Special Event: Ghatika Monthly at CCR with John Bruna
June 13 @ 10:00 am - 11:30 am
John will return to The Center for Contemplative Research to give the Ghatika Monthly meditation and talk. You can join online for this live interactive teaching.
Equanimity: The Power to Respond, Not React
Saturday, June 13th, 10:00 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time (MDT)
9 a.m. PDT / 12 p.m. EDT / 6 p.m. Central European Time (CET)
Ways to attend:
- Online: Zoom link will be made available
- In-person at Miyo Samten Ling Hermitage at 10:00 a.m. MDT (1 Carmelite Way, Crestone, CO), in the chapel (the building with the bell tower)
Make a donation to CCR – Donate.
Topic Description:
In times of uncertainty, division, and rapid change, it is easy to become overwhelmed by fear, anger, frustration, or despair. Many people mistake equanimity for passivity, detachment, or simply accepting things as they are. In reality, equanimity is the foundation of wise and compassionate action. When we are caught in reactivity, our choices become driven by habit, bias, and emotion. Equanimity frees us from being controlled by these forces, allowing us to respond to life’s challenges with clarity, courage, and purpose.
Far from withdrawing from the world, equanimity empowers us to engage more fully and effectively. It helps us remain grounded amidst conflict, open-hearted in the face of suffering, and committed to positive change without becoming consumed by anger or hatred. In a world that often encourages us to react, equanimity offers the freedom to choose how we show up, with wisdom, compassion, and the capacity to be part of the solution rather than contributing to the suffering.
In this talk, John explores how cultivating an impartial and balanced mind expands our agency, strengthens our resilience, and enables us to meet even the most difficult circumstances with skill, dignity, and care. Through understanding and practice, we discover that equanimity is not a retreat from life. It is the inner freedom that allows us to participate in life more fully, love more deeply, and act more skillfully for the benefit of ourselves and others.