
John Makransky: How Compassion Works (#226)
From The Wisdom Podcast by The Wisdom Podcast
March 20, 2026 · 1h 4m · Episode 226
About this episode
John Makransky joins host Daniel Aitken to discuss compassion, Buddha nature, and his new book on cultivating well-being.
In this episode of the Wisdom Podcast , host Daniel Aitken is joined by John Makransky . John is Associate Professor of Buddhism and Comparative Theology at Boston College, senior advisor for Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche’s Centre of Buddhist Studies in Nepal, and developer of the Sustainable Compassion Training model for accessing innate capacities of compassion and awareness. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. As a meditation teacher and a practitioner of Tibetan meditations of compassion and wisdom for four decades, John has pioneered new ways of making these accessible to people of all backgrounds and faith. His published works from Wisdom Publications include Awakening Through Love: Unveiling Your Deepest Goodness . Join John and Daniel as they explore Buddha nature, bodhicitta, and compassion in today’s world. They also discuss: John’s new book How Compassion Works: A Step-by-Step Guide to Cultivating Well-Being, Love, and Wisdom ; the significance of the emptiness and luminosity aspects of your fundamental awareness; ways to deepen your practice; and much more! Mentioned in this episode: Learn more about John’s work with Sustainable…
People in this episode
Host: Daniel Aitken
Guest: John Makransky
Topics covered
- compassion
- Buddha nature
- bodhicitta
- Tibetan meditation
- well-being
- spirituality
Keywords
- compassion
- Buddhism
- meditation
- well-being
- Tibetan
- bodhicitta
- spirituality
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Boston College, Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche’s Centre of Buddhist Studies, Wisdom Publications, Sustainable Compassion Training
Books & works: How Compassion Works: A Step-by-Step Guide to Cultivating Well-Being, Love, and Wisdom, Awakening Through Love: Unveiling Your Deepest Goodness
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