The podcast explores the art of paying attention and letting go into the present moment. Jack shares hilarious stories and mindful insights, including Zen retreat experiences and the importance of gathering together. The episode also touches on taking personal responsibility for spiritual growth, the inspiring journey of Peace Pilgrim, the practice of letting go and developing skillful qualities, and the mantra of 'let it go' for being present.
54:37
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Quick takeaways
Paying attention requires sitting with the 10,000 joys and sorrows in our experience.
There are two approaches to spiritual practice: the path of effort and the path of surrender.
Deep dives
The Art of Paying Attention
Paying attention requires practice and sitting with the 10,000 joys and sorrows in our experience. The mind often wants to avoid negative feelings or get caught up in positive experiences. Jack encourages us to let go into the present moment and allow whatever arises to be. The practice of letting go and paying attention allows us to see that we don't possess anything and that everything is impermanent. It is a journey of surrender and listening, opening ourselves to the divine and becoming vehicles for love and grace in the world.
Effort and Surrender
There are two approaches to spiritual practice: the path of effort and the path of surrender. The path of effort emphasizes strength and requires going through difficulties and intense practice. The path of surrender is a radical opening to non-self, non-separateness, and non-possession. It is about being present and recognizing that there is nothing to get or be or do. Both paths require attention to see what is true and constant letting go. Practice is about cultivating skillful qualities, maintaining them, and nourishing what is skillful, while also surrendering to the moment and listening to the divine melody.
The Practice of Letting Go
The practice of letting go is essential in the spiritual journey. It requires steady effort and attention to what is here in our experience, both pleasant and unpleasant. By letting go, we can connect to the silence and spaciousness that contains everything. It is about realizing that we don't possess anything and there is no self to cling to. Letting go is a gradual process that can be cultivated in daily life through small practices and opening ourselves to the present moment. It can also be a sudden realization of the truth that everything is already here and there is nowhere to go.
Keeping the Practice Alive
To keep the practice alive, we can ask ourselves what areas of our life need nourishing or care and what needs simplifying. It requires taking time for silence, nature, and reflection. We can cultivate qualities like attention, kindness, and acceptance. The practice is a journey of awakening and becoming transparent to the divine. Whether through effort or surrender, it is about being fully present and listening to the truth. By letting go and being here now, we can experience the timeless moment and live in harmony with the ever-changing nature of existence.
Illuminating the art of paying attention, Jack shares hilarious stories and mindful insights around how we can let go into the present.
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"To learn the art of paying attention requires some practice, that we learn how to sit and steady ourselves, to steady our bodies, and listen with a steadiness of heart, to actually be with what is here in our experience—pleasant and unpleasant, beautiful and ugly. That's what sitting is about, really, is to sit and be with the 10,000 joys and 10,000 sorrows, to see them, feel them, and let ourselves be as we are." – Jack Kornfield
In this episode, Jack artfully illuminates:
How your spiritual path is truly in your own hands; other's can point the way, but you must walk it
The Buddha's four aspects of Right Effort
Learning the art of paying attention, and applying this to sit with life's 10,000 joys and sorrows
The Samurai way of going through the path of fire
Jack's hilarious personal experience solving koans on Zen retreats
Letting go into the present moment (while still acting in the world)
"As one Zen master says, 'Just put it down, put everything down. Just be here and forget about the past and future. That's enough.'" – Jack Kornfield
This Dharma talk from March 13, 1989 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed