Way of Compassion Dharma Center

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna offers a comprehensive talk on the three higher trainings of Tibetan Buddhism, describing the interplay of ethics, concentration, and wisdom. He discusses the importance of merging our practice on the cushion with ethical practices in our daily life, which will in turn fortify our ability to meditate. This episode was recorded on November 20th, 2024. ...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna highlights a variety of ways that we create our own suffering through our misperceived reality. He offers valuable suggestions of behaviors and ways of engaging with reality that can act as antidotes to samsara and lead us on a journey of gradual Enlightenment. This episode was recorded on November 13th, 2024.  Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna offers a compassionate post-election perspective that encourages us to see the real enemy as mental afflictions that lead to unhealthy and destructive behaviors. He inspires us towards engaging in our lives with potent compassion and wisdom, recognizing and confronting our own tendencies to focus on "me and mine" rather than "we and our...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna continues to clarify the nuances of three types of genuine happiness as described in the book, "Samsara, Nirvana, and Buddha Nature." He speaks about how these types of happiness cultivate little liberations throughout our lives and are guiding us toward the liberation of nirvana on this Buddhist path. This episode was recorded on October 30...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna hosts an engaging teaching and discussion on seeking genuine peace and happiness. He expands on the three higher trainings that are the path to liberation and encourages us to mindfully experience when we do things we feel good about in order to create a positive feedback loop for genuine well-being. This episode was recorded on October 23rd, 2024.  W...

In this session, spiritual director John Bruna offers a powerful talk on cultivating the antidotes to a form of laziness that manifests as discouragement and self-criticism. He suggests finding a balanced perspective where we continually develop a sense of self-worth but avoid a self-centered attitude that thinks about "me" as more important than others. This episode was recorded on Octo...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna goes into depth about practices and analytical meditations designed to undermine the three types of laziness. He talks about meditation on impermanence, the unsatisfactory nature of samsara, and meditation on interdependence. John clarifies how we need to have a deep grasp on these foundational wisdoms in order to have realization in higher practices....

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna illuminates the three types of laziness that are obstacles to our flourishing in dharma practice. He not only offers clarity in how we can be lazy when it comes to prioritizing dharma, but also offers a gentle approach of maintaining balance, while focusing on eliminating stress worry and fear in our lives to be more inspired to practice. This episode...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna offers commentary on invigorating a dry dharma practice by maintaining a balance of being responsible for our practice but not pushing too hard. He offers a way forward through integrating our dharma practice into our daily activities and engaging in accurate evaluation by observing changes in our experiences and behaviors over time. This episode was...

In this session, John gives a dharma talk on the Buddhist notion of feelings which are the pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral feelings that occur in relation with physical stimulus or mental phenomena. Different than our modern understanding of emotions, this mode of feeling is an important link in the 12 links of dependent origination. This episode was recorded on September 18th, 2024.  Welcome to...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna explains the 12 links of dependent origination, which is a Buddhist model of understanding the cycle of suffering within samsara. John spends this session bringing this elaborate and precise model into a modern and personal context, offering a meaningful journey of integrating these concepts in practical and approachable ways. This episode was recorde...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna begins a series of teachings that will give an in-depth view of the 12 links of dependent origination. He spends this session talking about the first link, defined as ignorance or misperception, that is specifically an inaccurate way of perceiving ourselves as independent and inherently existent. This episode was recorded on August 28th, 2024.  Welcom...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna gives a recap of the refuge and bodhicitta verse that was discussed over the past two weeks. He then takes time to answer a variety of questions from the sangha. This episode was recorded on August 21st, 2024.  Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary ob...

In this episode, Spiritual Director John Bruna talks about the path of a bodhisattva as the six perfections of generosity, ethics, patience, joyous effort, concentration, and wisdom. He also translates these perfections into a variety of different practices that can meet us where we are right now regardless of our scope of motivation within the Buddhadharma. This episode was recorded on August 14t...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna offers an in-depth perspective of the Buddhist notion of taking refuge. He describes how we are taking refuge in the truth and the supportive structures that allow us to nurture a path of increasing clarity and living in accordance with "the way things are". This episode was recorded on July 31st, 2024. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharm...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna digs into the heart of the Buddha’s teachings on the removal of all suffering. He intertwines commentary on Buddha Nature and the Bodhisattva path while showing us steps along the way for removing stress, worry, and fear from our lives. He finishes this empowering talk by offering a simple question we can ask ourselves to make healthy decisions during...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna goes to the very heart of awakening by giving an in-depth discussion on root and auxiliary mental afflictions. He describes how from the root afflictions of misperception, anger, and attachment arises a variety of afflicted mental states that can lead to unhealthy behaviors. John finishes the talk with pithy advice on virtuous actions and three motiva...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna offers a clarifying discussion about the three marks of existence. He describes practical ways to engage with these three realities that will lead to less suffering in our lives. John also answers a variety of questions about meditation practice and encourages some different daily practices that can help further liberate our minds. This episode was re...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna discusses various forms of arrogance and shows how these mental factors are harmful to ourselves and others. He also offers a perspective about the subtle differences of self-importance versus self-value which gives clarity on how we can feel good about our achievements and virtues we are cultivating without needing to exaggerate or be boastful. This...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna gives an in-depth teaching on the root affliction of anger. He describes the Buddhist view of anger as a very destructive mental state for us, and how it also leads to harmful behaviors toward others. John finishes this session by encouraging us all to practice patience which is one of the direct and most powerful antidotes to anger. This episode was...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna gives a very helpful teaching to clarify the differences and grey areas of aspiration versus attachment. He describes scenarios that may be a subtle form of attachment that actually serve as a temporary motivator for our journey to Enlightenment. This teaching goes right to the heart of one of the common misperceptions that, in the Buddhist view, desi...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna continues his commentary on the text "Samsara, Nirvana, and Buddha Nature" by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Venerable Thubten Chodron. John gives clarity on how to identify mental afflictions and how specifically misperception, anger, and attachment impact our experience. This episode was recorded on June 12th, 2024. Welcome to the Way of...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna gives a commentary on the true origins of dukkha or dissatisfaction. John talks about how our habits, driven by misperception, can be quite sneaky in that they may seem to bring happiness, when in reality they are the very causes of our suffering. This episode was recorded on June 5th, 2024. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Loca...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna gives a teaching on the four attributes of the Third Noble Truth: true cessation. By using this model of understanding, John clarifies the meaning of Nirvana as complete freedom from all mental afflictions rather than temporary states of bliss and non-conceptuality achieved by concentration practices. This episode was recorded on May 29th, 2024. Welco...

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna gives a teaching on the 4 attributes of the Second Noble Truth, as presented in the text “Samsara, Nirvana, and Buddha Nature,'' by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Venerable Thubten Chodron. John discusses the various ways ignorance, craving and karma create suffering in our lives. He emphasizes the important point that these conditions are...