Afleveringen
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Jack is interviewed by Ocean Robbins to explore the big spiritual questions—why there is suffering, how to navigate duality, making the ordinary holy, and cultivating a loving witness.
Discover Your Buddha Nature with Jack Kornfield, an online journey for reclaiming our dignity, compassion, and generosity, beginning June 2.
“It’s important to not use spiritual practice to set up an ideal or judge yourself. Sometimes you need to shut down, and then you open again. So the spiritual path is really about being with both the calm ocean and the storm.” – Jack Kornfield
In this episode, Jack and Ocean mindfully explore:
What first got Jack into mindfulness and meditationLife as beautiful, and an ocean of tearsSuffering, Buddhism, and the end of sufferingWhy is there suffering in the world?Navigating the reality of duality—form and emptiness, life and deathThe recycling nature of the universeHow to make the ordinary holyMeeting our lives with presenceA simple way to explain “The Witness”The magic of consciousnessA calming and deep guided meditation Holding fear and grief in compassionNot getting caught in reactions and angerActing the nobility of heart and your original dignityThis episode was originally recorded for the Food Revolution Network in November of 2024.
“Life is extraordinarily beautiful, and it’s an ocean of tears. You can’t have birth without death, you can’t have light without dark, you can’t have beginnings without endings. We live in a universe constructed of opposites. That’s just the game of form, of duality. You can’t have form without the emptiness from which it comes.” – Jack Kornfield
About Ocean Robbins:
Ocean Robbins is an American entrepreneur and author, best known for his role as the co-founder of Food Revolution Network, Inc. This California-based company is dedicated to advocating for a whole foods, plant-based diet. Check out Ocean’s book, 31-Day Food Revolution, to learn more about healing the body and transforming the world. You can keep up with Ocean on his website, HERE.
About Jack Kornfield:
Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma, studying as a monk under the Buddhist master Ven. Ajahn Chah, as well as the Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. Jack co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with fellow meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein and the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. His books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies.
Jack is currently offering a wonderful array of transformational online courses diving into crucial topics like Mindfulness Meditation Fundamentals, Walking the Eightfold Path, Opening the Heart of Forgiveness, Living Beautifully, Transforming Your Life Through Powerful Stories, and so much more. Sign up for an All Access Pass to explore Jack’s entire course library. If you would like a year's worth of online meetups with Jack and fellow community members, join The Year of Awakening: A Monthly Journey with Jack Kornfield.
Stay up to date with Jack and his stream of fresh dharma offerings by visiting JackKornfield.com and signing up for his email teachings.
“We live in a universe that’s recycling itself—the ultimate recycling of birth and death, form and rebirth. For us as human beings, the question is not why or how. The Buddha didn’t actually answer those questions. He said those are questions that don’t tend to have understanding. He said, what I’m interested in is how to navigate the universe as it is, in a way that brings love, well-being, and freedom to all who want to awaken to this.” – Jack Kornfield
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In this guided breath meditation, Jack Kornfield invites listeners into a space of ease, trust, and ardent gratitude for our bodies, hearts, and minds.
Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.
Learn to cultivate dignity, compassion, and generosity in Discovering Your Buddha Nature with Jack Kornfield, an online journey beginning June 2.
This week on Heart Wisdom, Jack leads listeners through:
The true purpose of meditation and returning from the outer world to our inner selves Softening the body and releasing any physical and emotional tensionGrounding ourselves as we sense the weight of our body being fully supported by the earth Receiving whatever thoughts and emotions arise during meditation with compassion and opennessNoticing how the body breathes itself, relaxing into each breath, and inviting a sense of ease and trust Feeling the rise and fall of our bellies with each inhale and exhaleBowing inwardly to our life-sustaining breath and thanking it for keeping us aliveExpanding the field of mindful loving awareness to the entire body, heart, and mind Finding the parts of our body that are storing buried difficulties Considering the energy of the mind and how occupied it is most of the timeWelcoming a sense of peace and presence with a quieter mind and a tender heart Resting in ‘the awareness that notices’ and de-identifying with the breath and body"This is your life breath. It breathes you together with all living things. It breathes you with everyone in the room, the ocean of air in the trees. As if to make an inward bow, you can say thank you to your breath for keeping you alive so steadily." – Jack Kornfield
This meditation was originally recorded for the InsightLA Sunday livestream on April 20, 2025.
“Notice that you are not your breath and body. You are not your feelings and thoughts. But, who you are is the awareness that has been kindly witnessing. You are the loving awareness itself.” – Jack Kornfield
About Jack Kornfield:
Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma, studying as a monk under the Buddhist master Ven. Ajahn Chah, as well as the Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. Jack co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with fellow meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein and the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. His books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies.
Jack is currently offering a wonderful array of transformational online courses diving into crucial topics like Mindfulness Meditation Fundamentals, Walking the Eightfold Path, Opening the Heart of Forgiveness, Living Beautifully, Transforming Your Life Through Powerful Stories, and so much more. Sign up for an All Access Pass to explore Jack’s entire course library. If you would like a year's worth of online meetups with Jack and fellow community, join The Year of Awakening: A Monthly Journey with Jack Kornfield.
Stay up to date with Jack and his stream of fresh dharma offerings by visiting JackKornfield.com and signing up for his email teachings.
"The goal of meditation is not to get to somewhere else, to get from here to there, but to come from there to here. To be present, awake, kind, alive." – Jack Kornfield
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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In this time of global uncertainty, Jack Kornfield and Trudy Goodman call us to rise with fierce compassion and become Bodhisattvas of the Great Turning.
Join Jack's Free New Course, Stand Up For Compassion: A Free Course and Resource for Navigating Uncertain Times.
“You become the imaginal cells in these times. Things fall apart, but in you is the understanding that compassion is big enough to hold all of this, that the heart is big enough to hold all this, that the Dharma is big enough to shine through empires, changes, crisis, and beauty. That’s what we have—the Bodhisattva can carry on liberating beings from suffering, however long it takes.” – Jack Kornfield
In this episode, Jack and Trudy mindfully explore:
How you can pick all the flowers, but you can’t stop the springNavigating fear politics and the cultural media machineLetting go of fear, blame, shame, and ending systemic divisionUsing this time of “The Great Turning” as an opportunity to create a more loving worldAjahn Chah and living the truth of uncertaintyHow to face the big problems of the world with even bigger loveMeeting the world through the Bodhisattva VowsHow loving people and feeding people connects with enlightenmentThe path and practices of loving awareness and compassionInclining the heart towards kindness and generosityHow caterpillars change to butterflies through Imaginal CellsThe world-changing power of true communityLearning how to respond mindfully to any trigger or circumstanceBecoming a make-weight of hope to tip the scales of humanity to love and balanceThe spiritual wisdom of Passover and EasterLetting go of tension and flowing into relaxationThe Pagan Goddess of DawnCommunity as the antidote for lonelinessCrying, letting the tears come, and seeing what happensHow to interact with people who are highly anxious or avoidantSaying hello to the people around you“Tears feel endless, bottomless, when they don’t have a chance to fall. When they get to fall, they fall and fall, but they stop because tears too are impermanent, they cannot fall forever. It’s really like this with all the intense emotions we are afraid will flood and drown us in some way.” – Trudy Goodman
"What we're experiencing, Joanna Macy calls, The Great Turning. It's the breakdown of the exploitive late-stage capitalist model where we get as much as we can, and the harbinger of the possibility of interdependence. When it breaks down, that turning says, ‘We will use this time to turn this world into something better, to care for one another. The possibility starts with us." – Jack Kornfield
This episode was originally recorded for the InsightLA Sunday livestream on April 20, 2025.
Photo via Wirestock
About Jack Kornfield:
Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma, studying as a monk under the Buddhist master Ven. Ajahn Chah, as well as the Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. Jack co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with fellow meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein and the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. His books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies.
Jack is currently offering a wonderful array of transformational online courses diving into crucial topics like Mindfulness Meditation Fundamentals, Walking the Eightfold Path, Opening the Heart of Forgiveness, Living Beautifully, Transforming Your Life Through Powerful Stories, and so much more. Sign up for an All Access Pass to explore Jack’s entire course library. If you would like a year's worth of online meetups with Jack and fellow community, join The Year of Awakening: A Monthly Journey with Jack Kornfield.
Stay up to date with Jack and his stream of fresh dharma offerings by visiting JackKornfield.com and signing up for his email teachings.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Exploring how to let go of victim consciousness and awaken inner resilience, Jack shares how to rest in awareness and live from the trusting heart.
Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.
Join Jack's New Free Course, Stand Up For Compassion: A Free Course and Resource for Navigating Uncertain Times.
In this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack mindfully explores:
Liberation, resilience, and the Trusting HeartThe physical nature of time within the infinite nature of awarenessChange, aging, and the weirdness of looking in the mirrorMeditation and working with the drama that arisesRemembering who we truly are, no matter how lost we getMoving past victim consciousness, shame, and blameDropping our negative stories and starting to live with nobilityHow we are so much more than our sufferingHow to stop being loyal to our stories about ourselves and the worldNavigating these "latter day degenerate times with cherry blossoms everywhere”The goal of practice as keeping our beginners mindLetting go of fear and opening to adventureNot confusing no-self with low-self esteem"No self, no problem"The strength, aliveness, and fullness of true emptinessThe Dharma of a zoo in a hurricaneThe Trusting Heart as natural as the Tao, as resilient as water, and as forgiving as the earthThe resiliency, compassion, and intuition of the WitnessRecognizing how good you're actually doing"When we become still, when we're not trying to be something, when we're in the moments of the trusting heart—what's left is not imitation or artificial, it is as natural as the Tao, as resilient and flexible as water, and as forgiving as the earth." – Jack Kornfield
This Dharma Talk was recorded at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and originally published on DharmaSeed.
“Is this who you really are—the victim, the abandoned one, the lonely one? Is that really who you are? If you speak it out loud, 'I'm the victim,' it gets embarrassing because something in there can't say it very long. Over time we've become really loyal to this story, but actually, something in us knows that it's not the whole game. There comes tremendous freedom when we begin to experience this." – Jack Kornfield
About Jack Kornfield:
Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma, studying as a monk under the Buddhist master Ven. Ajahn Chah, as well as the Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. Jack co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with fellow meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein and the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. His books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies.
Jack is currently offering a wonderful array of transformational online courses diving into crucial topics like Mindfulness Meditation Fundamentals, Walking the Eightfold Path, Opening the Heart of Forgiveness, Living Beautifully, Transforming Your Life Through Powerful Stories, and so much more. Sign up for an All Access Pass to explore Jack’s entire course library. If you would like a year's worth of online meetups with Jack and fellow community, join The Year of Awakening: A Monthly Journey with Jack Kornfield.
Stay up to date with Jack and his stream of fresh dharma offerings by visiting JackKornfield.com and signing up for his email teachings.
"There is a resiliency in us as human beings which becomes trustworthy when we let go of the small sense of self and become the spacious, open, witness to all things." – Jack Kornfield
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Who are we really? Jack Kornfield peels back the veil on our identity roles to uncover the deeper truth that we really are.
Join Jack's New Free Course, Stand Up For Compassion: A Free Course and Resource for Navigating Uncertain Times.
In this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack mindfully explores:
Opening to a new vast, gracious, and spacious perspective on lifeStepping out of your ordinary habits and roles to see something in a new wayHow to navigate the reality that death is stalking usMeditation as a practice of letting things goThe spirituality of the nature of change and the present momentRam Dass and the mystery of identity, change, and awarenessSeeing past our roles to the deeper reality of who we areLooking into the mystery of: Who I Am?Touching the secret beauty you were born withJack's experience communicating with Koko the GorillaSeeing past the illusion of separateness and the small selfMeditation as a sacred space of non-consumptionRemembering and healing through listening and letting goSeeing the entire arc of life with the eyes of the DivineOvercoming the forces of greed, hatred, and fearUntangling the places that cause suffering and confusionOpening to the birthright of your freedomLiving the pattern of mystery that is this lifeRecognizing the total interconnection of all of life"Part of what makes meditation so extraordinary is that to simply sit and not try to make anything happen, or get anywhere, or do something—is to step out of our identity and our roles in the small sense of self." – Jack Kornfield
This Dharma Talk was recorded at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and originally published on DharmaSeed.
“Meditation offers us a sacred space of non-consumption. There's nothing to do, no grade, no accomplishment, nothing you have to become. It is the sacred space to listen and remember, and touch the freedom of heart or spirit that is possible in any circumstance." – Jack Kornfield
About Jack Kornfield:
Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma, studying as a monk under the Buddhist master Ven. Ajahn Chah, as well as the Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. Jack co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with fellow meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein and the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. His books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies.
Jack is currently offering a wonderful array of transformational online courses diving into crucial topics like Mindfulness Meditation Fundamentals, Walking the Eightfold Path, Opening the Heart of Forgiveness, Living Beautifully, Transforming Your Life Through Powerful Stories, and so much more. Sign up for an All Access Pass to explore Jack’s entire course library. If you would like a years worth of online meetups with Jack and fellow community, join The Year of Awakening: A Monthly Journey with Jack Kornfield.
Stay up to date with Jack and his stream of fresh dharma offerings by visiting JackKornfield.com and signing up for his email teachings.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Exploring how to stay buoyant and balanced on life's great ocean of change, Jack sets our spiritual compass for letting go into what is.
Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.
Join Jack's New Free Course, Stand Up For Compassion: A Free Course and Resource for Navigating Uncertain Times.
"What we're asked to do here is a very deep thing, which isn't to change ourselves, but to give ourselves to our life, to practice with continuity and care, bowing, opening. It's really like being in labor, if you've ever had a child or been there for childbirth, it's a birth of your life, a birth of yourself, over and over, letting go to what is." – Jack Kornfield
In this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack mindfully explores:
The Tibetan story of Avalokitesvara, Green Tara, and White TaraThe spiritual wisdom of a duck resting on the oceanFloating softly on life's constant ocean of changeExperiencing ourselves as an always flowing river of lifeBowing to the truth of impermanenceSelflessness, emptiness, and opennessSeeing through the dreamlike mirage of 'who you think you are'Letting go into the ever-changing process of lifeHonoring the truth of what's here and nowSuffering, opening your heart, and connecting to all beingsAwakening the great heart of compassionRam Dass and the gift of serviceMeeting death with curiosity, play, and wisdomRebirthing ourselves over and over againGiving ourselves over sincerely to our life, letting go into what isAwakening the great wisdom and heart of the Buddha in every circumstanceHow surrender leads directly to freedomThis Dharma Talk recorded on 1/3/93 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.
“The more we pay attention, the more we sense ourselves as a river of life." – Jack Kornfield
Interested in learning more on this topic? Check out our most recent Here and Now episode for Ram Dass’ perspective on the ocean of change.
About Jack Kornfield:
Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma, studying as a monk under the Buddhist master Ven. Ajahn Chah, as well as the Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. Jack co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with fellow meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein and the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. His books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies.
Jack is currently offering a wonderful array of transformational online courses diving into crucial topics like Mindfulness Meditation Fundamentals, Walking the Eightfold Path, Opening the Heart of Forgiveness, Living Beautifully, Transforming Your Life Through Powerful Stories, and so much more. Sign up for an All Access Pass to explore Jack’s entire course library. If you would like a years worth of online meetups with Jack and fellow community, join The Year of Awakening: A Monthly Journey with Jack Kornfield.
Stay up to date with Jack and his stream of fresh dharma offerings by visiting JackKornfield.com and signing up for his email teachings.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Jack invites us to stop fighting what is and begin bowing to it—awakening the timeless wisdom and compassionate heart of a Buddha, right here and now, in the midst of our joys, sorrows, and the suffering of the world.
This Dharma Talk recorded on 1/3/93 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.
This week on Heart Wisdom, Jack gives perspectives on:
Evaluating our spiritual practiceJoanna Macy and healing the environmentThe rollercoaster ride of meditationAwakening right here and right nowThe transformative power of bowing to it allThe Buddhas of all the universesSuffering and the truth of Nirvana, timeless delightFacing the reality of the human realm—joy and sorrow, birth and deathLooking at the difficulties facing the planet today—war, famine, racism, greed, environmental concernsStop fighting what is true; the end of denialBowing to suffering, attachment, and changeInsight—seeing things just as they are"We awaken the wisdom and the great, compassionate heart of a Buddha right where we are. Where else could it be?" – Jack Kornfield
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Leading a guided meditation helping us witness the play of our human existence from the loving awareness that we truly are, Jack invites us to uncover true freedom as our birthright.
Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.
In this episode, Jack delves into:
The true purpose of meditation and spiritual practiceComing fully into the reality of the present momentBecoming mindful loving awareness itselfWitness the play of our human experienceUncovering true freedom as your innate birthrightExperiencing the present moment as loving awarenessResponding to the world with mindful loving courage“Come into this present moment with mindful loving awareness, notice the play of our human experience, and discover we can take our seat with a compassionate and gracious heart with a freedom that is your birthright.” – Jack Kornfield
This recording is from Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Monday Night Talk and Meditation on 3/3/25.
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This episode was recorded on 3/03/25 as a part of Spirit Rock’s Monday Night Dharma Talk Series
“You are the imaginal cells. You are the ones who are called to hold the vision of a wise society where people respect each other, where we care for the vulnerable, where we understand the universal teaching, ‘Hatred never ceases by hatred, but by love alone is healed.’ This is you.'” – Jack Kornfield
In this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack mindfully explores:
Staying centered amidst life’s struggles Stopping blame and “right and wrongNavigating Late-Stage Capitalism in the 21st CenturyThe Great Turning as an opportunity to reset our lives as human beingsThe Great Turning as a birth process—messy, painful, dangerous, and beautifulRemembering your fearlessness amidst politics and news media Becoming “imaginal cells” of the butterflyTrusting the constant renewal of life and nature Black Elk, Gary Snyder, and the power of loving the earthMeditation and sitting with heartbreakDissolving guilt, fear, and doomscrollingCarrying your light with nobility, respect, and dignityTrusting the big picture, the vast cosmic viewRemembering who you are and living from itThe possibility of a new underground railroadRecognizing that we are the imaginal cells of the worldLearn the Dynamic Art of Interactive Guided Meditation with Jack Kornfield in this online masterclass beginning April 7!
“Here we are, 21st century, late-stage capitalism, which has gotten to the place where there’s further extremes of rich and poor for exploitation. We’re at the time what Joanna Macy calls the Great Turning—the great opportunity really for us to reset our lives as human beings.” – Jack Kornfield
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Jack reveals how awakening your Soul Force—your inner strength, wisdom, and compassion—allows you to heal the world by offering your unique gift with courage and love.
Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.
In this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack mindfully explores:
Uncovering your unique gift and bringing it to the world Simple reflections of love amidst the reality of death How the sword is always beaten by the spirit Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's "Soul Force" The power of facing our fear of death Becoming a Spiritual Warrior of compassion Cultivating the confidence to face any challenge Speaking up for what matters to your heart The cause of evil and how to stop it at it's root The cause of abuse and how to stop it at it's root Learning how to respond to the suffering of the world Discovering freedom in yourself and the world around Cultivating the ability to face ourselves, our pains and sorrows Facing the truth of birth and death The revolutionary act of connecting with nature Connecting with the truth of the world Bearing witness and finding your heart's unique response Entering the world with freedom and love How each and every action counts A charming and funny Q&A section Chanting the mantra, "Ah""Each of us has our own unique gift to bring when it's the right time. It can't be an imitation. You can't do it like Gandhi, Mother Teresa, or whoever you might admire—it has to be your way." – Jack Kornfield
This Dharma Talk from 12/7/1992 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on Dharmaseed.
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Exploring the spiritual paradox of individual and universal responsibility, Jack helps us find balance between meditation and service in our daily lives.
This Dharma Talk from 12/7/1992 at Insight Meditation Society was originally published on Dharmaseed.
In this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack mindfully explores:
The paradox of individual and universal responsibility What's the better spiritual practice—meditation or service? What exactly is individual, and what is the universe? Joanna Macy's painful yet healing trip to Chernobyl Becoming stewards of each other, the earth, and the future Distinguishing between freedom and it's near enemies Near enemies as fostering separation; freedom as interdependence How to respond to suffering authentically and helpfully Creating change blossoming from the human heart The radical act of "doing nothing and facing yourself" Dealing with the homelessness problem, warfare, environmental destruction Balancing "Don't just do something, sit there," and "Don't just sit there, there isn't time." Choosing between inner practice and outward service Following a true path with heart in this lifetime Vimala Thakar, Ajahn Chah, and Maha Ghosananda as beacons of peace The power of helping feed the hungry Navigating the up and down, inner and outer, cycles of spiritual life"Every act counts. Each one of us has the power to affect the world." – Jack Kornfield
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Fostering the mind-body-heart connection, Jack shares how the healing breath reawakens the body and reconnects us with life.
This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.
In this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack mindfully explores:
Using breath to live wisely and simply in this complex human existenceGood spiritual community as an island of peace and sanitySeeing past negative fear politics and news mediaA Charm to Use Against the Language of PoliticsThe Buddha on mindfulness of your life breathNoting the subtle nuances of the breath in meditation"Buddha in the palm of your hand" techniqueTraining the restless puppy of the mindUsing breath to reconnect body, heart, and mindShort and simple guided breath practicesWhat the Cross and the Circle representDirecting your breath to feel and open emotional wounds and dis-easeReawakening your body, and reconnecting with life, through breathing"Most of the destruction that modern society has caused in the world is the result of the mind being disconnected from the heart and the body." – Jack Kornfield
This Dharma Talk originally taking place on 11/2/1992 at Insight Meditation Society was originally published on DharmaSeed.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Standing up for compassion in this powerful new Dharma Talk, Jack offers a steady spiritual rudder for navigating turbulent politics with the heart of a Bodhisattva.
Learn the Dynamic Art of Interactive Guided Meditation with Jack Kornfield in this online masterclass beginning April 7!
“It’s a time to get quiet and remember that you’re here for a beautiful purpose, oh Bodhisattvas. What better thing to do with your life?” – Jack Kornfield
In this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack mindfully explores:
Navigating this world's maelstrom of change from a deep spiritual rudderReturning from his trip to Asia; landing in Los Angeles on fireSamsara and the nature of uncertaintyCreating a wise society based on mutual careTrading our personal and cultural anxiety for imagination and hopeAlison Luterman's heart-opening poem, Praise the Broken Promise of AmericaUsing the Dharma to move past Liberal versus ConservativeHow to help the vulnerable in the worldRemembering your best values as things changeGrounding yourself, steadying your heart, and remaining hopefulBringing peace to this world, developing metta, and supporting what's goodTaking the long view, living with integrity, virtue, and imaginationJoining together with your community to stand up for compassionBeing hopeful and helpful through difficult timesLiving like a Bodhisattva—offering support, compassion, loving kindness“Take the long view—your intention, heart, and mind in all the cycles of birth and death. That deep intention of wisdom creates what’s possible for a wise society. It becomes a rudder through difficult times.” – Jack Kornfield
“When a society treats its members with respect, cares for the weak and vulnerable among them and tends the natural world around… it can be expected to prosper and not decline.” – Mahāparinibbāna Sutta
This Dharma Talk was originally recorded for the Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday Night Talk and Meditation on 2/10/25.
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“A powerful way of practicing metta is to invite in the feeling of love without specific words or images. You become a beacon of kindness. Then whatever arises as you sit—thoughts, people, images, concerns—will be held in that kindness.” – Jack Kornfield
This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.
This week on Heart Wisdom, Jack offers listeners instruction on:
Metta and invoking the spirit of love within ourselves Holding all that arises during meditation with kindness Letting our body have a sense of care and well being Allowing ourselves to soften, relax, and rest easily Feeling completely supported by the earth below us Opening our hearts and minds via the metta sutta of loving-kindness Suffusing the whole world with unobstructed, sublime love“The ideal as you practice is to find your own way, to find what most naturally resonates with yourself as a gateway to open the heart.” – Jack Kornfield
This episode was originally recorded for the Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday Night Dharma Talk and Guided Meditation Livestream for Feb 2025.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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In this engaging Q&A session, Jack and Trudy explore romance, impermanence, attachment, diffusing anger, manifesting your dreams using mindfulness, and more!
Learn How to Thrive in Love: Buddhist Secrets to Transform Your Relationships with Jack Kornfield and Trudy Goodman – join now!
In Part 2 of this episode, Jack and Trudy dive into Q&A on:
Finding appreciation and wisdom in things “falling apart”Accepting change, aging, impermanenceEntering the naked unknown of the wilderness, natureThe wisdom of swimming with dolphins in the oceanSending metta (loving kindness) to the world and those in positions of powerHow to tend our romantic relationships and partnerships with mindfulness and careDiffusing anger and learning how to communicate lovinglyConnecting from a place of vulnerability and presenceMoving past warfare, racism, violence, and blameLearning how to communicate across differencesNoting the difference between your intention and it’s impact on othersManifesting your dreams using mindfulness“Attachment” in Buddhism vs Western PsychologyWorking through trauma in a safe and mindful wayThis talk originally aired on the Voices of Esalen Podcast:
The Voices of Esalen Podcast showcases in-depth interviews with the dynamic teachers and thinkers who are part of Esalen Institute. Hosted by Sam Stern, a former Esalen student and current staff member, the podcasts have featured engaging conversations with authors Cheryl Strayed and Michael Pollan, innovators Stan Grof and Dr. Mark Hyman, teachers Byron Katie, Mark Coleman and Jean Houston, Esalen co-founder Michael Murphy, and many more. Learn more at Esalen.org/story/podcasts
About Trudy Goodman:
Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats, engages in activism work, and teaches workshops worldwide and online. She is also the voice of Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series, The Midnight Gospel. You can learn more about about Trudy’s flourishing array of wonderful offerings at TrudyGoodman.com
This episode is brought to you by Dharma Moon. Join Buddhist teachers David Nichtern and Professor Robert Thurman for a free online event on Tuesday, March 4th at 6pm ET. Together, they'll explore the power of lineage, tradition, and the evolution of mindfulness practices. They’ll also discuss Dharma Moon’s renowned mindfulness meditation teacher training program. Visit dharmamoon.com/lineage for more info and to reserve your spot for the free online event with David Nichtern and Professor Robert Thurman!
About Jack Kornfield:
Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma, studying as a monk under the Buddhist master Ven. Ajahn Chah, as well as the Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. Jack co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with fellow meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein and the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. His books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies.
Jack is currently offering a wonderful array of transformational online courses diving into crucial topics like Mindfulness Meditation Fundamentals, Walking the Eightfold Path, Opening the Heart of Forgiveness, Living Beautifully, Transforming Your Life Through Powerful Stories, and so much more. Sign up for an All Access Pass to explore Jack’s entire course library. If you would like a years worth of online meetups with Jack and fellow community, join The Year of Awakening: A Monthly Journey with Jack Kornfield
Stay up to date with Jack and his stream of fresh dharma offerings by visiting JackKornfield.com and signing up for his email teachings.
“It’s important to love what we love; it’s only a problem when we need to let go.” – Trudy Goodman
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Jack Kornfield and Trudy Goodman join forces in an exploration of Buddha’s eternal wisdom: ‘hatred never ceases by hatred, but by love alone is healed.’
This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.
“We start to sense that who we are is not just limited by the events of the world, but that we’re connected to something vast, mysterious, and greater.” – Jack Kornfield
In Part 1 of this episode, Jack and Trudy mindfully explore:
Loving Awareness and mindful responseSeeing the world with the eyes of a BuddhaOpening to that world with the heart of a BuddhaHow the art of meditation is actually the art of loveThe story of Maha Ghosananda, the Gandhi of CambodiaBuddha’s eternal wisdom: Hatred never ceases by hatred, but by love alone is healedFacing climate change, racism, warfare, refugees, injustice, and traumaDealing with our cultural anxiety, and saving ourselves from despairBecoming the calm person on the boat who can show the way for allBecoming a Bodhisattva, setting the compass of your heart for compassionStanding up for what matters, and tending the world with beautyShifting our practice from unconsciousness to loving awarenessSuffusing mindfulness practice with tenderness and compassionHow we are all the same size when facing the vulnerability of our mortalityThe Heart Sutra mantra: Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi SvahaFinding wisdom and comfort in “falling apart”“Spiritually, we are all the same size, because we all are facing the vulnerability of our mortality.” – Trudy Goodman
“In community, in family, in our lives, in joy and sorrow, in birth and death—we’re, given the responsibility to hold ourselves in a web of love.” – Jack Kornfield
Learn How to Thrive in Love: Buddhist Secrets to Transform Your Relationships with Jack Kornfield and Trudy Goodman beginning Feb 17 – join anytime!
About Trudy Goodman:
Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats, engages in activism work, and teaches workshops worldwide and online. She is also the voice of Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series, The Midnight Gospel. You can learn more about about Trudy's flourishing array of wonderful offerings at TrudyGoodman.com
This talk originally aired on the Voices of Esalen Podcast:
The Voices of Esalen Podcast showcases in-depth interviews with the dynamic teachers and thinkers who are part of Esalen Institute. Hosted by Sam Stern, a former Esalen student and current staff member, the podcasts have featured engaging conversations with authors Cheryl Strayed and Michael Pollan, innovators Stan Grof and Dr. Mark Hyman, teachers Byron Katie, Mark Coleman and Jean Houston, Esalen co-founder Michael Murphy, and many more. Learn more at Esalen.org/story/podcasts
About Jack Kornfield:
Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma, studying as. a monk under the Buddhist master Ven. Ajahn Chah, as well as the Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. Jack co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with fellow meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein and the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. His books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies.
Jack is currently offering a wonderful array of transformational online courses and programs diving into crucial topics like Mindfulness Meditation, Relationships, Walking the Eightfold Path, Opening the Heart of Forgiveness, Living Beautifully, Transforming Your Life Through Powerful Stories, and so much more. Learn about these and Jack's flowing stream of Dharma offerings at JackKornfield.com
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Love is in the air, as Jack explores the nature of desire, relationships, and spiritual passion—offering wisdom on stabilizing the heart, navigating distractions, and awakening to the timeless and sacred.
Learn How to Thrive in Love: Buddhist Secrets to Transform Your Relationships with Jack Kornfield and Trudy Goodman beginning Feb 17 – join anytime!
“If you know what it’s like to really fall in love with someone, then you can begin to sense what it means to bring the full presence of attention to your life.” – Jack Kornfield
In this episode, Jack mindfully explores:
The Buddha on mindfulness and awarenessStabilizing the heart, mind, and body in the presentOvercoming distractions and difficult moodsBeing aware of desires arising and passingChanda – spiritual passion, the desire for awakeningThe connection between power, insecurity, and fearHow to stop feeding the hungry heart in unskillful waysThe difference between desire and loveRelationship, marriage, and staying in loveA moving love story from Thich Nhat HanhReclaiming our humanity and animal natureReawakening mystery, gratitude, aweTouching that which is timeless and sacredAvalokitesvara, the Buddha of infinite compassionSri Nisargadatta Maharaj and living your fullnessNoticing what tempts you away during meditation“What direction do our personal desires take us? It’s good to study them. As my teacher Ajahn Chah said, ‘It may be a very fast car, but you ought to look at what road you’re going down and which way it’s headed.'” – Jack Kornfield
“Perhaps what we most deeply desire is immensely simple—to reclaim our humanity, our animal nature that Jung talked about, the wondrous senses, the sense of the spirit of awe, the remembering, the reawakening of that sense of gratitude and mystery for life.” – Jack Kornfield
This Dharma Talk recorded on 9/28/1992 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Rekindling the ancient art of listening, Jack shares how we can transform our lives through nourishing inner stillness and simplifying the mind.
This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.
“The Divine waits for us to taste the food and not just read the menu.” – Jack Kornfield
In this episode, Jack mindfully explores:
Reclaiming the ancient Art of ListeningMeditating like the Buddha in natureHow your breath reflects your lifeMeditation, attention, and overcoming restlessnessThe ways we keep ourselves busyHow to trust your human instinctsReclaiming an intimacy with your sensesNoticing when we’re listening and when we’re notHonoring others through your attentionCultivating the humility of ‘Don’t Know Mind’The mystery of life, death, love, consciousnessNourishing inner stillness and simplifying your mindLetting go into the unfolding present momentThe rather bizarre situation of having a human bodyOur connection to nature, earth, the elements, and all of beingFinding the meditative space of no going forward, backward, or standing still“To meditate is to remember, reclaim, reawaken the ancient art of listening.” – Jack Kornfield
“When the Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree on his night of enlightenment, it wasn’t to do, get, or make something, but to listen inwardly with all of his senses to the nature of this world that we are born into for a time.” – Jack Kornfield
This Dharma Talk recorded on 9/21/1992 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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In this defining talk, Jack shed's light on his adventurous journey to Thai meditation master Ajahn Chah, and how upon returning home, he had to learn to embody a heart of authenticity.
Transform your 2025 with Jack! Join “The Year of Awakening: A Monthly Journey with Jack Kornfield” a year-long online program on mindfulness, love, community, and connection. Join in anytime.
“Being with Ajahn Chah was being with a person who rested in their Buddha Nature, their own true nature. He was just himself. He was really at peace with himself. You could feel it from the energy of his presence, rooted like a great tree in the earth.” – Jack Kornfield
In this episode, Jack mindfully explores:
His mystical journey to learn with Thai meditation master Ajahn Chah,Needing to work his way down the chakras to fully live this human lifeSudden awakening versus gradual change on the spiritual pathRamana Maharshi and liberation through facing one’s own deathHow to live in your soul and dance your unique danceWhat it’s like hanging out with monks covered in wild beesAjahn Chah’s tree-like quality of roundedness, freedom, and opennessMatching our thoughts and actions with our valuesHis first time experience rapture in meditationThe transformative aspects of therapy, bodywork, marriage, familyRam Dass and the healing quality of presenceNavigating differences in our romantic relationshipsLearning to acknowledge the pain and loss beneath our angerOpening to life’s lessons of compassion, wisdom, and wakefulnessThe gift of spiritual community and sharing our authenticityEmbodying the timeless eternal truth of mindfulness, intimacy, and wakefulness“To love another person just as they are is the only kind of love that makes any sense.” – Jack Kornfield
“There’s an intimacy and a presence that is true about mindfulness: it’s either now or never.” – Jack Kornfield
This Dharma Talk recorded on 9/14/1992 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Jack helps us heal conflicts, release defensiveness, and cultivate the harmony of wise relationships through the art of reconciliation, deep listening, and truth.
This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.
“When we read about western civilization, it is in our history books as predominantly a history of conflict—who fought whom, who took over what kingdom, country, or land from someone else and conquered and triumphed. That conflict is still with us in very obvious ways, whether it is in Los Angeles, or Yugoslavia, or Somalia, Ethiopia, or Cambodia. And so, when we look at human civilization with such a long history of conflict, the question comes, can we learn another way to live as humans?” – Jack Kornfield
In this episode, Jack mindfully explores:
Buddhist teachings on community, conflict, and living harmoniouslyIf modern civilization is actually all that civilizedAristotle on humanity’s weapons of wisdom and virtueThe historical evolution of human consciousness and compassionTypes of slavery, overt and hidden: physical, economic, political, clandestineThe spirituality of truly celebrating life in this present momentWise Relationship, living harmoniously, listening in a way that honors everyoneCreating a ‘wise culture’ built on honesty and integrityHow to truly apologize, forgive, reconcile, and renewWise mechanisms for diffusing conflictHow to stop being defensive and start listeningReconciling conflicts in monasteries and spiritual communitiesHow the ‘art of listening’ begins with the ‘art of letting go’Learning to cooperate in courage, fearlessness, and honoringNavigating life from our ‘unarmed truth’ and ‘Soul Force’“To be able to enter into a process of reconciliation in one’s family, community or body-politic, is to be able to learn to let go of our views, our ideas, how it should be, what we want, what we fear—which is underneath all of those things. It’s a shift of our identity from this small sense of self that we carry often with us, to something that’s greater—the common good, the good of the earth, that which is beautiful and noble no matter what happens in the world around us—to some greater identity of our being.” – Jack Kornfield
“We all want that kind of respect—if you give nothing else to your lover, spouse, children, parents or colleagues, but just that quality of listening with respect—there’s this tremendous sweetness that comes, people love you for it. – Jack Kornfield
This Dharma Talk recorded on 7/27/1992 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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