***Ven. Chodron is now teaching on the Bodhisattva vows. These will be added as they become available, and after she finishes these teachings we will resume uploading the Bodhicaryavatara teachings by Khensur Wangdak Rinpoche from 2010. When our winter retreat is over in March, Ven. Chodron will resume teaching on the paths and grounds*** These teachings by Venerable Thubten Chodron and other monastics of Sravasti Abbey provide us with a deep understanding of the range and essence of Buddhist thought. Sravasti Abbey is among the first of its kind: an American monastic community where aspiring monks and nuns and serious lay students can learn to practice the Buddha's pure Dharma. Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron founded Sravasti Abbey in Newport, Washington in 2003. Sravasti Abbey's mission is to nurture a flourishing monastic community where learning and practicing Buddha's ancient teachings cultivates peace in the hearts of the residents and visitors and, by extension, in the world. Our vision is that the teachings we cultivate here will last for thousands of years. For short, daily Dharma teachings please visit our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/sravastiabbey. For many more teachings in audio and transcript formats, as well as articles and talks on interfaith dialogue, prison Dharma, monastic life, and more, visit Ven. Thubten Chodron's website: http://www.thubtenchodron.org. The weekly teachings that are uploaded here are also streamed live every Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. PST/ 9:00 p.m. EST on Justin.tv. Join us live online at http://www.justin.tv/sravasti_abbey. You may also download all of these teachings onto your hard drive as a Podcast through iTunes.
Ven. Chodron continues to explain the Bodhisattva precepts, teaching about the precepts which concern holding wrong views, demolishing people's habitats, and teaching emptiness to people who are unprepared.
Ven. Chodron explains the Bodhisattva precepts concerning denying that the Buddha's teachings are truly so, causing monastics to disrobe, and committing the five heinous actions, particularly causing schism in the Sangha. She encourages us to think about the mind sets that the precepts are guarding against and to see how easily they can arise.
Continuing the explanation of the bodhisattva vows, Ven. Chodron teaches about the vows regarding abandoning the Mahayana and stealing from the Three Jewels.
Starting with the vows of engaging bodhicitta, Ven. Chodron explains the first three vows according to a commentary by Dakpo Rinpoche which uses Tsongkhapa's explanation.
Starting off the explanation of the Bodhisattva ethical restraints or vows, Ven. Chodron gives a teaching on the precepts of aspiring bodhicitta.
Continuing teachings on the Bodhicaryavatara for the third year, Rinpoche teaches on the second chapter, the section on confession.