Way of Compassion Dharma Center

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna speaks about the disadvantages of delusions and helps us understand how delusions give rise to destructive emotions. He offers finely tuned clarification about afflictive emotions and how we can recognize these emotions as valid experiences while maintaining the understanding that they lead to harmful behaviors for ourselves and others. This episode w...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna continues to offer his commentary on the text “How to Meditate on the Stages of the Path” by discussing deluded doubt, which is one of the six root mental afflictions. He distinguishes between having an inquisitive mind and a healthy sense of skepticism, versus being close-minded and maintaining a false presumption of knowledge. This episode was recor...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna continues to offer his commentary on the text “How to Meditate on the Stages of the Path” by discussing arrogance, which is one of the six root mental afflictions. The group considers various ways arrogance can separate us from others and lead to suffering, and the important distinction is made between genuine self-worth and deluded arrogance or pride...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna continues to offer his commentary on the text “How to Meditate on the Stages of the Path” by discussing anger; one of the three root mental afflictions. He reviews common scenarios in which anger arises, distinguishing between primary causes and secondary conditions so that we may work to dismantle the causes of anger in ourselves over time. This epis...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna offers a clarifying talk that centers around one of the root mental afflictions described in Tibetan Buddhism. He helps us identify and understand the mental affliction of attachment so we can work to slowly undermine its presence in our mind stream. John encourages us to practice appreciating the nice people and things in our lives while recognizing...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna discusses the deepest roots of suffering. He talks about how the views we hold of ourselves are out of alignment with the way that we actually exist, and this leads to a suffering experience dominated by mental afflictions. John offers a variety of practical ways to unravel the mental afflictions in our minds, inching us closer to the realization of E...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna continues his guidance of the Path to Awakening through a discussion of the 8 different types of suffering. These analytical meditations are an important step on the journey of cultivating renunciation and truly appreciating the joys in one's life, knowing that they will all come to an end one day. This episode was recorded on May 7th, 2025. Welc...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna offers a teaching on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment by discussing a few analytical meditations and how we can integrate and engage with them in our active lives. He first lays a framework of understanding the different scopes of practice by describing 4 different intentions that lie at the root of a Dharma practitioner’s motivation. This epis...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna illuminates the practice of purifying negative karma. He unpacks the 4 opponent powers of Regret, Reliance, Remedial Action, and Resolve and gives a variety of meaningful and practical methods for engaging with this powerful practice. This episode was recorded on April 23rd, 2025. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carb...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna helps us understand what it means to take refuge in the teachings of the awakened ones. He talks about how what we are really taking refuge in is the Dharma, which are teachings that ultimately lead us to know reality as it is. John distills the journey to Enlightenment, showing how it is all about seeking the truth, which leads to the cessation of su...

In this session, spiritual director John Bruna gives guidance on understanding actions and their consequences, known as Karma. In the Buddhist worldview, Karma is an underlying natural law of reality that is complex and difficult to know. John offers a clear and simple framework for understanding karma and the 4 aspects that provide the framework for how our actions create the reality we experienc...

In this session, spiritual director John Bruna continues his commentary on the Text, “How to Meditate on the Stages of the Path” by Kathleen McDonald. John lays a foundation for his teaching on the 4 fundamental general characteristics of Karma and covers the first of these characteristics. He offers a helpful inroad to the reality of actions and their consequences that can meet us where we are at...

In this session, spiritual director John Bruna gives a talk about the Buddhist view of Samsara and the true causes of suffering. Upon this foundation, he then speaks about how to correctly understand what taking refuge in the Buddha’s teachings and practices actually means. This episode was recorded on March 26th, 2025. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale,...

In this session, spiritual director John Bruna unpacks the complicated Buddhist understanding of Karma. His practical approach gives us an easy entrance into engaging with these teachings and clears away many obstacles that our Western minds create around actions and their consequences. We are left with a sense of empowerment to engage in healthy actions that transform how we experience the world....

In this session, spiritual director John Bruna offers a talk on subtle impermanence. He talks about how bringing this aspect of reality into our daily thoughts and meditation can help us become an active participant in our own becoming as we are changing all the time. This episode was recorded on March 12th, 2025.  Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colo...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna discusses an important topic about how to engage in the dying process with more peace. He covers three specific points of a death meditation that can help us loosen the strings of attachment to our friends, family, possessions and body. John describes how these analytical meditations can prepare us to die with peace and ease, leading to higher potenti...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna discusses the preliminary practices known as the four thoughts that turn the mind to dharma. He offers meaningful ways address the reality that death is certain, and time of death is uncertain, with the aspiration of being able to fully experience the life we do have. This episode was recorded on February 26th, 2025.  Welcome to the Way of Compassion...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna continues his guidance and commentary with the text “How to Meditate on the Stages of the Path.” His encouragement for this text is for us to investigate and meditate upon each topic of discussion for the week to gain further understanding and realization of the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment. This week John gives a dharma talk on death and imper...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna deepens his commentary on the eight worldly dharmas by focusing on gain and loss. He offers a wise and gentle approach to investigating our own behaviors to see how much of our time is spent trying to get what we want. John reminds us that getting what we want and enjoying those things is not the problem, rather itis the attachment to those enjoyable...

John Bruna explores the advice of Lama Tsongkhapa each morning to provide an inspiring motivation to engage in the day.  These motivations are taken from the daily practice that John records daily. You can access them free on our community at wocdc.mn.co #johnbruna #wayofcompassion #morninginspiration #buddhistteaching #wayofcompassiondharmacenter #morningmotivation

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna offers guidance on identifying important and subtle distinctions between actions motivated by the eight worldly concerns and those motivated by authentic dharma which protects us from suffering. This episode was recorded on February 5th, 2025.  Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassi...

John Bruna explores the advice of Lama Tsongkhapa each morning to provide an inspiring motivation to engage in the day.  These motivations are taken from the daily practice that John records daily. You can access them free on our community at wocdc.mn.co #johnbruna #wayofcompassion #morninginspiration #buddhistteaching #wayofcompassiondharmacenter #morningmotivation

John Bruna explores the advice of Lama Tsongkhapa each morning to provide an inspiring motivation to engage in the day.  These motivations are taken from the daily practice that John records daily. You can access them free on our community at wocdc.mn.co #johnbruna #wayofcompassion #morninginspiration #buddhistteaching #wayofcompassiondharmacenter #morningmotivation

John Bruna explores the advice of Lama Tsongkhapa each morning to provide an inspiring motivation to engage in the day.  These motivations are taken from the daily practice that John records daily. You can access them free on our community at wocdc.mn.co #johnbruna #wayofcompassion #morninginspiration #buddhistteaching #wayofcompassiondharmacenter #morningmotivation

John Bruna explores the advice of Lama Tsongkhapa each morning to provide an inspiring motivation to engage in the day.  These motivations are taken from the daily practice that John records daily. You can access them free on our community at wocdc.mn.co #johnbruna #wayofcompassion #morninginspiration #buddhistteaching #wayofcompassiondharmacenter #morningmotivation