Donald Rothberg
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.
Useful Links
Featured Audio Talk
July 12, 2023 - Cultivating Wise Speech
Our inherent kindness and wisdom can close down when we are judgmental and blaming, when emotions like fear or anger are present, and generally when there are differences and conflicts. How do we stay present and engage in skillful speech, including empathy for the other (which doesn’t necessarily mean agreement), in such situations? It takes training! I can learn to invite my kind heart and wisdom to be there, even if I’m saying something difficult. Wise speech sometimes includes saying things the other person doesn't want to hear, setting boundaries, or saying “No, this is not okay.” On a social level, skillful and empathic speech can point out injustice.