Compassion in Times of Conflict—a Conversation with Tara, Paul Gilbert, and Rick Hanson
4/16/20261 hr 4 min
In this talk, we explore how compassion can arise in the midst of conflict—within our lives and in the larger world. In a conversation with Paul Gilbert, moderated by Rick Hansen, we reflect on how our evolutionary conditioning—especially the brain's threat system—fuels fear, shame, and the reflex to see others as "other."
Drawing on Buddhist psychology, we look at how a sense of separation and the stories of blame keep us caught in reactivity—and how we can begin to shift out of reactivity into presence, understanding, and care. This talk includes a guided reflection for working with conflict, helping us contact the vulnerability beneath anger, reopen the heart, and widen the circle of belonging.
Our introduction music is from "Opening" by Adrienne Torf, © 2025 ABT Music
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First 90 secondsTara Brach· Host0:00
[outro music] Welcome, friends, to the Tara Brach Podcast. I'm so glad you're here. Each week, I share teachings and guided meditations to help us awaken our hearts and bring healing to our world. You can learn more or support this offering by visiting tarabrach.com, where you can also join our email list. Now, let's explore together the many ways we can live from the love and presence that's our deepest essence. [outro music] Namaste. [bell ringing] Namaste. Welcome, friends. Today, I want to share a conversation I had recently, uh, with Paul Gilbert. Many of you might know of him. He's a psychology professor and a researcher and founder of the Compassion Focused Therapy. So Paul has spent decades exploring