John Makransky
John Makransky, PhD, is a professor of Buddhism and Comparative Theology at Boston College, senior advisor for Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche’s Centre of Buddhist Studies in Nepal, a fellow of the Mind and Life Institute, and developer of the Sustainable Compassion Training model for accessing innate capacities of compassion and awareness. John’s scholarly writings have focused on connections between practices of devotion, compassion and non-dual wisdom in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, on adapting Buddhist practices to meet contemporary minds, and on theoretical issues in interfaith learning. In 2000, John was ordained as a Lama, a meditation teacher of innate compassion and wisdom, within the Nyingma Dzogchen tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. As a meditation teacher, John is known for guiding participants in their discovery of underlying powers of unconditional love and wisdom. For the past twenty-five years, John has taught meditations of innate compassion and wisdom, adapted from Tibetan Buddhism, for modern Buddhists, those in other spiritual traditions, and for people in caring roles and professions.
Events with John Makransky
Samye Institute Summer Immersion: The Buddhist Arts & SciencesJune 16 - July 26, 2025
This immersive six-week program offers a unique opportunity to delve into the timeless wisdom of the Buddhist tradition. Combining intellectual exploration with personal transformation, it integrates teachings on the inner fields of knowledge—Buddhist philosophy and meditative practices—with the outer fields of knowledge, such as logic, medicine, language, artisanry, astrology, and geomancy. These teachings are delivered by accomplished Tibetan masters and academically-trained scholar-practitioners, fostering a holistic learning experience. Apply here for a summer to remember. What You’ll Learn Rooted in centuries-old training methods from India and Tibet, this program introduces participants to the foundational Buddhist wisdom that balances theoretical…
Sustainable Compassion and Wisdom TrainingJune 16 - 20, 2025
Join us for Week 1 of the Samye Institute Summer Immersion Program! In this first week, we are joined by Prof. John Makransky, who will lead us into a deeper understanding of how to develop sustainable compassion and wisdom. These daily sessions will be complemented by daily teachings with Tulku Migmar Tsering, and supported throughout by Hilary Herdman, PhD. Sustainable Compassion and Wisdom Training (SCT) is a method derived from Tibetan Buddhism to help us realize a power of unconditional love and wisdom from within that can be deeply healing and sustaining, make us more fully present to ourselves…