Venerable Thubten Chodron on Ethics, Concentration and Wisdom | Vibe with Venerables Ep 43

by | Jul 25, 2026 | Buddhism.net Blog, Recording

Don’t be a jerk (the Buddha says so).

In Episode 43 of Vibe with Venerables, Venerable Thubten Chodron at Sravasti Abbey discusses the Three Higher Trainings (Ethical Conduct, Concentration and Wisdom) — core practices across all main schools of Buddhism. Here’s the thing: she doesn’t start with big cosmic wisdom talk. She starts with ethics, and keeps coming back to it.

Because, as she puts it, without behaving like a decent human being, nothing you build on top of that is stable.

What we get into:

  • How ethics isn’t just a starting point, but the basis for everything else.
  • What the three tiers of Buddhist ethics are, and how each one builds on the last.
  • How unethical conduct comes back to bite us in different ways.
  • How mindfulness and introspective awareness begin with ethics.
  • Why wisdom involves the correct understanding of emptiness.

Remember: the eightfold path is never separate from any of this. It unfolds through the Three Higher Trainings.

Donation

This series is freely offered by Buddhism.net. If you’d like to show your appreciation and gratitude to our teacher, Venerable Chodron and Sravasti Abbey, you may make a donation to Sravasti Abbey (https://sravastiabbey.org/donation/. We thank you for dāna, the practice of cultivating generosity.


Overview of the Series

Part 2: Higher Training in Concentration

With a grounded ethical foundation, the monastics guided us into the art of meditation, showing us the prerequisites for deep concentration and how to avoid the trap of “rushing” our practice.

Episode 47: The Higher Training in Concentration Explained

Episode 48: Higher Training in Concentration: Why You Can’t Rush Samadhi

Episode 49: How to Prepare for Meditation: Six Preparatory Practices

Part 3: Higher Training in Wisdom

In the final stretch, we explored the ultimate goal of the path: developing the wisdom that frees us from cyclic existence by understanding the true nature of reality and the self.

Episode 50: The Three Types of Buddhist Wisdom: Hearing, Reflecting, and Meditating

Episode 51: How Wisdom Ends Suffering at Every Level

Episode 52: The Buddhist View of Self

Chade-Meng Tan

Meng is an award-winning engineer, international bestselling author, movie producer and philanthropist. His work has been nominated eight times for the Nobel Peace Prize. (Read Meng's story)

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