February 20, 2025

Dear Friends,

“Compassion doesn’t cause you to feel overwhelmed. What will lead to burnout is empathy,” Mingyur Rinpoche tells us in his monthly teaching. Reflections from Cortland Dahl and Myoshin Kelley accompany his insightful teaching.

This newsletter also highlights a new way to experience the Joy of Living online program: the Joy of Living Level 1 Cohort. Many of you already know the importance of following a path. It’s the path that allows us to evolve and grow on our journey. While guided meditation can bring relief in moments of stress, lasting transformation comes from a steady, structured approach. This program, with its live, weekly sessions led by Tergar guides, provides excellent support to integrate the teachings into our lives.

Finally, if you've thought about teaching meditation based on Mingyur Rinpoche’s approach, the application period for Tergar’s Meditation Teacher Program is now open. Learn more here.

Enjoy!

Share this newsletter URL with a friend ╰┈➤

Monthly Teaching

Have you ever felt the pain of a friend's heartbreak as if it were your own? Or perhaps witnessed someone struggling and felt a deep urge to help? Many of us use the terms “empathy” and “compassion” interchangeably. While both are valuable, understanding the difference can help avoid emotional burnout.

In this monthly teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche delves into the subtle but significant differences, explaining how to cultivate genuine compassion and avoid the pitfalls of excessive empathy. He provides practical guidance on developing a more compassionate approach to life, which can lead to greater well-being for ourselves and others.

WATCH THE TEACHING

Guest Editorials

Compassion: As Natural as Our Heartbeat

by Myoshin Kelley

Listening to the news from around the world, we hear stories of unimaginable loss and hardship — people facing challenges that seem insurmountable, or maybe we are heartbroken for the planet. There are innumerable ways that suffering emerges.

LEARN MORE

The Science of Empathy and Compassion: More Different Than We Might Think

by Cortland Dahl

Empathy and compassion, often thought to be closely related emotional responses, activate completely different networks in the brain, as found in research from the Max Planck Institute. This distinction has important implications for how we approach caring for others, particularly in caregiving professions.

LEARN MORE

Joy of Living Teachings

Is there a Joy of Living teaching on compassion that stands out for you? How so?

Laura Sowerby

The Lake District, UK

The teachings on compassion have been a powerful way for me to work with my struggles. When I allow the lively, vibrant, and sometimes uncomfortable experiences to just be there, I can notice them afresh. They start to feel a little different; they have lost their power to overwhelm. My attitude towards myself is a whole lot kinder. There’s a feeling, too, that I am not alone. Knowing that a difficult emotion or ugly thought originates from my natural urge to be happy and free is in itself a beautiful wish and a longing that we all share.

Jaime Mondragón

Mexico City, Mexico

I’ve come to understand that almost everything that happens in my life, in one way or another, is a form of suffering, for instance, not achieving what I want or getting something that I don’t want. Recognizing that suffering touches every part of my life helped me see that the same is true for others, and I could expand compassion to my loved ones and to all people. Most importantly, I have expanding compassion to my difficult people. I could see that a difficult person is not “difficult” in their nature, and that has brought me greater acceptance and peace.

Your Meditation Path

Journey Together Through Joy of Living 1

As you may know, on February 22, we’re launching the first Joy of Living cohort. It introduces an educational paradigm, offering a more dynamic, interactive, and structured way to engage with the Joy of Living Online teachings. Over six months, participants will complete Level 1.

Our vision is for this same group to continue with Levels 2 and 3, deepening the journey beyond individual practice. By following this path, in less than two years, participants will have completed the entire Joy of Living program — in a way that brings the teachings fully to life and offers a life-long foundation.

JOIN THE COHORT →

We recently hosted a Q&A session on February 15 with Kasumi Kato, where we discussed the details of the cohort. You can watch the recording here to gain a deeper understanding of the program’s structure.

Meditation Teacher Program

Application Period for MTP Now Open

We are delighted to let you know that the application period has opened for the next Meditation Teacher Program (MTP), September 15, 2025 to July 26, 2026. If you’ve considered teaching meditation, this is an immersive experience that blends the wisdom of meditation practice with the latest scientific insights — in a program that will ground you in Mingyur Rinpoche’s approach.

LEARN MORE →

I was skeptical about enrolling. It seemed like a lot of work, but I finally decided to apply [to the MTP] so that I could give back as much as I had gained from my own meditation journey. After a year of intense effort, I do not regret my decision. My peers were fantastic, and my mentor was incredibly helpful and encouraging. Mingyur Rinpoche’s teachings were a joy, and the guest speakers were knowledgeable and engaging. I learned a lot, and now I’m not only a better meditator — but also a teacher. If you're ready to invest the time and effort required by the course, this will be an incredible adventure that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

— Andrea Loreto

Upcoming Events

The Born to Flourish Series Begins March 8

Discover the synergy of Buddhist wisdom and neuroscience in this six-part webinar series. Join Mingyur Rinpoche and Drs. Richie Davidson and Cortland Dahl for these special two-hour sessions and learn to transform stress, navigate emotions, and enhance well-being.

This series is free and open to everyone.