Ep 3: Jonathan F.P. Rose — Applying Dharma to the Healing of Communities, Cities, and the World

What does it truly mean to live the Dharma in today’s complex and interconnected world?

In this episode of Living Dharma, hosts Kunsang Palmo and Justin Kelley sit down with Jonathan F. P. Rose—mission-driven developer, contemplative practitioner, and co-founder of the Garrison Institute—for a wide-ranging and deeply grounded conversation on purpose, compassion, and action.

Jonathan shares how a formative spiritual experience in nature shaped his lifelong commitment to relieving suffering—not only for humans, but for all sentient beings. Drawing from decades of work in affordable housing, environmental justice, and social innovation, he explores how Buddhist wisdom can guide real-world systems change without losing tenderness or integrity.

Together, they discuss the role of daily practice, the protection of the mind in an age of distraction, the importance of sangha, and the balance between vast view and practical application. From the founding of the Garrison Institute to reimagining cities through The Well-Tempered City, this conversation illuminates how Dharma can be lived—not as abstraction, but as embodied responsibility.

This episode is an invitation to reflect on how wisdom, compassion, and courage can shape our work, our communities, and our shared future.

For more about the path we walk and the wisdom we share, visit the Tergar Institute at: https://tergarinstitute.org/