 |
Pema Pema ChodronAmerican Tibetan Buddhist
Date of Birth: 14.07.1936
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Biography of Pema Chödrön: Tibetan Buddhist Nun and Author
- Buddhist Path
- Authorship and Teachings
- Health and Lineage
- Publications and Honors
- Resignation from Shambhala
- Personal Life
- Legacy
Biography of Pema Chödrön: Tibetan Buddhist Nun and Author
Early Life and EducationDeirdre Blomfield-Brown was born in 1936 in New York City to a Catholic family. She attended Miss Porter's School in Farmington, Connecticut, and grew up on a farm in New Jersey with her older brother and sister. Chödrön earned a bachelor's degree in English literature from Sarah Lawrence College and a master's degree in elementary education from the University of California, Berkeley.
Buddhist Path
Chödrön began studying with Lama Chime Rinpoche during frequent trips to London over several years. While in the US, she studied with Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in San Francisco. In 1974, she became a Buddhist lay nun under the guidance of Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, the sixteenth Karmapa. In 1981, she became the first American female in the Vajrayana tradition to receive full ordination as a nun or bhikshuni, in Hong Kong.
Authorship and Teachings
Chödrön has written over two dozen books and audiobooks. She is a core teacher at Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia. Her teachings focus on the concept of "shenpa," or "attachment," which she interprets as the moment when an individual gets stuck in a cycle of habitual negative or self-destructive thoughts and actions.
Health and Lineage
In 1994, Chödrön developed chronic fatigue syndrome but gradually regained her health. During this period, she met Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche and established him as her teacher.
Publications and Honors
Chödrön published her second book, "Start Where You Are," in 1994, followed by "When Things Fall Apart" in 1996. "No Time to Lose," a commentary on Shantideva's "Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life," was released in 2005. The same year, Chödrön became a member of the Western Bhikshuni Committee. Her book "Practicing Peace in Times of War" was published in 2007. In 2016, she received the Global Bhikshuni Award from the Taiwan Buddhist Bhikshuni Association.
Resignation from Shambhala
In 2020, Chödrön stepped down from her role as acharya at Shambhala International. Her resignation was partly in response to the group's handling of sexual misconduct allegations, stating, "I do not feel I can continue to serve as a representative and senior teacher for Shambhala given the unwise leadership that has been guiding us and that, I feel, continues to guide us."
Personal Life
Chödrön was married at age 21 and had two children. She divorced when she was in her mid-twenties. She remarried and later divorced again eight years later. She has three grandchildren, all of whom live in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Legacy
Pema Chödrön is widely respected as a teacher, author, and advocate for peace and mindfulness. Her teachings have touched the lives of countless individuals around the world and continue to inspire compassion and wisdom.
