Uninvited Guests of the Universe | Genla Lobsang Phuntsok | MASTERPEACE Podcast by Tshering Yuden

🌻MasterPeace Podcast🌻 Episode #40 - Uninvited Guests of the universe Guest - Genla Lobsang Phuntsok Some people spend their lives trying to prove that they belong. Others build a place where no one has to. In Episode 40 of the MasterPeace Podcast, we sit down with Genla Lobsang Phuntsok, founder of Jhamtse Gatsal Children’s Community, former Buddhist monk, educator, and a man whose own experience of feeling unwanted became the foundation for a life devoted to love, compassion, and belonging. Genla grew up feeling like an “uninvited guest of the universe.” Today, he has created a home and learning community in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, where children who have experienced difficult circumstances are given something profoundly simple: the chance to feel loved, accepted, and capable of becoming who they are. Our conversation explores the story behind Jhamtse Gatsal, the Garden of Love and Compassion and the deeply personal connection Genla has to the children he serves. We talk about what it means to transform behaviour rather than simply control it, why compassion requires patience, what happens when adults allow children to see their own vulnerability, and why Genla believes we should let go of ideas like “perfect” and “imperfect.” We also talk about his years as a monk, what it means to change direction in life, the judgments we place on people who choose a different path, and the part of the monk that Genla still carries with him today. This conversation is ultimately about much more than education or Jhamtse Gatsal. It is about what happens when someone who once felt unwanted decides to create a world where every child is invited. As Genla reminds us: sometimes the most meaningful work we can do is to help another person believe that they belong. 🌱 ABOUT JHAMTSE GATSAL Jhamtse Gatsal - meaning “Garden of Love and Compassion” is a children’s community in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, India, founded by Genla Lobsang Phuntsok. Since 2006, it has grown into a model community rooted in love and compassion, with an approach to education that nurtures the heart, mind, and body. Learn more about Jhamtse Gatsal: https://jhamtse.org 👤 ABOUT GENLA LOBSANG PHUNTSOK Lobsang Phuntsok is the founder of Jhamtse Gatsal, a former Buddhist monk, speaker, and thought leader in education, sustainable and mindful living, and social entrepreneurship. His personal journey of transformation inspired the creation of Jhamtse Gatsal and continues to shape his work today. Read Genla’s story: https://jhamtse.org/our-team/lobsang-... Read Genla’s Awakin Network profile: https://www.awakin.org/v2/calls/371/l... 🎙️ OUR BHUTAN ECHOES CONVERSATION Before this podcast, we had the privilege of sharing the stage with Genla at the Bhutan Echoes Arts & Literature Festival, where we spoke about Jhamtse Gatsal, education, compassion, and the possibility of creating more human-centred learning environments. Watch our conversation from the Bhutan Echoes stage: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1PQy... 🎬 TASHI & THE MONK If you want to understand more about Jhamtse Gatsal and the children at its heart, we also highly recommend watching Tashi and the Monk, the Emmy Award-winning documentary that follows Tashi, one of the young girls at Jhamtse, and her journey with Genla and the community. Watch the full documentary:    • Tashi and the Monk   MasterPeace Podcast is a space for honest conversations about life, purpose, wellbeing, mindfulness, and what it means to be human. 🎙️ MasterPeace Podcast - Episode 40 🎧 Guest: Genla Lobsang Phuntsok 🌱 Founder, Jhamtse Gatsal Children’s Community If this conversation moved you, share it with someone who might need to hear that they belong. #MasterPeacePodcast #LobsangPhuntsok #GenlaLobsangPhuntsok #JhamtseGatsal #TashiAndTheMonk #Bhutan #Mindfulness #Compassion #Education #Belonging Thank you for watching this episode of The Masterpeace Podcast. If you found this conversation meaningful, please consider liking the video and subscribing to the channel for future episodes. More thoughtful discussions and stories are coming soon.  📌 Follow Us:   / bhutanmindfulness     / bhutanmindfulness     / bhutanmindfulness   About Bhutan Global Mindfulness & MICE Bhutan Global Mindfulness & MICE Holdings Pte. Ltd. (BGMM) is a strategic joint venture between Druk Holding and Investments, Bhutan, and G Nine Investments Ltd., Singapore. Incorporated in Singapore on 31 August 2023, BGMM operates primarily in Bhutan, developing and promoting initiatives that showcase the Kingdom to a global audience through immersive mindfulness experiences.