Public talk: Letting go of worldly concerns - Ven. Thubten Chödron

Ven. Thubten Chödron in The Netherlands (April 16 & April 18-20)

We are so honored that Ven. Thubten Chödron is touring Europe again and will be visiting the Netherlands in April to offer us her wonderful teachings both at our center in Amsterdam and in Loenen.  

Venerable Thubten Chodron is an author, teacher, and the founder and abbess of Sravasti Abbey, a pioneering Tibetan Buddhist training monastery for Western nuns and monks in the US. She graduated from University of California, LA and did graduate work in education at the University of Southern California. Ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun in 1977, she has studied extensively with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tsenzhap Serkong Rinpoche, and other Tibetan lamas. She received full ordination as a bhikshuni in 1986.

Venerable Chodron teaches worldwide and is known for her warm, practical, and humorous explanations of how to apply Buddhist teachings in daily life. She is also involved in prison outreach and interfaith dialogue. She has published many books on Buddhist philosophy and meditation and assisted His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the writing and publication of The Library of Wisdom and Compassion, a ten-volume series of teachings on the Buddhist path that was completed in December 2024. 

Visit thubtenchodron.org for a media library of her teachings, and sravastiabbey.org to learn more about Sravasti Abbey. 

Teaching topics 

• Wednesday April 16: Public talk ‘Letting go of worldly concerns’. Online and onsite. More information will follow soon.
• Weekend April 18 – 20: The perfections: patience, joyous effort and ethics from the Bodhicharyavatara of the famous Buddhist scholar Shantideva. Online and onsite. Hosted in our retreat center in Loenen.

For whom are these teachings

Venerable Chödron emphasizes the practical application of the Buddha’s teachings in our daily lives and is especially skilled at explaining them in ways easily understood and practiced by Westerners. She is well known for her warm, humorous, and lucid teachings. The evening teaching is suitable for everyone. For the weekend some familiarity with the basic concepts of Buddhist thought is recommended to get the most out of this experience. 

Practical information

Dates & timing:

• Wednesday 16 April at 19.00 – 20.30 hrs CET at our center in Amsterdam & online via Zoom

• Weekend retreat 18 – 20 April filled with teachings & meditations at our center in Loenen & online via Zoom.

Other practicalities: 

• Language: English 

• Recordings: The teachings & meditation will be recorded (audio and video) and provided to you. 

• Last-minute registration: Please also send an email to amsterdam@maitreya.nl, to ensure we can send you the necessary information in time to join the talk or weekend.

Donation

Dāna (generosity) is one of the cornerstones of the Buddhist path. By virtue of their generosity, the Buddha and the ordained sangha offer us the teachings, and in exchange, the lay community supports Dharma centers and the monastic community. This interdependence is essential for us to share the Dharma and continue our work to benefit all sentient beings. With your donation we support our teachers in their cost of living and we uphold our dharma center, which is managed entirely by volunteers.

The suggested donation for the evening teaching in Amsterdam is €25. For students and people with low income, the suggested donation day is €15. Please send us an email (amsterdam@maitreya.nl) if you'd like to make use of this option. Keep in mind that the donation amount should never be an obstacle to your access to the Dharma. Please contact us if it might be an obstacle for you.