Heart Wisdom with Jack Kornfield

What attitude can we carry into a world of conflict and difficulty that will allow us to treasure and fully embody the work we do in practice? In this talk, Jack details the teachings of the Bodhisattva - a commitment to the welfare and awakening of all beings. We are encouraged to find our deepest intention, the most beautiful thing we could do with our life, and to let that be our reference as we move out into the world. Through ‘deep knowing and deep intention’, we begin to embrace a sense of the sacred in everything we do. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The spiritual path seems as much a journey of becoming who we are, rather than attaining some elevated sense of self. But what circumstances must arise in order for us to honor our particular incarnation, and to then do something beautiful with it? Crisis, trauma, and retreat are just a few of the potential catalysts, and our task is to simply recognize and accept that which has served to encourage our own efforts along the path. We begin to see that it is often just a matter of remembering and reminding ourselves of the different ways that we are brought to freedom and joy in our own lives. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The heart needs poetry much like the Earth needs rain. It is the music, the harmony, and the bearer of truth throughout our life’s journey. To uncover our poetic sensibility is to begin to find the rhythm of language that matches the beauty of the world around us. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our experience of life is described as a river that we embody, that we are a part of, rather than simply living in. Awareness is ever-present, as we learn to become mindful of our experiences without becoming lost in them. Our state of mind determines our relationship to the world around us. Our practice therefore becomes one of quieting the mind, opening the heart, and being present in order to touch all that arises with the spirit of compassion. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ancient Buddhist tales of redemption are recounted to encourage our understanding that it is never to late to start anew. The object of meditation is to sit in the midst of this mysterious human incarnation and to hold it with mercy and compassion. We then discover that wisdom and training have the power to trump our temperament. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jack sits down with our podcast guru, Duncan Trussell for part two of their conversation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our fundamental wakefulness can be described by certain qualities of enlightenment that speak to our inherent nobility. It is in the remembering of these factors that we can taste the freedom of reconnecting with the openness and luminosity of mind that is our true nature. Mindfulness is the seed from which all other qualities can grow. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We all carry questions about our lives and how we might find relief from the struggles we encounter throughout our mysterious incarnations. Who are we and how can we come to understand what it truly means to embody our deeper self? The original nature of consciousness itself is luminous, and free. In awakening the heart we uncover this inherently pure awareness. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The spirit of simplicity, presence and sympathy of heart can carry us through the most difficult and beautiful of times. When we learn to make peace with the way life is, with the understanding that this capacity is our own true nature, then we fully embody the heart’s deepest desire. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mudita is the joy and happiness experienced for oneself and others. This joy is born into everyone, but is not limited to the innocence afforded in childhood. It is alive in all of us, and mindfulness is the gateway. Meditation allows us to be present for ourselves, each other, and for the wonder and beauty of our mysterious incarnation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Behind all the drama of our lives, there is something unchanging and ever-present, for everyone to discover. Our methods and practices point us in the direction of this awakening, as we move from reaction to compassion. Nothing left out, and no one to blame, perfecting only our loving awareness of it all. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The vastness of the human heart is as timeless as it is profound. No matter the circumstance, we can choose to remain openhearted, knowing that the possibility of freedom is available to everyone. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

'It's not the future of humanity, but the presence of eternity'. With this in mind, we begin to understand the necessity for acceptance, in all aspects of our experience. The invitation offered through meditation is all-inclusive; no matter what we carry from our past, there is a dignity and freedom of heart that is possible for us all See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wisdom is eternally gracious; it sees the world as it is, vast and ever changing. It allows us to become ourselves, to awaken to the actual experience of existence, without getting caught in it. We eventually recognize our shared experience, and a natural sense of respect arises. When we look through the eyes of wisdom, we dissolve separation, and move into the compassionate state of loving awareness. ‘The true joy of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit’. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In attempting to draw light into our lives, we inevitably encounter the intrinsic darkness that surrounds our existence. Our task, as honorable beings, is to avoid letting the ignorant darkness take over our hearts, while simultaneously not averting our gaze. In meditation, we confront the full spectrum of experience, acknowledging these darker forces, and discovering the capacity to respond from a place of loving awareness. It will require the courage to act, but as the Buddha said, “If you can learn to dwell in your heart, offering love to all beings, that will be protection wherever you go’. Episode Outline: • 2 Kinds of Darkness - Fertile (From which all things arise - contains the potential of creation) and Blind/Unconscious (Operates below our basic level of awareness, often requires uncovering/recognition) • Practice - When we honor our meditation practice, we see everything - the full spectrum of our experience • Our Task - As honorable beings, we mustn’t let the outer (ignorant) darkness consume our hearts, while, simultaneously, not averting our eyes. • Violence - Has almost always been a part of our culture - What are the causes and conditions that create these negative aspects? We have to mourn tragedy, but also stand up for a different world. The darkness must be met with an equal force of love and courage • Dwell in the Heart - Never cease to offer love to all beings See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Consciousness itself is the witness to our lives, and we are born with it, in its purest form. It knows that what we often identify with is not who we truly are. The practices of compassion, mindfulness and loving awareness invite a profound shift of identity, from the body of fear to the beauty of the heart. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jack is joined by actress and comedian, Natasha Leggero, for an enlightening conversation about maintaining composure in seemingly chaotic times. Jack explains that our outer progress must be matched with an inner change in human consciousness; a process that evolves through the recognition of our interconnectedness. The two also touch on fundamentalism, evidence for hope, and the importance of routine ritualistic practice in unlocking the deeper dimensions of our being. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trauma comes in all shapes and sizes, and as human beings we are all vulnerable to its potential effects. But how can we meet trauma with tenderness and courage? Healing is so often a precursor to the practice of liberation itself, but true release requires a familiarity with emotions and the capacity to be present for them. Through mindfulness we can develop the compassion necessary to approach our traumas. When we can first bare it, we then have a choice of what to do with it. Once our story can be told it often loses its hold. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jack discusses the fundamental mystery that is our human incarnation, and the methods we can utilize to stay close to that immense presence. Meditation isn’t necessarily about having a mystical experience, but about coming back into the natural mysterious experience of being alive. Within all of us there is a divine seed of consciousness, much greater than the functional matter that we occupy. In meditation, we are invited to return to this sacred space. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One of the most important tools for navigating through our complicated existence is the understanding of Karma. We consistently create patterns in our lives but often fail to see the cause and effect relationship that unfolds. Karma speaks to the way in which we respond to that which comes to us, to the life that we are given. It’s not the action but the intention that is the source of karma. Through meditation we expose the patterns that we create for ourselves. By tending to our hearts we discover a deeper motivation for our being. It is from this place that we learn to plant our seeds of intention, and the seeds we plant become how are lives are lived. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jack sits down with comedians Pete Holmes and Duncan Trussell to discuss a variety of topics including the amorphous construct of our identities, dreams and death, mystical experiences, and the interaction of spirituality with materialism. Jack also describes the illusory nature of perceived security, and the freedom that can come when we discover the art of truly awakening to our mysterious incarnation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this talk, Jack Kornfield discusses how to navigate change in relation to the Buddhist concept of impermanence. He touches on the importance of meditation in cultivating a healthier perspective toward change. When we are quiet, we can rest in loving awareness and see our true nature from the heart of understanding. When we accept that change is inevitable, and find our composure in that knowledge, we can reenter the river of experience. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.