Heart Wisdom with Jack Kornfield

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 252 – The Miracle of Awakening: Finding Freedom in Everyday Life Aug 19, 2024

Show notes

Deeply unveiling the Buddha’s transformative miracle of awakening, Jack provides a comprehensive guide to finding freedom in everyday life.

Discover your great joy and love in Jack's life-changing new online journey beginning Sept 9 – 'The Awakened Heart: Discovering Your Great Joy and Love'

“We’re asked to discover in this dance the possibility of awakening in the midst of our life, to turn what we do into something sacred.” – Jack Kornfield

In this episode, Jack mindfully explores:

What happened to the Buddha when he sat under the Bodhi Tree
What Buddha’s enlightenment means for the world
Bodh Gaya and the possibility of awakening through nature
Buddha’s path as a yogi, and how he dealt with his spiritual powers
Buddha's miracle of awakening and education
Reflections and questions from the Buddha for how you are living
Keeping freshness and “beginner’s mind” in your practice
Parenting, schooling, and the different styles of education
Finding freedom in the difficulties and direct circumstances of your life
The real possibility of awakening in the midst of life
The Ten Paramitas, Buddhism’s Ten Perfections
What walking meditation is actually about
Why Thich Nhat Hanh does everything slowly and mindfully
Patience, listening, and presence
Spiritual life as the education of awakening
Listening deeply for the Tao, Dharma, truth

“Spiritual life kindles in us an interest, an attention, a passion to awaken.” – Jack Kornfield

“Meditation is the art of doing what we do and bringing our senses, our heart, our whole being to that.” – Jack Kornfield

This episode recorded on 10/01/1990 was originally published on DharmaSeed.

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Ep. 251 – The Listening Heart Aug 13, 2024

Show notes

In this fresh Dharma Talk, Jack reveals how listening from the heart can empower you to transform yourself and the world.

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.

“Difficult times call on our best spirit.” – Jack Kornfield

In this fresh episode, Jack mindfully explores:

Navigating life skillfully through difficult times
How we can change ourselves and the world through true listening
The two dimensions of mindfulness: Sati (mindful presence) and Sampajanna (mindful response)
How deep listening leads to compassionate response
Using our difficulties as doorways of opportunity to help us awaken
Reflecting on how we respond to the troubles of the world
The art of listening and how it brings us into the present moment
How taking a “sacred pause” leads to more possibilities
The childlike playfulness and joy between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Jack tells a transformational and moving story of Dr. Yeshi Dhonden, the miraculous Tibetan physician.
How all the problems and conflicts of the world are symptoms, and the solution is in the human heart
Activism, service, and helping with an open heart
Listening deeply to sense the universal truths of reality
The powerful prayer of Black Elk, the mystical Lakota medicine man
Listening inwardly, tending the heart, and honing your intuition

“The very difficulties you have are the place that truly awakens the heart.” – Jack Kornfield

“Quiet the mind, take time, tend the heart, listen inwardly, listen to one another, listen to the earth—and you will know what to do.” – Jack Kornfield

This Dharma Talk originally took place for the Spirit Rock Monday Night Dharma Talk and Guided Meditation on 4/15/24. To join his next livestream, please check out Jack’s events calendar.

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Ep. 250 – The Practice of Meditation with Jeffrey Mishlove Aug 06, 2024

Show notes

In this special episode originally airing on television’s Thinking Allowed series, Jeffrey Mishlove interviews Jack Kornfield about meditation, mindfulness, and self-acceptance.

Want fresh Jack teachings delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Jack’s newsletter for weekly free content from JackKornfield.com – guided meditations, Dharma Talks, articles, and more! JackKornfield.com/newsletter

“The purpose of meditation is to make people happy.” – Jack Kornfield

In this special television episode, Jeffrey Mishlove interviews Jack about:

How western psychology and science fits together with eastern spirituality and meditation
Whether Jack preferred getting his Ph.D. or his time at the Buddhist monastery
The three aspects of Buddhist practice: generosity, ethics/virtue, training of heart/mind
How what we practice, positive or negative, grows in our life
Spiritual bypass and mediation as an escape
Vipassana meditation and seeing clearly
Overcoming the “near enemies” in Buddhism
Equanimity, balance, centering, and fearlessness
Meditation in action and engaging mindfully with the world
Facing our fears and confronting ourselves in meditation practice
Self-acceptance and learning to care for oneself
Not being so afraid of what’s painful
Uncovering the basic mechanics of meditation
Releasing tensions, unskillful concepts, and our limited sense of self
Psychic abilities and intuition
Awareness and moving past our thoughts
Using meditation to relate deeper to your inner life

“Meditative awareness has a healing quality to it.” – Jeffrey Mishlove

“One of the tenets of Buddhism is that the heart, body, and mind can all be trained. That is, if you practice something, it will gradually grow in your life.” – Jack Kornfield

About Jeffrey Mishlove:

Jeffrey Mishlove, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist, an accomplished radio and television interviewer, and one of the most erudite and articulate personalities on television. Jeffrey holds the only doctoral diploma in parapsychology to be awarded by an accredited American university. Learn more about Dr. Mishlove and his ongoing offerings and interviews at newthinkingallowed.com

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Ep. 249 – Mindfulness: The Gateway to Liberation Jul 30, 2024

Show notes

Unraveling the mystery of who you truly are, Jack reveals mindfulness as the gateway to liberation within the ever-changing river of 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.

“Mindfulness, in the Buddhist tradition, is said to be the gateway to liberation, the gateway to that which is eternal, to the timeless or the deathless.” – Jack Kornfield

In this episode, Jack mindfully explores:

Mindfulness as the gateway to liberation
The Buddha’s Eightfold Path and the Middle Way
Sacred attention, receptivity, and sensitivity
The prayer of Mad Bear, a magical Iroquois medicine man
Overcoming worry in the present moment
Rumi’s transformational poem, The Guest House
Awareness of breath, body, mind states, feelings, dharma, and the laws of nature
Using mindfulness as a vehicle to discover who we really are
Eternity, time, timelessness, change, and becoming deathless
What it was like when Thich Nhat Hanh visited Spirit Rock
Entering the “river of life,” humanity’s collective pains, joys, etc
Dealing with attachment, aversion, grief, and suffering
Working spiritually with our dreams
Stepping out of the bureaucracy of ego, thought, and mind
The freedom of identifying with “the witness”
Liberation as both practical and radical

“Reality comes out of nothing, exists according to certain patterns, and then disappears. To know this frees us. To not know it, we are bound. This recognition brings us face to face with the mystery.” – Jack Kornfield

“To become mindful is to become free, to have the capacity to step out of the rat race, the speed, the complexity and be who we are, be true to our hearts. There comes a great balance and ease with that. In any moment, we stop the war, we stop the conflict, we come back to be as the Buddha sits, as the Buddha walks, as the Buddha speaks, where we are, just present and alive.” – Jack Kornfield

This Dharma Talk recorded on 3/1/1992 was originally published on DharmaSeed.

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Ep. 248 – Sacred Effort Jul 24, 2024

Show notes

Exploring how to direct energy in a wise way, Jack shares how embracing Sacred Effort nourishes joy, ease, beauty, equanimity, mindfulness, and loving kindness in your life.

Want fresh Jack teachings delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Jack’s newsletter at JackKornfield.com/newsletter for weekly free content – guided meditations, Dharma Talks, articles, and more!

"Right Effort, or Wise Energy, most fundamentally is the effort to pay attention, the effort to be present, awake, and see what is true in front of us. Out of all the kinds of efforts we can make, the most fundamental wise effort in spiritual life is to be where we are and see it clearly, to be conscious, or mindful." – Jack Kornfield

In this episode, Jack mindfully explores:

Directing the energy of your life to be awake, aware, and present
Seeing the Eightfold Path as a lotus or mandala
Carlos Castaneda, impeccability, and becoming a spiritual warrior
How to wake yourself up from sleepwalking through your life
Having a full heart, deep attention, and clear seeing
The two levels of spiritual friends and spiritual practice
Using suffering to develop a wise heart
Remembering death and impermanence
What Jack taught his daughter about death
Bowing to our difficult emotions and moving on
Disentangling ourselves from greed, fear, and obsession
Nourishing equanimity, ease, joy, beauty, and loving kindness
Tending each moment as if you were planting a seed
Balance and the Buddha stringing the lute
Ramana Maharshi and the wisdom of letting go
Making your life and activity an expression of the Tao

"The teaching of Right Effort or Wise Effort is a reminder of our nobility. It is a reminder of the human inspiration of spirit not just to get through our lives, but to honor it, to respect it, to be present for it, to delight in it." – Jack Kornfield

"Unclench the heart, steady yourself, and be present for things as they are, and then your activity becomes an expression of your awakening, it becomes a vehicle for the Tao." – Jack Kornfield

This Dharma Talk recorded on 3/1/1992 was originally published on DharmaSeed.

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Ep, 247 – Living the Dharma Jul 15, 2024

Show notes

Revealing how to smoothly navigate the cycles of spiritual life in openness, stillness, and intimacy, Jack explores the transformative beauty of living the Dharma.

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.

“There are different cycles. They are natural for us. We breathe in and out. Our heart opens and closes. Your heart isn’t supposed to stay open all the time, even flowers close at night. So don’t get some idea you’re supposed to be some certain state or some certain way. It’s more about flexibility, listening, and honoring what cycle you are in in your life.” – Jack Kornfield

In this episode, Jack mindfully explores:

Navigating the cycles of spiritual life
Spiritual practice as a voyage, a journey
Openness and the necessity of letting go
What we can learn from the change of seasons
Cultivating the courage to live a spiritual life
Rumi’s poem of the wisdom of the bird in the trap
The peace of rejecting nothing whatsoever
How Jack had to work his way down the chakras instead of up
Embodying and experiencing your feelings
Stillness, simplicity, intimacy and reconnecting with the earth
A perspective-shifting Buddhist meditation on death and good deeds
Overcoming self-judgement and unworthiness
Non-attachment and commitment in relationships
A tantric master’s wisdom on overcoming burnout
The Dalai Lama’s surprising advice to Jack

“When you look back over your life, what really matters is, ‘How well have I loved?’ And that love is never done in generalities. It’s always done in a moment with a tree, or a spider, or a person that you meet, or a person close to you.” – Jack Kornfield

“In some way in life, that’s all that people around us want if you look—people mostly just want to be listened to and acknowledged.” – Jack Kornfield

For free teachings and meditations from Jack delivered to your inbox weekly, along with new courses, upcoming events, and more, sign up for Jack's newsletter at JackKornfield.com/newsletter

This Dharma Talk recorded on 7/14/1990 was originally published on DharmaSeed.

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Ep. 246 – The Simplicity of Goodness Jul 09, 2024

Show notes

Jack Kornfield delves into the simplicity of goodness and virtue in a talk spanning Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Amma-ji, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Napoleon, and Rumi.

Want fresh Jack teachings delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Jack’s newsletter for weekly free content from JackKornfield.com – guided meditations, Dharma Talks, articles, and more.

“I believe within us, within the human heart and human consciousness, is an innate love of honesty and a joy in virtue, straightforwardness, and the simplicity of goodness.” – Jack Kornfield

In this episode, Jack mindfully explores:

Buddhism, virtue, and the Five Precepts
Ahimsa – the blessing of non-harming
The chilling note Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche wrote when he escaped Tibet
Taking a fearless moral inventory
Honesty and the simplicity of goodness
What Buddha learned in his past lives
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and standing up for truth
Adi-Sila – spontaneous or innate virtue, the shining of the just heart
The Tibetan Buddhist perspective on reincarnation
Jack’s meeting with “hugging saint,” Amma-ji, archetype of the Divine Mother
Finding your Buddha Nature, Tao, and Dharma
Rumi’s brilliant poem about ducks
Interdependence and connectedness
Deep philosophical questions and contemplations from Jack
Napoleon, the sword, and the spirit

“Meditation or spiritual life asks us to look at our actions and pay attention to how we actually live.” – Jack Kornfield

“We’re all in it together, we’re all connected, we all support one another.” – Jack Kornfield

This Dharma Talk recorded on 6/1/1990 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.

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Ep. 245 – Monastic Life Insights with Pema Chödrön and Ajahn Sumedho Jul 05, 2024

Show notes

Teaching a nature retreat amidst softly chirping birds and cooling rain, Jack, Pema Chödrön, and Ajahn Sumedho illuminate joyful insights of monastic 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.

"Mostly what draws people to monastic life in the healthiest and best sense is its joy." – Jack Kornfield

In this special outdoor retreat, Jack, Pema Chödrön, and Ajahn Sumedho explore:

Chanting the powerful seed syllable mantra, "Ah"
Joys and misconceptions of monastic life in modern times
Why someone would take vows and become a monk or nu
Kabir's poetry, being human, and walking the spiritual path
Sexuality and celibacy in spiritual communities
Relating to both ultimate and relative reality
Dealing with the body in physically taxing situations
Working with injustice, inequality, and hierarchy within monasteries and spiritual institutions
The nature of change and how our present creates our future
Open-heartedness and open-mindedness
Living the Dharma every second of our existence
Letting our issues be our teachers
A surprise Q&A appearance from Heart Wisdom family, Brother David Steindl-Rast, along with Ajahn Sundara, and Sister Columba

"Quite clearly the future is the result of how we work with our minds now. To the degree that we open our hearts and minds to the present moment, that creates our future." – Pema Chödrön

"I like to reflect that the Buddha only taught two things: suffering and the end of suffering." – Ajahn Sumedho

About Pema Chödrön:

Pema Chödrön is a Buddhist teacher in the lineage of Chögyam Trungpa. She served as the director of Karma Dzong, in Boulder, until moving in 1984 to rural Cape Breton, Nova Scotia to be the director of Gampo Abbey. Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche asked her to work towards the establishment of a monastery for western monks and nuns. Check out her new book, How We Live Is How We Die, and learn more at PemaChodronFoundation.org

About Ajahn Sumedho:

Ajahn Sumedho is a prominent teacher in the Thai Forest Tradition of Theravāda Buddhism. He was ordained in 1967, trained under Ajahn Chah, and has been instrumental in helping bring Buddha's teachings to the West. Learn more about Ajahn Sumedho in Teachings of a Buddhist Monk, including a forward by Jack.

This Dharma Talk recorded on 5/26/1990 on the land which would become Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.

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Ep. 244 – An Autobiography of Trauma with Peter A Levine, PhD Jun 25, 2024

Show notes

Jack and trauma expert, Peter A Levine, PhD, map the path to healing through imagination, curiosity, somatic experiencing, and loving awareness.

Want fresh Jack teachings delivered to your inbox? Join Jack's newsletter for weekly free content from JackKornfield.com – guided meditations, Dharma Talks, articles, and more! Sign up at JackKornfield.com/newsletter

“Healing has to be coming together through the minute particulars in the body and in the story that’s actually our experience and not some idea about it.” – Jack Kornfield

In this fresh conversation, Jack and Dr. Levine dive into:

Mapping trauma and the path to healing suffering
A relaxing Jack “Just Here: Guided Meditation” on loving awareness
How An Autobiography of Trauma led to Peter’s powerful healing journey
Working with the astrological and Jungian archetype of Chiron, the Wounded Healer
Somatic Experiencing and the roots of healing trauma in the body
The transformative aspects of meeting trauma with loving kindness and persistence
Curiosity as a necessary factor of enlightenment
How the gift of Jack’s childhood trauma led him to discover Buddhism
Imagination and Peter’s mystical meet-ups with Albert Einstein
Miracles, intuition, and psychic premonition/knowing
What Jack shared with his scientific-materialist atheist father on his deathbed
Our inseparable connection and recognition that it’s always “us” in this web of life

“The whole notion that we are separate is a fabrication. We are in a field of consciousness.” – Jack Kornfield

About Peter A Levine, PhD:

Dr. Peter A. Levine has worked in the field of stress and trauma for over 40 years, is the developer of the Somatic Experiencing method, and founder of the Ergos Institute of Somatic Education. To connect more with Peter’s teachings, pick up a copy of his illuminating book, An Autobiography of Trauma: A Healing Journey, and sign up for his upcoming classes and programs at SomaticExperiencing.com

This conversation was originally filmed on 5/24/24 by the Ergos Institute of Somatic Experiencing as a community health somatic support benefit for MathMoms in Cape Town, South Africa. Learn more about this compassionate initiative here at mathmoms.co.za

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Ep. 243 – The Music of the Spheres Jun 18, 2024

Show notes

Harmonizing to the 'music of the spheres' & sharing gardening tips from Buddha, a blissful Jack unveils the possibility of sudden awakening.

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.

"You don't want to wait until you float out of your body when you die and look back and say, 'Wow, that was an amazing incarnation, wasn't it?' You actually want to have it now." – Jack Kornfield

In this fresh video episode, Jack blissfully illuminates:

The wisdom of the Music of the Spheres
Energies of the 2024 Solar Eclipse
Alan Watts on why 'life is like music'
The enlightening present moment
Harmonizing life's opposites like the Tao
Dancing with life's changing rhythms
To be married to amazement and mystery
The beautiful revelation of sudden awakening
Being at the still point of the turning world
Sudden realization, gradual practice, and Zen
Releasing from the body of fear
Buddha's gardening wisdom
The fruits of inner well-being

"That's what meditation does, it makes space. We step out of the thrall of our plans, thoughts, reactions, how it should be, what's happened, and what should happen; and out of the fears and the confusion, sadness, excitement, and all those things; and we become the space of loving awareness that says, 'Yes.' It's an act of love." – Jack Kornfield

This Dharma Talk originally took place 3/25/24 for Spirit Rock Meditation Center's Monday Night Dharma Talk and Meditation. Sign up for Jack's next one at JackKornfield.com/events

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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