By Sandra Ladley
These days, I often wake up wishing the fear and uncertainty we’re experiencing now would just go away like a bad dream. Don’t you wish you could just tap your ruby slippers like Dorothy and come back to a different experience? L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wizard of Oz, WAS tapping into something universally human when he brought Dorothy back home. It IS possible to transform our terrors and to settle and strengthen ourselves amidst the worst of times. Unfortunately, fear is our human birthright. It’s in our reptilian cells, our ancestral DNA, and our traumatic childhoods. It greets us in the morning with the weather patterns, the news reports, and our life events. We fear for our survival, our livelihoods, and our relationships. We fear aging and dying. Fear is marketed to us and lurks beside us in our devices and social media. We can feel fear trapped in our hearts.
We each respond to fear in different ways. Some of us try to ignore it. Some of us are perpetually anxious. Some of us binge. Some of us rage. Some of us attack. Some of us work too hard. We might have different reactions over time. Current trauma research groups our fearful tendencies into the five categories of fight, flight, freeze, fawn, and flop. What do you tend to do in response to fear? How do you recognize when you are experiencing it?
Chogyam Trungpa, the grandfather of the Karuna Training program, said that “one must know fear to know fearlessness.” Since fear is fundamental to our human experience, how can we know and befriend fear as an ongoing practice? How can we soothe ourselves, gain strength, and transform fear into fearlessness?
People HAVE been working to transform fear for as long as we’ve been together on earth. We forget this wisdom passed on to us, especially when we need it the most. The Karuna Training contemplative psychology program taps this ancient wisdom and uses time-tested methods for navigating the full range of our human experience, including fear. Karuna Training has also adapted since its inception 30 years ago to incorporate evidence-based techniques for working with emotions that dovetail with contemplative psychology. Some commonly-cited methods pertinent to working with fear that are used in Karuna Training include:
The view and study of contemplative psychology is based on the integration of body and mind, and the foundational starting point of Karuna Training is meditation. Practicing meditation together in a quiet and safe space can help one to synchronize body and mind, and to understand and become familiar with what is presently happening. Though not a one-size-fits-all or a one-stop solution, meditation can have a settling, softening, and clarifying effect. Meditation practice is guided and supported throughout the Karuna certificate program.
Increasing awareness of the personal body sensations associated with fear can help one identify and process emotions. Karuna offers many compassion-based body awareness exercises that support holding, attunement, and opening to the natural movement and release of emotions.
Grounding exercises help one reconnect with the present moment, which can reduce feelings of fear and anxiety. Karuna Training offers grounding techniques using various methods and encourages walks in nature to open to the self-existing support of the natural world.
Karuna includes movement such as shaking and stretching, along with forms like dance and yoga that can help one go deeper and release the pent-up energy associated with fear. Movement can help one attune to and find direct expression and transformation when words fail.
Understanding the impact of trauma on all of us is pivotal to transformative work. Karuna faculty stay apprised of trauma-informed approaches for creating and holding sensitivity and safety as we work together.
Other methods central to Karuna that help to transform fear:
Karuna Training is rooted in the Vajrayana teachings on the wisdom mandala of the five buddha families. The mandala provides a map of the five elemental patterns of fear of space and how these patterns can be transformed into wisdom. Maitri Space Awareness practice, which is practiced in retreat, intensifies direct perception and learning on the nature of earth, water, air, fire, and wind through the use of color, body postures, and wandering in nature.
People have neurodivergent ways of learning and of integrating their learning. The Karuna curriculum includes exercises such as drawing, collaging, and journaling to support people’s experience and expression. Program schedules include time for open play, and art supplies are provided for people to explore on their own or with others.
Karuna Training is a heart-opening journey. Fears come to light, and trust is built through the practice of compassionate exchange over time. In a circle of trust, there is the opportunity to experience reflections we may not have received before, and to open to others in new ways. The community or Karunity is central to the transformation that occurs in the program.
In Closing
On Tuesday, July 8th, from 6 - 7 pm Mountain Time, I will lead a free online introductory community session on this theme of Transforming Fear. It will include teachings, discussion, guided meditation, a contemplative exercise, and information and Q&A on the Karuna Training certificate program. All are welcome. I hope you will join me.
Sandra Ladley
Searching for meaningful connections remains one of our deepest desires in a world that often feels disconnected and fast-paced. Beyond fleeting interactions and surface-level relationships, we long for soulful bonds—connections that nurture, uplift, and embrace us in love and understanding.
Karuna training offers methods that cultivate soulful bonds. These methods, known as compassionate exchange, teach us to recognize that there is a jewel in everyone, often unmined and unpolished. This requires learning to view and experience others with open-minded awareness and knowledge about how our mind is continually crafting moment-by-moment likes and dislikes of others and the world.
A soulful bond goes beyond mere companionship, rooted in trust, honest inquiry, and authenticity. It’s the kind of connection where words aren’t always necessary, yet hearts communicate effortlessly. These bonds form when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, to share our truths without fear of judgment, and to embrace others with the same openness.
A loving community becomes a refuge, a source of strength, and a place of belonging. In these spaces, we heal, grow, and discover the true essence of love. Our purpose in Karuna Training is to propagate a wide-minded perspective and selfless compassion in the World.
Love is the foundation of any thriving community. Fostering kindness, active embodied listening, and an atmosphere of inclusivity culminates in a space where people feel valued and supported. In the end, building a community of love is not about finding perfect people but about embracing imperfect hearts with divine love. When we open ourselves to connection, we find that love, in its purest form, is the bridge that unites us all.
Karuna Training invites you to show up fully—flaws, fears, and all. In this space, honesty replaces judgment, and connection becomes possible.
Through compassionate exchange, we practice embodied, nonjudgmental listening. People don’t want quick solutions—they want to be seen, heard, and supported.
Karuna’s curriculum is grounded in the idea that we grow stronger together. As we face pain, paradox, and transformation, we remain open-hearted and rooted in community.
Authentic voice and emotional integration thrive in spaces that feel safe. At Karuna, we co-create an environment where every story matters and every person belongs.
True community means embracing imperfection. We celebrate each individual for who they are—habits, quirks, and all—on their own unique journey of becoming.
Community is essential and social exchange is non-negotialbe in a healthy, open, and loving life. A place where we feel we belong, and can be ourselves as we are. Consider joining in Karuna’s community in the multiple options available.
Community is essential to a loving, meaningful life. We all need a place where we belong and can be our authentic selves. Explore our paths to connection:
We are opening our doors for multiple ways to enter the community. We hope you will come along.
By Melissa Moore, Ph.D.
We often don’t realize just how vital community is to our lives until it’s gone. In 2018, the spiritual community I had been part of for over 40 years imploded following a 'Me Too' scandal involving our spiritual leader. In the aftermath, I no longer hold any blame toward anyone for what transpired. In fact, I feel a profound sense of gratitude for this disruption. It served as a powerful intervention to awaken me from my own spiritual bypassing—the tendency to ignore uncomfortable truths I had overlooked despite my deep loyalty and engagement. Still, I feel deep grief over losing a lifelong community that had been a constant, binding, and sacred force in my life, and this is undeniable.
Now, more than ever, I understand that community is not just a social construct; it is a holy encounter of belonging—one that cannot be easily replicated or replaced.
Karuna Training, in contrast, has always placed community at its core, with the connections formed in a cohort model both vital and sacred. I often joke that the Karuna community is exceptional, and it’s true, but as the Executive Director, I also know that I’m responsible for ensuring it thrives. Even so, the Karuna community has proven to be a lifeline for me in the absence of my original spiritual community.
Creating a sacred community is about fostering an environment where individuals feel a deep, abiding sense of belonging. A strong community is rooted in shared values, practices, and opportunities for spiritual awakening. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and with the advent of Zoom, we’ve expanded our offerings beyond the basic and advanced curriculum to create even more opportunities for people to connect and grow together online.
While every community has its own unique flavor, shaped by cultural, religious, or spiritual influences, there are core components that consistently nourish a thriving, values-driven community. Karuna explicitly upholds these ten essential values, which I will outline below:
Creating a sacred community requires intentionality, openness, and a commitment to love, growth, and service. Karuna is a space where individuals unite to learn, support, and grow together in reverence.
If you're inspired to experience these principles firsthand, I invite you to join us for a one-day in-person retreat in Albuquerque, Creating Sacred Community: The Wisdom of Contemplative Psychology, on Saturday, May 3, 2025 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM MDT exploring Karuna methods inspired by the Five Buddha Families, which evoke the sacredness of community. Through ritual, chanting, and contemplative practices, we will connect with the wisdom of the mandala and cultivate clarity, compassion, and spaciousness. All are welcome—step into a transformative journey with us!
For those unable to attend in person, I will also be hosting a free one-hour virtual Karuna Live session, Finding a Soulful Bond: Building a Community of Love, on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM MDT. Through guided meditation, discussion, and interactive exercises, you'll discover practical tools for seeing beyond conditioned perceptions and approaching differences with an open heart—essential skills for creating the kind of sacred community we all deeply long for.
In times of profound disconnection and social isolation, the call to create and nurture sacred community has never been more urgent. By honoring the sacredness in ourselves and each other, we weave a tapestry of belonging that sustains us through life's greatest challenges and deepest joys.
by Stephanie Robinett
At sixteen, I stepped away from my Catholic upbringing and into the vast landscape of Eastern spiritual traditions. My path led me to Buddhism and Hinduism, which introduced me to meditation and yoga. By my early twenties, I was deep in my practice, training to become a yoga instructor. Over the years, my spiritual journey expanded to include goddess traditions, paganism, and herbalism, ultimately shaping me into what I now consider a Pagan, Buddhist witch. My work in the healing arts as a sound healing practitioner, sacred ceremony holder, meditation leader, and medicine maker has been deeply fulfilling. Yet, I found myself longing for a deeper embodiment of the teachings I cherished. Enter the Karuna Basic Training Program—a profound and life-changing experience that shifted my understanding from merely reading the teachings to truly living them.
Pema Chödrön once said, "Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth." The Karuna program brought me face to face with that truth, taking me to the edge of my being and revealing the vast space surrounding my projections of ego, dualism, and attachment. It expanded my intensity capacity, allowing me to be with whatever arises in my body, speech, mind, and the world around me with a heart-centered presence. This has been one of the most impactful transformations of my journey—learning to stay, to breathe, and to witness, rather than react.
From Self-Study to Embodiment
Self-study had taken me far, but it had also left me circling the same conceptual understandings. Karuna offered me something no book or solitary practice ever could: a fully immersive, lived experience of the teachings and an incredibly supportive sangha to learn with and from. The instructors did not simply present information; they meticulously crafted experiences that allowed us to metabolize the teachings—to process them intellectually and through our bodies and lived realities.
During the pandemic, the Karuna team demonstrated unwavering dedication and adaptability, ensuring that our experience—whether online or in person—honored the gravity and fear that COVID-19 introduced into every aspect of our lives. Their commitment to holding space with awareness, compassion, and resilience mirrored the very teachings we were studying. It was a testament to the depth of Karuna’s teachings, which encouraged me to face my fears and embrace transformation despite the cost. As Pema Chödrön wisely states, "Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found within us." Karuna created an environment where I could fearlessly explore who I am at my core—and their commitment to this, even as the world seemed to be crumbling around us—or perhaps because the world WAS crumbling around us—was incredibly admirable and impeccably timed.
The Courage to Look Challenges in the Eye
One of the most significant aspects of my experience in Karuna was witnessing their genuine and decisive efforts toward inclusion. As a Black woman in the Pacific Northwest, I was used to participating in predominantly white spaces. Over the course of the nearly 4 years I participated in Karuna teachings, it was profoundly meaningful to see the program actively prioritize diversity in its learning materials and topics of study. From when I first engaged with Karuna in 2021 to my graduation in 2025, the program's growth in this area was tangible. The impact of their work in fostering inclusivity was not theoretical—it was felt, seen, and experienced in real-time. For that, I am deeply grateful.
I especially appreciated the Karuna team's openness to feedback and real conversations around these challenges. Melissa, in particular, exemplified what it means to live the teachings—not just recite them. The team's willingness to look these issues straight in the eye, to sit with the discomfort, and to actively work toward change is the highest testament to the power of this program. As Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche once said, "The essence of warriorship, or the essence of human bravery, is refusing to give up on anyone or anything." This includes the bravery to look deeply at ourselves and our communities, to hold space for discomfort, and to commit to transformation.
Living the Teachings, Changing the World
Because of Karuna, I no longer see challenges as obstacles—I see them as invitations to practice. Every difficulty, every emotional wave, every interaction becomes a space to embody the wisdom I have absorbed. What was once something to learn and comprehend has now become something to live and become.
I write this with deep gratitude and an open heart, honoring the immense effort it takes to bring Karuna to life—from the facilitators who lead it to the cohort who live it—the program is an incredible lift, but it is worth every ounce of effort. To those who are considering stepping onto this path, I say this: Karuna will change you in ways you cannot yet imagine. It will strip away illusion, fortify your heart, and guide you toward a way of being that is as expansive as it is grounded. If you are ready to move beyond reading and into living, I invite you to take the leap. The teachings—and your transformed life—await.
By Miriam Hall, with Sandra Ladley
Resilience is a word on a lot of people’s lips these days. How will I/we/they make it through the next administration? The next year? The next climate catastrophe? Resilience implies flexibility, elasticity, and the ability to recover from calamity quickly.
What comes to mind for you when you think of resilience?
There are many ways to build resilience - through nervous system regulation practices, self-care, and more. But our favorite way to build resilience is through creativity. Creativity is a word that sounds fun - exciting, full of possibility, and joyful! AND, when it comes down to it, the work - even the play - of creating requires energy and commitment.
For instance, recently Miriam has been writing an article/essay about the intersection of meditation and the trauma response of freezing, especially for white women. As a long-time writer, Miriam knows that the hardest part of writing is the “ass to the seat” aspect. Through practice over time, and with community, once she shows up, she can meet whatever arises, delightful or hairy.
The overculture has a myth that creating (like living) happens alone, that we should be solitary (as if we are not already interdependent) in our making, and the same applies to our thriving. In contrast, Jeffrey Davis, a business and writing coach, uses the slogan “DIT not DIY” - do it together, rather than do it yourself. Being in community is a key to our resilience, and to creativity, as it helps us get through the inevitable bumps and struggles of creating, and of living.
How does being in community support your creativity?
Another support for resilience and the creative life is the elements. The elements help connect us with interdependence, and the truth of impermanence. As Miriam likes to say, nature can’t lie about impermanence. The seasons continue in the order they always have, yet how they manifest dramatically changes as the climate shifts. Nature doesn’t hide death, and it doesn’t hide blossoming - all of the cycles of life. So turning to the elements helps ground us as we make, play and live, further building resilience.
How do the elements support you in everyday life? In our upcoming six-week Creative Resilience class on Saturdays from 11 - 1, March 8th through April 12th, we will draw on contemplative psychology, creative play, and work with the elements, to provide tools for collective resilience for these times. All are welcome; we hope you’ll join us.
by Melissa Moore
I have always been the type of person who walks into a room and feels every imaginable emotion emanating from whoever is in it. I used to make myself responsible for the negative vibes, but I’ve trained myself not to do that anymore. Chögram Trungpa used to say, “Whatever is the room, that’s your mind.” By that, he meant that we are not separate but interdependent. Trungpa was pointing to the non-dual nature of energetic exchange.
These vibes, or unseen emotional energies, are sometimes strong invisible forces. When unchecked, they tend to rule us and often determine how we experience our relationships. When we learn to attune to these invisible energies through the process of exchange, we learn to navigate our worlds more skillfully in communication and community. Humans are adept at experiencing nonverbal invisible energies around us, but we are not always skilled at interpreting those experiences.
In Karuna Training, we call that human capacity to feel the energy of others and environments an ‘exchange.’ Exchange is happening constantly, but not necessarily consciously. For example, when we walk into a restaurant, there are discernable vibes that emulate some kind of energy; foreboding, hurried, and or chaotic - we can feel that energy.
We exchange with people, places, and sometimes entire communities. I remember entering the San Francisco Zen Center for the first time in 1989, and my exchange was instantly a slowed-down mind. If someone is next to us, steps off the curb, and is almost hit by a bus, we feel that close call in our bodies. Regardless of their communication, we can detect their mood when we have phone calls with our mothers or friends. Often, we begin to make things up about what they are feeling instead of asking them what is going on. That tendency to assume what another is feeling based on our reaction is called a projection. Learning to tune in consciously to our exchanges with others is a path of skillful communication and watering the seeds of a compassionate heart.
Think about it… when we come into a space with someone we know well, someone with whom we have a well-honed communication pattern, we instantly feel that person’s demeanor without words. If we sense something negative and seemingly familiar, we instantly project on the other thoughts like, ‘They’re mad at me again,’ or ‘They don’t approve,’ ‘They don’t like me.” Even though we may be accurate in our projections, we might not check them verbally; instead, we can make assumptions and project those onto the relationship with the other person. Entire relationships are driven non-verbally, each person rebounding off one another's projections.
We often act and make decisions about ourselves and others based on invisible emotional energies—mostly unspoken feelings that lead to interpretations out of pieced-together notions about another person or a group. At the first opening circle of Karuna Training, I often say,
‘every important relationship we’ve ever had is in the room because we are in the room.’ Then I ask the new cohort to look around the room and notice that they’ve already decided who they like and don’t like and whether they are conscious of it. The tendency to accept and reject others from our well-honed relationship with invisible energies is usually unconscious. These unconscious internal decisions, nevertheless, drive how that relationship will go in the future.
In Karuna Training, we study the Five Buddha families in community retreat settings to become familiar with and befriend our energetic tendencies. The Buddha Family Mandala is an ancient Tibetan Mandala that compartmentalizes the energetic invisible world into five familiar styles of energy. Through practicing with the Five Buddha Families, we become familiar with energetic styles and the propensities they engender. Our energetic styles include both a wisdom manifestation and a confused one.
Emotional energy works on a continuum, with the understanding that the manifestation of confusion and wisdom are inseparable. Take, for example, the Buddha Buddha Family energy, which is connected with the element of space. Here, the energetic emanation of Buddha can be spacious, open, accommodating, and skillful – allowing for everything to arise as it should in its own time and place. The Buddha family energy also employs space to cover over reality, ignore space, check out, and dissociate from whatever is happening in the room. Many of us have mastered the ability to disappear in plain sight.
The point is to learn to honor and embrace the energetic invisible forces at play – and to accept reality as it is versus fighting with reality in how we want it to be. To accomplish this, we must befriend invisible energies in a tall order because we are prone to our propensities; our habitual tendencies of the mind are to experience all of reality as solid, lasting, and independent. For example, suppose we deny our age and pretend we are younger than we are. In that case, aging and slowing down are inconvenient and inhospitable to our projected reality of remaining young.
Studying and practicing with the guidance and wisdom of the Five Buddhas trains us to trust in the basic sanity of existence—to accept ourselves and others as we are and to live life on life’s terms rather than the self-imposed reality we constantly seek and project.
During the in-person weekend retreat at Drala Mt. Center, “Embracing the Invisible Forces,” which will be held March 14 - 16, we will take an experiential tour of the Five Buddha Families and learn contemplative approaches to working with these energies as they arise in ourselves and others.
Please join us for a romping weekend of invoking the sacred invisible forces and turning our awareness to things as they are.
by Sandra Ladley
“Play matters because people matter. It reminds us of our interdependence and gives us a chance to really see other people. And in turn, to be really and truly seen.” Jill Valet, founder of Playworks
As I write this January 2025 newsletter, the LA fires are burning and people I know are in shock and tragically affected. Blame and attacks run rampant, and, as a fellow Californian, I feel deeply unsettled and am having a hard time sleeping. How could I write an article about play right now? I’m writing this because I feel play is essential for our cooperative well-being, and for finding solutions to living in these times.
Along these lines, the ageism activist Ashton Applewhite and Jane Fonda recently posted a well-researched short video on aging well. In it, they describe how art classes build community and can add seven and a half years to your life. They cite a National Endowment for the Arts study that shows that art classes for adults increase mental engagement and physical activity, build new or stronger relationships, and promote well-being overall. By “art classes” they state they are referring to any playful activity, such as singing, dancing, painting, writing, photographing, or working with clay. It could also be activities like gardening or cooking. There are endless options.
What immediately comes to mind for you as play?
Can you recall when you last felt free or were called to play or follow a natural expressive impulse? When was the last time you scheduled time for classes involving play?
Play is generally defined as something we do that brings us joy, without a necessary result. Scheduling time for play can seem frivolous in times like now, and finding joy can feel very far away, especially when we wake up day and night, afraid to look at the news, wishing the pain and suffering we’re seeing would simply disappear.
Play can be a stabilizing and developmental resource in times like this - it’s not just for kids or artists, or when we feel carefree. There are innumerable stories of people using play to survive hard times, like delighting in observing small daily changes in nature when looking out the window, or making up stories or songs on the spot.
Play can relieve stress, stimulate creative thinking, and cheer us up. It can help us have insights and accomplish more. Research shows we need it to keep our brains flexible, ward off depression, and sharpen social-emotional skills. When we play with others we can be with them in new ways, and we can see and be seen. Sharing seasonal rituals of play can bring meaning to our lives.
Research also shows that how we enter into what is referred to as a “play state” is very personal, and can change over time. Recently I’ve tended toward movement classes, collaging, and cooking as resources, while in the past I turned to painting and singing. I’m not one for competition but for others, competitive games stimulate a play state.
What stimulates a play state for you?
I’ll share again Dr. Stuart Brown’s research on the play state in which he identified eight different “play personalities” based on thousands of interviews, as follows:
1) The Collector – joy in gathering collections
2) The Competitor – joy in playing the game/winning
3) The Creator/Artist – joy in making things
4) The Director – joy in planning and making things happen
5) The Explorer - joy in discovery
6) The Joker – joy in humor and silliness
7) The Kinesthete - joy in movement
8) The Storyteller – joy in imagination
What brings you joy?
What do you think your play personality is? Has it changed? How does it help you?
What play would you like to try out, or do more of?
What holds you back?
I appreciate seeing this list because it reminds me how different we all are in what brings us joy. I see this in ongoing creative play classes where we have time to play in various modalities and share the fruits of our play.
In Karuna Training, we recognize different learning styles and play preferences. We include creative exercises in our curriculum and schedule open playtime in our retreats. These activities are as important as the other parts of our training as they help people integrate their experiences in a way that works for them. In online programs, we use a private channel on the Circle platform for participants to share engagement with the material between classes. Faculty sometimes provide prompts and student responses come in the form of, for example, writing, photos, or music, and we all interact in this way.
A foundational part of Karuna Training is studying and attuning to the self-existing wisdom and play of the five elements for guidance - space, water, earth, fire, and wind. People have been doing this over millennia and across cultures. In times like now we tend to ignore or forget this, and we get stolen away by things like social media and shopping. The elements are screaming for our attention. In Karuna, we use the mandala circle of the five elements as a helpful organization principle and guide for life. Miriam Hall and I will teach a weekly public class Creative Resilience from 11 - 1 pm MT, on Saturdays from March 8th to April 12th, 2025 which will be dedicated to play and sharing that draws on work with the five elements in daily life. <link>
In the upcoming Power of Play Karuna Live session on Saturday, March 1st from 10 - 11 MT, I’ll introduce this topic, we’ll explore it, and we’ll reflect on how we might want to bring play into our lives as a resource going forward. I will also provide information on the upcoming Creative Resilience online course and the Karuna Training certificate program that will commence later this year in May.
I hope to see you on March 1st.
Until then, please take good care and find a little time to play.
Sandra Ladley
By Miriam Hall
Many of us wonder how to begin the New Year on the right foot. One way is to start practices early on in the year and establish habits so we can return to them throughout the months. Many of us are looking for ways to soften but also strengthen our hearts. A great way to do that is to commit to compassion.
But many of us aren’t entirely sure what compassion is, much less find it easy to practice. Common questions around compassion include:
Can I be angry and compassionate at the same time? Does compassion for someone else mean ignoring my own pain or hurt? How do I know if what I am feeling is compassion or codependency? What’s the difference between compassion and empathy? Is compassion fatigue really a thing? If so, how do I deal with it?
Do any of these questions sound familiar to you? If so, you are not alone. It's hard to orient to compassion as a key part of our lives if we don’t really understand it or feel we can’t practice it properly. You're invited to explore this further during our free online event: Karuna Live! Set Your Compassion Compass, held on January 18th. This primer will remind you of your inherent capacity for compassion and help clarify some of what are called the “near enemies” of compassion, which are the ways we confuse it with other, less helpful, states of mind.
One of Karuna Training's strengths lies in the many compassion practices we offer, including Four Immeasurables (aka Maitri/Metta/Loving Kindness), tonglen, four-step/FEEL, "self"-compassion, and compassionate exchange. In this short Karuna Live, get a sense of what different kinds of compassion practice can do for you, and then be led through a guided compassion practice. Come live to ask questions about where you struggle with compassion in your life. Bring a friend, and you can help each other remember to practice what's important to your hearts.
“Suffering is the compost of enlightenment.” These powerful words from Thich Nhat Hanh resonate deeply with Eduardo Duran, a Native American psychologist and spiritual teacher. In his conversation with the Karuna community, Duran weaves a rich tapestry of indigenous wisdom, Buddhist teachings, and the transformative power of ceremony. He challenges us to see suffering not as a burden but as fertile ground for growth, connection, and healing—both personal and collective.
This isn’t just a conversation about philosophy; it’s a call to action. Let’s explore the profound themes that emerged and how they might transform the way we view ourselves, our history, and our world.
At first glance, indigenous traditions and Buddhism might seem worlds apart. But Duran highlights their shared essence—compassion, interconnectedness, and the acceptance of suffering as part of life.
Takeaway: Embrace practices that cultivate compassion and remind you of life’s interconnectedness—like meditation, storytelling, or ceremony.
Duran tells a vivid story from a Sundance ceremony. Tasked with carrying a bison heart, he realized the deeper purpose of the ritual: compassion. It wasn’t about physical endurance; it was about opening the heart.
Pro Tip: Engage in ceremonies or rituals, even simple ones like lighting a candle, that help you honor your struggles and transform them into growth.
Colonization left a deep scar on indigenous communities—what Duran calls the "soul wound." This trauma is not just historical; it lives in the present, passed down through generations.
Actionable Step: Start a simple ritual of gratitude for the land you live on. Learn about its history and offer thanks to the ancestors who came before.
The heart is more than an organ; it’s a symbol of compassion and transformation. Duran draws parallels between the Sundance ceremony and the Tibetan Buddhist concept of the "diamond that cuts through illusion."
Try This: In moments of difficulty, place your hand over your heart and breathe deeply. Imagine compassion radiating outward, first to yourself, then to others.
“Our ancestors are always with us,” Duran reminds us. Engaging with them is not only healing but essential for reconnecting with our roots and sense of purpose.
Next Step: Create a small ancestral altar with items that connect you to your lineage. Use it as a space for reflection and gratitude.
Duran’s conversation challenges us to live more connected, compassionate lives. Whether through honoring ancestors, transforming suffering, or embracing the wisdom of the heart, his teachings offer a roadmap to healing and growth.
But these insights aren’t just for personal development—they’re a call to action for collective healing. By recognizing the deep wounds of colonization and honoring the indigenous wisdom of Turtle Island, we can take meaningful steps toward a more interconnected and harmonious world.
What will you do today to honor your ancestors, your heart, and the land beneath your feet? Start small. Let your actions ripple outward. As Duran’s teacher might say: “Let it go, and let it grow.”
by Melissa Moore
Tibetan Buddhism offers us a language and maps to navigate the multiple states of existence that continually occur between death and rebirth. These states vary in length and texture, but they entirely mirror our attitudes and conduct in everyday life. Just consider your life in the time frame of a single day; we get up usually having morning rituals to help us enter the day with composure, and then we enter the stream of experience, which varies wildly according to where we are, what we are doing, and whom we are interacting with. It's like the water in a river, constantly flowing through the same channel, but never the same water or experience. We notice several heightened moments in the transition flow, called the Bardos of everyday life.
In the upcoming class Embracing the Bardos of Everyday Life, we explore and befriend life's transitions through the contemplative lens of loving-kindness and compassion. In a sense, we are always preparing for our death when we study the Bardos, but we are preparing for death with kindness, openness, and awareness. As a young 24-year-old student at Naropa University (then Naropa Insitute), I was told by one of my esteemed professors, “The entire reason we practice meditation is to prepare for our death.” At the time, I felt insulted to be discussing death; I thought I was too young to be subjected to such tortuous contemplations. My reaction turned out to be my Midwestern cultural conditioning, where death is not a polite topic for everyday conversation.
The study of the Tibetan Book of the Dead brings to awareness how we live our lives now and its relevance to our inevitable death. This teaching heightens our relationship to impermanence and change – our habits of navigating groundlessness, change, and death and illuminates our conditioning around these lifescapes. I’m someone in my late 60s, which brings old age and death much closer into focus. I constantly ask myself if the topic or issue that is irritating me at the moment – will matter at the moment of death. Or if I could simply leave it alone, as I’m continually instructing my dog to do on walks. That is what we are practicing during meditation: to leave alone the torrential stream of distracting thoughts and relate to what we are experiencing in the moment.
Bardos are part of our psychological makeup, but we often miss the bardo-like experience unless we are paranoid or groundless. Like losing our phone or car keys, a suspended moment of panic will wake us to where we are and what we are doing. Learning to navigate these moments of groundlessness is actual preparation for our death.
The Six Bardos include The Natural Bardo of this Life, where we all find ourselves now. The Bardo of Dying occurs when we receive a diagnosis of a fatal illness up until the moment we are dying, which, of course, doesn’t happen to everyone, as we can go instantly. Then there is The Bardo of Dharmata, which occurs once we have entirely passed away, and then The Bardo of Becoming, when we are on our way to being born. The other two crucial bardos we explore are The Bardo of Meditation and The Bardo of Dreaming. Each bardo offers a unique opportunity for complete realization, recognizing our true nature. All of the bardos are significant opportunities to wake up! Thus, learning more about transitions can widen our minds and hearts and increase awareness. Also, first and foremost, we understand that how we live is how we will die; with the help of Pema Chodren’s book, we deeply dive into the bardos in everyday life.
Please join me for seven 2-hour sessions every other week ONLINE. Tuesday evenings beginning January 7 through April 1, 2025, with a final 3-hour Grieving Ritualon Saturday, April 5, 2025.
We are offering 7 CEs for attending the entire course, and each class will be recorded should you need to miss the live session. In between courses, we offer you a channel on the Circle format membership site to discuss your experience with the Bardo with prompts.