Ep. 304 – Finding Your Inner Light

Sep 3, 2025

Join a captivating exploration of light and darkness through enchanting storytelling. Discover how tales of Nachiketa and Lord Yama reveal life's mysteries, including mortality and sincerity. Delve into the power of forgiveness as a transformative force and reflect on profound themes of purpose during the summer solstice. Experience gripping narratives of adventure in nature and the quest for true identity. This journey encourages embracing your inner light and living from what you value most.

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ANECDOTE

Nachiketa Waits For Death

Nachiketa publicly challenges his father and is told "I give you to death," so he sits three days seeking Lord Yama.
His patience and daring lead Death to grant him three boons for waiting with sincerity.

ADVICE

Prove Sincerity Through Staying

Prove sincerity by staying with discomfort; Nachiketa sits immobile to show true intent.
Try retreats or committed practice periods to initiate deeper presence and resolve.

INSIGHT

Forgiveness Opens The Heart

The first boon Nachiketa asks for is forgiveness for his father's heart to be free of anger.
Jack Kornfield stresses forgiveness as the water of mercy that allows the inner light to emerge.

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Jack shares a whimsical story on light and dark, birth and death, forgiveness and mercy, passion and sincerity, impermanence and immorality, and finding your inner light.

In this episode, Jack mindfully explores:

Light and Darkness: Stories and teachings on finding the inner light, becoming a lamp in the darkness, and awakening through difficulty.
Life, Death, and Initiation: Nachiketa’s dialogue with Lord Yama, initiation and coming of age, and the mystery of immortality and the deathless.
Sincerity and Blessing: Zen teachings on proving sincerity, the boons that come with it, and the light of forgiveness and mercy.
The Fire of Life: Prana, chi, and kundalini as a passion for truth; the roar of the lion and living from what we most deeply value.
The Open Heart: Not casting anyone out, transforming wounds into light, and resting in the question “Who am I?”

If you enjoy Jack’s storytelling, dive into Transform Your Life Through Jack Kornfield’s Most Powerful Stories – a 10-hour storytelling wisdom journey!

“When we touch our true nature and discover that we can rest in love in the middle of all things, we become a lamp, we become a light. It is not far away, it is nearer than near.” – Jack Kornfield

This Dharma Talk from 6/21/1993 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.

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.

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