Compassion for the Modern Heart with Geshe Gedun Samdup (In Person and Live Stream)
In a world that moves quickly and often feels fragmented, compassion is not a luxury—it is a vital practice for staying present, connected, and resilient. This class offers a grounded and accessible exploration of compassion through the lens of Tibetan Buddhism’s three distinct forms of compassion: compassion for all beings, compassion for conditioned phenomena, and objectless compassion. Together, these teachings provide a practical and deeply nourishing framework for meeting the complexities of modern life with clarity and care.
Participants will learn how each form of compassion supports daily living: cultivating genuine care for others, developing insight into the patterns and conditions that give rise to suffering and conflict, and embodying a steady, spacious kindness that does not depend on circumstances. Rather than remaining abstract ideals, these forms of compassion are explored as lived practices that strengthen the heart and steady the mind.
This special talk invites you to become a gardener of your own heart—learning how to plant compassion in everyday moments, water it with attention, recognize what obstructs its growth, and allow it to flourish naturally. You will be guided to open the heart without grasping, see suffering clearly without overwhelm, and act with wisdom rooted in understanding. This is compassion for the modern world: practical, resilient, and deeply human.
Registration Fee: $25
Early Registration before July 13: $20
Attendance Free for Tibetans.
No one turned away for lack of funds.
Thursday, August 13, 2026
5:30pm – 6:30pm Pacific Time (8:30pm – 10:00pm Eastern Time)
Live Stream or In Person Option
This course may be taken in person in Berkeley or via live stream on Zoom. Please choose “Compassion for the Modern Heart: Live Stream Registration” below if you plan to take the course via Zoom. Please choose “Compassion for the Modern Heart: In-Person Registration” below if you plan to take the course in person.
Contact info@sacredstream.org for more information.
Bio
Geshe Gedun Samdup was born in Sikkim, India in 1965 to parents who had escaped Tibet in 1959. Early in life, he excelled in academics while attending the Central School for Tibetans in Orissa.Drawn to a life of contemplation when very young, at the age of 10 he met and became a disciple of revered Kyabje Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche. Kyabje Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche (the first) was a renowned master and a debate partner to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Under the direct personal care and
guidance of Kyabje Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche, he took monastic ordination and subsequently he entered Ganden Jangtse Monastery in Mungod, South India. At Ganden Jangtse, he studied the extensive curriculum of Buddhist Philosophy, Buddhist Epistemology, Buddhist Metaphysics and Buddhist Psychology.
In 1994, he was awarded the highest academic degree of Geshe Lharampa (equivalent to a doctorate). For the next few years, Geshe Samdup served the monastery, including designing and supervising the construction of a new Prayer Hall. In 1999, Geshe Samdup moved to the United States. From 2001 to 2005 he taught introductory Buddhist courses to diverse Western students at the Land of Compassion Buddha Center in Los Angeles. He visited Sravasti Abbey in 2004 and returned to teach Jowo Atisha’s Lamp for the Path in 2025. He is also a member of Sravasti Abbey advisory board.