There's a very specific path of what deep insight and awakening looks like. And right before we get a glimpse of the unconditioned, equanimity arises, allowing us to be absolutely fine with whatever comes next.
Bonnie Duran
Residential Retreat Teacher
Bonnie Duran embarked on her journey with the Dharma in 1982. She has since taken teachings from a diverse array of Western teachers, such as Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield, and Kamala Masters, as well as Thai, Burmese, and Tibetan Monastic teachers. Bonnie's credentials include graduating from the Insight Meditation Society (IMS)/Spirit Rock Meditation Center (SRMC) retreat teacher-training program. She has been a core SRMC Dedicated Practitioners Program teacher and is on the SRMC Guiding Teachers Council.
Bonnie teaches long and short retreats at IMS, Spirit Rock, and other communities and is involved in Native American spiritual practices and traditions. Bonnie was introduced to the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist tradition through her partner and is now happily studying and practicing. Bonnie has contributed to Hilda Gutiérrez Baldoquin’s book “Dharma, Color, and Culture: New Voices in Western Buddhism” and has written for the Harvard Divinity Bulletin, Tricycle, and the Turning Wheel.
Dr. Duran is a professor emeritus in the Schools of Social Work and Public Health at the University of Washington and a faculty member at the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute. Her academic work has been primarily with Tribal, urban Indian, and International Indigenous communities.
Bonnie Duran's Upcoming Programs
Retreat | On-Land
July 9 - July 18, 2025 | Wednesday - Friday | 9 nights
Summer Lovingkindness Retreat
Full - short waitlist. Commuter spaces available! The Buddha’s teachings on the four divine sanctuaries (brahmavihāras) include meditations on universal friendliness (mettā), compassion (karuṇā), altruistic joy (muditā), and equanimity (upekkhā). Aimed at purifying our hearts and developing concentration, these divine sanctuaries help us find inner peace and powerfully engage with the world. This retreat will deepen our understanding of selfless love and its role in ending suffering. Retreatants are encouraged to combine this retreat with the Insight Meditation retreat to further develop concentration and purify the heart.
Tempel Smith
Rebecca Bradshaw
Anushka Fernandopulle
Bonnie Duran
John Martin
Francisco Morillo Gable
Rasika Link
Retreat | On-Land
July 18 - July 27, 2025 | Friday - Sunday | 9 nights
Summer Insight Meditation Retreat
Spaces Still Available! This retreat will emphasize continuity of awareness in all activities, stabilizing the mind, and cultivating insight. Combining relaxation with clarity, we will explore the liberating teachings of the Buddha, including the foundations of mindfulness, the radical nature of impermanence, and the cessation of craving. Practitioners are encouraged to combine the Summer Insight Retreat with the Summer Lovingkindness (mettā) Retreat, although this is not required. For those attending both retreats, the teachers will guide and integrate the retreats as one offering.
Tempel Smith
Rebecca Bradshaw
Anushka Fernandopulle
Bonnie Duran
John Martin
Francisco Morillo Gable
Rasika Link
Dharma Library
Can't join us live online or on the land? Study and practice at your convenience with Bonnie Duran through our new library of recordings, articles, and self-paced online courses.