Thubten Chodron

Ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun in 1977, Venerable Thubten Chodron is an author, teacher, and the founder and abbess of Sravasti Abbey. Sravasti Abbey is the only Tibetan Buddhist training monastery for Westerners in the US and holds gender equality, social engagement, and care for the environment amongst its core values. Ven. Chodron teaches worldwide and is known for her practical (and humorous!) explanations of how to apply Buddhist teachings in daily life. She is also actively involved in prison outreach and interfaith dialogue. She has published many books on Buddhist philosophy and meditation, and has coauthored a book—Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions—with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, with whom she has studied for nearly forty years.

H.H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama

His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama is considered the foremost Buddhist leader of our time. The exiled spiritual head of the Tibetan people, he is a Nobel Peace Laureate, a Congressional Gold Medal recipient, and a remarkable teacher and scholar who has authored over one hundred books.

"Conveys a clear understanding of Buddhism as it has been practiced by Tibetans, in easily comprehensible language." —from the foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

"Presents a clear and complete survey of the teachings of the Buddha. Open Heart, Clear Mind will help many on the open path of meditation and in dealing with the challenges of everyday life." —Thich Nhat Hanh

"A refreshingly straightforward and accessible introduction to the basic principles of Buddhist practice." —Professor Alan Sponberg, Department of Religious Studies, Stanford University

"Thubten Chodron's analyses of psychological states underlying behavior and how to modify this behavior in order to live a more healthy, more Buddhist life is useful to all persons wishing to follow a Buddhist path." —Havanpola Ratanasara, cofounder of the American Buddhist Congress