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 practice
• Joanna Macy and healing the environment
• The rollercoaster ride of meditation
• Awakening right here and right now
• The transformative power of bowing to it all
• The Buddhas of all the universes
• Suffering and the truth of Nirvana, timeless delight
• Facing the reality of the human realm—joy and sorrow, birth and death
• Looking at the difficulties facing the planet today—war, famine, racism, greed, environmental concerns
• Stop fighting what is true; the end of denial
• Bowing to suffering, attachment, and change
• Insight—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 practice
• Coming fully into the reality of the present moment
• Becoming mindful loving awareness itself
• Witness the play of our human experience
• Uncovering true freedom as your innate birthright
• Experiencing the present moment as loving awareness
• Responding 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 wrong
• Navigating Late-Stage Capitalism in the 21st Century
• The Great Turning as an opportunity to reset our lives as human beings
• The Great Turning as a birth process—messy, painful, dangerous, and beautiful
• Remembering your fearlessness amidst politics and news media Becoming “imaginal cells” of the butterfly
• Trusting the constant renewal of life and nature Black Elk, Gary Snyder, and the power of loving the earth
• Meditation and sitting with heartbreak
• Dissolving guilt, fear, and doomscrolling
• Carrying your light with nobility, respect, and dignity
• Trusting the big picture, the vast cosmic view
• Remembering who you are and living from it
• The possibility of a new underground railroad
• Recognizing that we are the imaginal cells of the world

Learn 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

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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 existence
• Good spiritual community as an island of peace and sanity
• Seeing past negative fear politics and news media
• A Charm to Use Against the Language of Politics
• The Buddha on mindfulness of your life breath
• Noting the subtle nuances of the breath in meditation
• "Buddha in the palm of your hand" technique
• Training the restless puppy of the mind
• Using breath to reconnect body, heart, and mind
• Short and simple guided breath practices
• What the Cross and the Circle represent
• Directing your breath to feel and open emotional wounds and dis-ease
• Reawakening 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.

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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 rudder
• Returning from his trip to Asia; landing in Los Angeles on fire
• Samsara and the nature of uncertainty
• Creating a wise society based on mutual care
• Trading our personal and cultural anxiety for imagination and hope
• Alison Luterman's heart-opening poem, Praise the Broken Promise of America
• Using the Dharma to move past Liberal versus Conservative
• How to help the vulnerable in the world
• Remembering your best values as things change
• Grounding yourself, steadying your heart, and remaining hopeful
• Bringing peace to this world, developing metta, and supporting what's good
• Taking the long view, living with integrity, virtue, and imagination
• Joining together with your community to stand up for compassion
• Being hopeful and helpful through difficult times
• Living 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.