Generosity of the heart

The four brahmaviharas

An online talk hosted by the Mid-America Buddhist Association.

  • Where the teaching on the four brahmaviharas fits into the different Buddhist traditions
    • Clearing up misconceptions about Buddhist schools
  • Introduction to the four brahmaviharas from In Praise of Great Compassion (pp. 6–7)
    • Definition of love according to The Path of Purification by Buddhaghosa
    • Definition of compassion according to The Path of Purification
  • Question on how compassion differs from empathy
Venerable Thubten Chodron

Venerable Chodron emphasizes the practical application of Buddha’s teachings in our daily lives and is especially skilled at explaining them in ways easily understood and practiced by Westerners. She is well known for her warm, humorous, and lucid teachings. She was ordained as a Buddhist nun in 1977 by Kyabje Ling Rinpoche in Dharamsala, India, and in 1986 she received bhikshuni (full) ordination in Taiwan. Read her full bio.