Published by John Bruna
Traditional Buddhist teachings that are practical and relevant for everyday life in the modern world.
Listen on Apple PodcastsIn this episode, spiritual director John Bruna talks about how the hindrance of lethargy and sleepiness impacts our opportunity to live a meaningful life. He describes common examples of lethargy and some antidotes to overcoming these types of obstacles in our spiritual practice. This episode was recorded on July 15th, 2026. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve. As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org. May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.
In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna offers clarifying guidance on how we can relate with malice and other forms of ill will in a healthy way. He describes the destructive nature of anger and shares some practical guidance on how we can allow anger to arise and feel it without impulsively reacting to and creating more suffering for ourselves and others. This episode was recorded on July 8th, 2026. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve. As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org. May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.
In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna continues to offer commentary on the text “Following in the Buddha’s Footsteps”. He expands the depth of understanding about the hinderances of sensual desire by offering clarity of how our addictions and attachments prevent us from engaging in a meaningful spiritual journey. This episode was recorded on July 1st, 2026. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve. As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org. May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.
In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna continues to comment on hinderances to our spiritual growth by focusing in on sensual desire and craving. He offers helpful guidance on how to balance our lives with enjoying sensual pleasures and cultivating contentment. This episode was recorded on June 24th, 2026. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve. As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org. May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.
In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna gives clear and practical guidance on obstacles to our spiritual practice by focusing on the 5 hinderances. He then approaches a variety of antidotes and mind states that will help us overcome these stumbling blocks on the journey to Enlightenment. This episode was recorded on June 17th, 2026. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve. As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org. May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.
In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna speaks about the importance of ethical conduct when engaging in a spiritual path. He shows the inter-relationship between ethics and cultivating concentration illustrating how what we do off the cushion impacts our time on the cushion. This episode was recorded on June 10th, 2026. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve. As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org. May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.
In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna continues to focus on the deep roots of wisdom within the Buddha’s teachings. He guides us to more clearly see our experiences through the lens of dependent origination, thus clearing away the obscuring ignorance that veils our mind’s potential. This episode was recorded on June 3rd, 2026. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve. As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org. May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.
In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna discusses the Mind’s potential and a variety of obstructions in our minds that prevent us from experiencing our Buddha nature. He also gives helpful and practical advice on how we can cultivate our minds to more and more reveal the deepest potential of our Buddha nature. This episode was recorded on May 27th, 2026. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve. As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org. May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.
In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna begins his commentary on the text “Following in the Buddha’s Footsteps,” written by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Venerable Thubten Chödron. John covers a section in the text that is focused on taking refuge and gives clarifying guidance on this aspect of the path to Enlightenment. This episode was recorded on May 20th, 2026. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve. As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org. May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.
In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna gives his last dharma talk from the text, “How to Meditate on the Stages of the Path”. In this final session he continues to offer commentary on the wisdom aspect of Buddhism that aims to eliminate the roots of suffering. This episode was recorded on May 13th, 2026. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve. As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org. May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.
In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna guides us deeper into Buddhist wisdom. He helps us deepen our understanding and practices for cultivating the deeper states of wisdom that alleviate suffering in our lives. This episode was recorded on May 6th, 2026. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve. As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org. May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.
In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna offers guidance regarding the wisdom aspect of Buddhism. He describes how the sense of self that we have is a dependently originated phenomenon that is actually empty of any inherent existence. Importantly, John helps us understand how we need to engage in cultivating a healthy sense of self first before we can be successful in realizing these deeper truths on the Buddhist path. This episode was recorded on April 29th, 2026. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve. As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org. May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.
In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna hosts a discussion and offers commentary about how we can engage with the perfection of wisdom in our daily lives. He encourages us to explore how dependent origination and emptiness impact our experience and then gives guidance on ultimate and conventional reality which are known as the two truths. This episode was recorded on April 22nd, 2026. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve. As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org. May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.
In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna dives deeper into the perfection of wisdom within the Mahayana path of Tibetan Buddhism. He skillfully presents how our misperception of reality is the root of our suffering and then offers a variety of practices as methods for slowly clarifying our view of reality and thus relieving suffering from our experience. This episode was recorded on April 15th, 2026. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve. As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org. May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.
In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna continues last week’s discussion on the Perfection of Wisdom in the text “How to Meditate on the Stages of the Path”. He introduces and gives guidance on three different types of wisdom that are presented in the text, while also more broadly discussing various wisdoms that we will encounter on the Path to Awakening. This episode was recorded on April 8th, 2026. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve. As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org. May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.
In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna begins his commentary on the topic of the perfection of wisdom. He gives us some practical steps to take that can help us to experience the positive shifts that wisdom can have in our lives while keeping in touch with the depth of wisdom that will eventually free us from all suffering. This episode was recorded on April 1st, 2026. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve. As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org. May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.
In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna offers a clarifying talk about the practice of shamatha meditation, also known as calm abiding. He gives useful guidance on how to encourage this meditation practice in our lives, describes its many benefits, and uncovers some obstacles we will face when seeking to cultivate shamatha. This episode was recorded on March 25th, 2026. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve. As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org. May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.
In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna focuses on the topic of training the mind in attention by giving clear guidance on the practice of shamatha and its benefits. He also describes how concentration and the other 5 perfections weave together and support one another on the path to enlightenment. This episode was recorded on March 18th, 2026. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve. As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org. May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.
In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna discusses one of the main obstacles to our Dharma Practice called the Laziness of Busyness. He gives us many examples of how this obstacle shows up in our lives and encourages a shift in our motivation which can transform the busyness of daily life into a path to awakening. This episode was recorded on March 11th, 2026. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve. As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org. May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.
In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna offers a commentary on The Perfection of Joyous Effort. He speaks about the benefits of this practice and some obstacles that prevent us from engaging in meaningful dharma practice. This episode was recorded on March 4th, 2026. Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve. As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org. May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.