Tricycle Talks How Compassion Works with John Makransky
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Jun 18, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, Lama John Makransky, a respected figure in Tibetan Buddhism and former professor, dives into the transformative power of compassion. He explains how our well-being and relationships depend on accessing our innate compassion. Topics include the balance of empathy and action, the cultivation of compassion as a skill rather than an inherent trait, and practical meditation techniques for self-awareness. Makransky also guides listeners through a meditation, helping them tap into their deeper qualities and recognize their shared humanity.
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Innate Compassion and Buddha Nature
- We all possess an innate positive potential called Buddha nature rooted in vast awareness, warmth, and unconditional love.
- These qualities lie beneath surface consciousness, often hidden by habitual limiting thoughts and reactions.
Compassion Requires Balance
- Compassion involves a trembling heart responding to suffering and a movement toward offering help.
- Genuine compassion balances empathy with boundaries to avoid burnout or self-sacrifice.
Equanimity Tempering Compassion
- Equanimity provides wisdom to temper compassion, recognizing limits and accepting what we can do now.
- Compassion strengthened by balance helps avoid exhaustion and maintains effective care for self and others.
