerable Chodron’s down-to-earth approach is an opportunity not to be missed.

Sat-Sun, Mar 29-30: Dealing with Challenges and Difficulties: How Relying on Tara and Thought Training Will Help

Venerable Thubten Chodron leads a weekend series of teachings exploring how to apply the timeless wisdom of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition to our own lives amid the challenges of our shared, tumultuous reality. We don’t have to look far to see that distressing events in both our personal lives and the world around us can easily send us into a tailspin.

In her warm, clear, and compassionate style, Venerable Thubten Chodron addresses our most pressing 21st-century concerns. One powerful category of Buddhist teachings is thought training, which views these challenges as precious material to take onto the spiritual path. Rooted in an understanding of karma as the flow of causes and effects within a system of ethics, thought training encourages us to respond to suffering in ways that align with our values. Rather than leading with self-centered thinking, we can take radical responsibility for our own karma, shifting away from pain and blame to transform our self-centered thoughts.

Venerable Thubten Chodron also guides us through the recitation of her own prayer, A Song to Mummy Tara in These Dire Times. She composed this prayer at the request of others in response to the rise of leaders with distorted views whose actions cause suffering. Tara, the Buddha of compassion in action, is the embodiment of fearless, enlightened activity. This prayer calls upon Tara’s blessings to strengthen our fortitude and resolve. It helps us stay firm in virtue, know when to speak and act wisely, and turn away from distraction and discouragement. May reciting this prayer inspire us to connect with every living being through love and compassion.