On September 12, 2026, the worldwide BGR community gathered online for a Dharma session of learning and celebration of Mettā, or Loving-Kindness. Hosted by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi and led by BGR Sangha Council members Vens. Thubten Monlam and Thubten Lamsel, this online gathering offered participants a taste of the joy that comes from wishing others and ourselves to have happiness and its causes.

During this beautiful celebration of the joy that arises when we focus our attention on the well-being of others, Vens. Thubten Monlam and Thubten Lamsel led us in guided meditation, answered community questions, and offering teachings about how practicing mettā can open our hearts, supporting us in our aspirations to be of benefit to others and the world and providing sustenance for our efforts toward the long-term goal of enlightenment.

This is the first session in a planned four-part series on The Brahma Vihāras, a Divine Dwelling in This Very Life. Also known as the Divine Abodes, these four qualities—loving-kindness (mettā), compassion (karunā), altruistic joy (muditā), and equanimity (upekkhā) are qualities of the heart that dissolve the barriers separating us from others and inspire a boundless dedication to the welfare of all sentient beings. The Brahma Vihāras beautify our character, awaken joy and hope, build harmonious communities, and promote human unity. The Buddha called them the path to a divine dwelling in this very life. Today, when we face so much social conflict, these qualities are the precise antidotes we need to overcome fear, distrust, and division.

The next event, Karunā, or Compassion, will be held on Saturday, November 8. Please save the date on your calendar for the next session in this remarkable series.

Our Teachers

Thubten Lamsel

Born in Australia, Venerable Thubten Lamsel moved to the U.S. to study and ordain with Venerable Thubten Chodron at Sravasti Abbey in 2017. She took novice ordination in 2018, and full ordination in Taiwan at Fo En Si Temple in 2024. Before ordination, Venerable Lamsel worked as a university-based public health researcher and as a health promoter at a small non-governmental organization. Serving as part of the BGR Sangha Council provides a practical outlet for her ongoing passion for health and wellbeing for all.

Thubten Monlam

Venerable Thubten Monlam began her Dharma journey in 2014 in Carbondale, Colorado, inspired by teachings on love and compassion. Her interest deepened after a retreat on Chenrezig, the Buddha of compassion, leading her to study Venerable Thubten Chodron’s book Cultivating A Kind Heart and to visit Sravasti Abbey. While working for youth-focused non-profits, she continued her Dharma studies and practice. She moved to the Abbey in 2021, took siksamana ordination in 2022, and received full bhikshuni ordination in Taiwan in 2024. At the Abbey, she serves on the community care team, the guest care team, helps manage the kitchen, and edits Dharma materials. She is committed to the bodhisattva path, aspiring to actualize her highest potentials so she can help others do the same.