Equanimity is the fruit, as we have seen, of regular mindfulness practice. It represents the growing ability to be attentive and compassionate with a wide range of experiences. As we practice, both formally in meditation and more informally in daily life, we note what takes away our equanimity: 'Oh, that was a difficult experience. I didn't have much equanimity with that'; or, 'Oh, I wanted that situation to turn out this way so badly, and I really got lost for a while.' We may also begin to be aware of the near enemies, as we are alert for indifference, denial, resignation, complacency, and the like.
Donald Rothberg, PhD
Residential Retreat Teacher
Donald Rothberg, PhD, has practiced Insight Meditation since 1976, and has also received training in Tibetan Dzogchen, Mahamudra practice and the Hakomi approach to body-based psychotherapy. Formerly on the faculties of the University of Kentucky, Kenyon College, and Saybrook Graduate School, he currently writes and teaches classes, groups and retreats on meditation, daily life practice, spirituality and psychology, and socially engaged Buddhism. An organizer, teacher, and former board member for the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Donald has helped to guide six-month to two-year training programs in socially engaged spirituality through Buddhist Peace Fellowship (the BASE Program), Saybrook (the Socially Engaged Spirituality Program), and Spirit Rock (the Path of Engagement Program). He is the author of The Engaged Spiritual Life: A Buddhist Approach to Transforming Ourselves and the World and the co-editor of Ken Wilber in Dialogue: Conversations with Leading Transpersonal Thinkers.
Donald Rothberg's Upcoming Programs
Retreat | On-Land
Saturday, February 8 | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Cultivating Wise Speech: Becoming More Skillful in Your Speech Practice
6 CE Credits. Connecting our meditation practice with our speaking is a main way to bring spiritual values into our everyday lives. In this daylong, we will support this intention by integrating periods of sitting and walking meditation with talks, speech practices, and discussion. We will focus on (1) the basic teachings of the Buddha on wise speech, (2) cultivating presence and mindfulness during speaking and listening, (3) developing empathy as a practice, and (4) practicing wise speech in difficult situations.
Donald Rothberg
Retreat | On-Land | Hybrid
Sunday, July 13 | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Transforming the Judgmental Mind
6 CE Credits. Judgments of a reactive and compulsive nature, both toward ourselves and toward others, figure very strongly in most of our lives. They can distort our perceptions and relationships. In this daylong, we will examine what judgments are and how to work with them using mindfulness, “heart” practices, and inquiry, helping us to preserve the discernment often found in judgments, while working through their destructive aspects. Attendees will have the option of regular follow-up sessions to continue and deepen the learning.
Donald Rothberg
Retreat | Online | Hybrid
Sunday, July 13 | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Transforming the Judgmental Mind
Judgments of a reactive and compulsive nature, both toward ourselves and toward others, figure very strongly in most of our lives. They can distort our perceptions and relationships. In this daylong, we will examine what judgments are and how to work with them using mindfulness, “heart” practices, and inquiry, helping us to preserve the discernment often found in judgments, while working through their destructive aspects. Attendees will have the option of regular follow-up sessions to continue and deepen the learning.
Donald Rothberg
Retreat | On-Land
October 25 - November 1, 2025 | Saturday - Saturday | 7 nights
Settling, Seeing, and Spacious Awareness
Registration Opens - February 19. Together, we will train in three interrelated modes of practice. First, we’ll settle and stabilize our minds and bodies, becoming more concentrated. From here, we can see more clearly when there is reactivity, when we suffer, and when there is a thick sense of self, and we learn to be more in line with the impermanent flow of experience. We can also tune in to an increasingly luminous awareness beyond reactivity, which is a source of freedom, wisdom, and compassion.
Upcoming Drop-Ins
Drop-in | Online
Wednesday, February 5 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Wednesday Morning Meditation & Talk
Our Wednesday Morning Meditation & Talk is led by Sylvia Boorstein, Donald Rothberg, Heidi Bourne, or other guest teachers. This group welcomes beginners and experienced practitioners to explore the Dharma.
Donald Rothberg
Drop-in | Online
Wednesday, February 12 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Wednesday Morning Meditation & Talk
Our Wednesday Morning Meditation & Talk is led by Sylvia Boorstein, Donald Rothberg, Heidi Bourne, or other guest teachers. This group welcomes beginners and experienced practitioners to explore the Dharma.
Donald Rothberg
Dharma Library
Can't join us live online or on the land? Study and practice at your convenience with Donald Rothberg through our new library of recordings, articles, and self-paced online courses.