Dalai Lama and Buddhist abbess release final volume of Buddhism series written for Westerners

Dalai Lama and Buddhist abbess release final volume of Buddhism series written for Westerners

News Story by Mia Gallegos | FāVS News

Ven. Thubten Chodron of the Sravasti Abbey just released the 10th and final volume in her series: The Library of Wisdom and Compassion. This series was a collaborative effort between Chodron and the Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual leader of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. 

The process of curating this series began back in 1993, when Chodron realized that Tibetan Buddhism among other forms of the religion may not have been articulated in a way that those from Western countries like the U.S. would be able to fully understand.

“The teachings often started presupposing that people understood who the Buddha Dharma Sangha were or what karma is. But Westerners don’t,” Chodron said. 

Buddhist Nun explains how book came about

Chodron explained how she decided to send a request to the Dalai Lama to ask if he would consider writing a short text that would explain various Tibetan Buddhist points from the past catered toward questions that Westerners attempting to begin their own practice may have.

The Dalai Lama said yes, however, that a short text likely wouldn’t suffice. An expanded version of this originally proposed “short text” was what he suggested. Chodron got to work on the text, asking the Dalai Lama questions periodically throughout the years it took her to compile the information and teachings he sent her. 

“At one point, he said he wanted us to be co-authors. I said ‘no, no, no, I’m just the editor.’ And he said ‘no, it’s good if a fully-ordained nun is the co-author,’” Chodron said. 

There are various kinds of Buddhism touched on throughout the various volumes of “The Library of Wisdom and Compassion, including Theravada and Chinese Buddhism.” All of these are pulled together and discussed in terms of questions that those coming from other, more Western-affiliated religions, would be able to grasp.

Ven. Sangye Khadro, a long-time friend of Chodron, explained how prolific of a writer she is and how her works with the Dalai Lama prove that. Khadro also explained how his perspective offered within the “Library of Wisdom and Compassion” may have come in part from the ways in which the Dalai Lama inserts himself among people and sees the contemporaneous issues that may be present in their lives.

“He often meets with scientists and everyday people and listens and learns from them so he can bring things to the way he’s teaching these traditional teachings and explain it in ways that people can make more sense of,” Khadro said.

The Buddhist journey

Khadro and Chodron expressed similar feelings they both experienced in the process of becoming venerables. These were ones of struggle when it came to grasping the traditional Tibetan Buddhist texts that were necessary within their formation.

“Some of the teachings felt like ‘how do we relate to this’. We had to do a lot of mental work,” Khadro said. 

Chodron shared a similar sentiment, which is what led to the Buddhist series being written in the way that they were.

“We wanted to address the questions that Westerners have that Tibetans don’t have,” Chodron said. “Some things are not explained in the Tibetan Scriptures in so much detail because they’re written for people of their own culture. There’s certain points that we need to unpack further and that need to be explained from the beginning.”

Khadro said that a lot of the mystification that these texts can cause have been alleviated with the way that Chodron and the Dalai Lama have worked to make them more approachable and understandable to a wide variety of people who have an interest in learning more about the religion.

Khadro said that she feels that the first book within the Library of Wisdom and Compassion can serve as an introduction to anyone interested in learning about some of the concepts of Buddhism. However, as you move through each volume, the content will get deeper and written in a way that those studying the religion may grasp easier than someone with less knowledge on it.

Guy Newland, a scholar of Tibetan Buddhism and professor of religion at Central Michigan University, agreed with this point made by Khadro. He discussed how the 10th volume is the Dalai Lama and Chodron’s depiction of the ways in which the various branches of Tibetan Buddhism are intertwined and related.

“It’s not the place to start, because it assumes the kind of stuff that they explain in the previous nine volumes,” Newland said. “It’s super clearly written, brilliant and comprehensive and has this quality of speaking right to the heart of those interested in taking it up.”

Chodron discussed the meetings she and the Dalai Lama would have once every few years where she would be able to sit down with him and several Buddhist monks and ask questions that would aid her within the writing process. She explained the comfort she felt in being able to ask any kind of question without judgment. 

“When I put forth some of these questions that Westerners ask, some Tibetan lamas, I’m sure, would laugh like ‘who would ask that kind of question?’” Chodron said. “But his holiness really listens, and then he addresses where that person is stuck. He always does it with compassion and humility.”

Newland explained the emphasis on kindness that he has observed the Dalai Lama exhibiting for all the years he’s studied his teachings.

“The Dalai Lama repeatedly says ‘I’m a staunch Buddhist, my real religion is kindness.’ This is really important,” Newland said. 

This kindness and compassion coupled with wisdom on Tibetan Buddhist theology are what brought the 10 volume series to life after years of dedication and collaboration between these renowned individuals within the Tibetan Buddhist community. 

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