On Sunday, March 30, 2025, we hosted a special event featuring Venerable Thubten Lamsel from Sravasti Abbey, who joined us via Zoom to give a Dharma talk on
“Bodhicitta: Jewel of the Mind.”
Over 20 people attended, both in-person and online, including several newcomers to the Chicago Buddhist Meditation Group (CBMG).
Belinda kicked off the gathering with a warm welcome and a quick overview of our program, followed by an introduction to CBMG. After a slow-moving meditation, Venerable Lamsel led an “Analytic Meditation on Bodhicitta,” encouraging reflection on the world’s interconnectedness and generating a mind of gratitude to countless beings whose kindness has benefited us. This guided meditation helped provide a foundation for cultivating the Bodhicitta mind. It also prepared the audience for her Dharma Talk.
In her talk “Bodhicitta: Jewel of the Mind,” Venerable Thubten Lamsel explores the transformative power of bodhicitta—the altruistic intention to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. She emphasized that bodhicitta is not just a lofty ideal, but a practical motivation we can cultivate in our everyday lives.
Venerable Lamsel explained that we all have a natural inclination to care for others, and bodhicitta builds on this by expanding our compassion universally. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the world’s suffering, bodhicitta inspires us to respond with courage, resilience, and a commitment to taking positive action. She reminded us that the Buddha taught us ways to create happiness now and in the future, and developing a mind like his—loving and wise—is the best way to repay his kindness.
To help us bring this big motivation into our daily lives, she shared practical tools used at the Abbey. These include starting each day with three core intentions: to avoid harm, to benefit others, and to keep bodhicitta in our heart throughout the day. Taking moments to pause and reflect can help us reset these intentions, turning ordinary actions into meaningful practices.
Venerable Lamsel also highlighted how we can weave bodhicitta into simple routines, like mealtime, through thoughtful contemplation and gratitude. The Five Contemplations Before Meals encourage us to appreciate the interdependence that makes each meal possible and inspire us to use our strengths to serve others.
She suggested using visual reminders and spiritual verses to help us stay focused on bodhicitta. Wrapping up each day with a dedication of merit helps direct the positive energy we create toward the enlightenment of all beings.
To leave us with inspiration, she shared a powerful dedication from Lama Zopa Rinpoche, wishing that everything we do—no matter the circumstances—supports the awakening of all beings. With regular practice, bodhicitta truly becomes the jewel of our minds, lighting our path and transforming our lives into a source of goodness for the world.
In the Q&A session that followed, Ven. Lamsel generously stayed longer than planned and addressed many questions from the participants. She encouraged us to use analytic meditation to reflect on difficult interactions, helping us grow our compassion and ability to recognize kindness in everyone, including those we find challenging. She introduced practical methods to strengthen our awareness and intention beyond formal meditation sessions.
She addressed the tension between the desire to help and the limitations of our capacity, emphasizing the value of doing our best, learning from each day, and setting clear motivations. Compassion, she reminded us, should be guided by discernment—not by a need to be liked, but by a genuine wish to benefit others, even if that means simply offering goodwill from a distance.
Bodhicitta: Jewel of the Mind
by Venerable Thubten Lamsel*
The following videos were recorded by CBMG during a special live event with Guest Teacher Ven. Thubten Lamsel joining us virtually. The handout she referred to during the talk can be download here:
Dharma Talk + Q&A: Bodhicitta: Jewel of the Mind
Guided Meditation: Analytic Meditation on Bodhicitta
To support Venerable Thubten Lamsel and her sangha, the Sravasti Abbey, please visit: www.sravastiabbey.org/giving/
* Venerable Thubten Lamsel began studying the Dharma in 2011 at The Dhargyey Buddhist Centre in Dunedin, New Zealand. In 2016 she joined the month-long Winter Retreat at the Sravasti Abbey in Newport, Washington, and returned again in 2017 to take the anagarika precepts. In 2018, she took the sramaneri and shikshamana vows during the Living Vinaya in the West course. And in 2024, she received bhikshini ordination at Fo En Si Temple in Taiwan. The Venerable now resides and teaches at the Sravasti Abbey.
