Ep. 209 – Life as a Forest Monk

In this riveting episode, Jack shares hilarious personal stories illuminating lessons from his life as a forest monk in Thailand.

"The spirt was you just did it, and you worked with whatever came up as your practice. Living the life of a monk meant taking what came to you and working with it, whether it was difficult or easy.” – Jack Kornfield 

In this riveting episode, Jack dives into:

• What it was like living as a forest monk in Thailand at Ajahn Chah's forest monastery
• The wisdom he learned through experiencing Ajahn Chah's four-part teachings on surrender, opening up to see clearly, working with the mind, and gaining balance/perspective
• The two levels of Dharma practice: using Dharma to feel comfortable, and using Dharma to get free
• Ajahn Chah's rascally yet direct interactions with students, including one with Ram Dass
• Working with attachments and aversions in order to overcome them and grow spiritually
• Learning how to let go and not get caught in the mind's lures, traps, and intricacies

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This episode from Insight Meditation Society on 6/7/1981 was originally published on DharmaSeed.

"Meditation practice is where you are sitting. It's not to go to some other place, or have the ideal setting, or have your coffee, or have your quiet little room. Where you are is your practice." – Jack Kornfield

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