Several years ago, I read Venerable Thubten Chodron's book, Working with Anger, and I found it quite inspiring. A couple of months ago, her schedule finally allowed time to speak with me. We talked exclusively about anger, what it is, why it's harmful, and how we can work with anger in ways that heal relationships, rather than destroy them. She touches on anger's role in some of the most challenging situations, like gender bias and war protests, and how we can deal with these situations courageously and skillfully.

Venerable Thubten Chodron is an author, teacher, and the founder and abbess of Sravasti Abbey, one of the first Tibetan Buddhist training monasteries for Western monks and nuns in the U.S. She teaches worldwide and is known for her practical and entertaining explanations of how to apply Buddhist teachings in daily life. She's the author of many excellent books on Buddhist philosophy and meditation. Venerable Chodron is currently co-authoring, with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, an extraordinary multi-volume series of teachings on the Buddhist path, The Library of Wisdom and Compassion.

Episode 165: Venerable Thubten Chodron on Working with Anger

From August 8-11, I’m leading an in-person three-day retreat at California’s Vajrapani Institute. There, in the heart of California’s redwood forest, we’ll go through all of the analytical meditation topics from How to Train a Happy Mind, one by one. I’ll give lectures and guide meditations on each topic, and we’ll also have plenty of time for questions and group discussions. Learn more here.

Support the Show.