Heart Wisdom with Jack Kornfield

Explore the deep yearnings of life as the hosts discuss hunger and the Sanskrit notion of 'Trishna.' They reflect on the illusion of fullness in a world filled with material excess. Navigating feelings of embarrassment and the search for authenticity reveals profound insights. The conversation highlights the power of community and silence in healing. Through mindful meditation, they encourage letting go of cravings to discover deeper contentment and connect with ancient wisdom in today’s digital age.

In this lively episode, Jack dives into how mindfulness, awareness and intimacy help us engage with life more fully.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom"Zen master Dōgen said that to be mindful, to be awake, to pay attention, is the same as intimacy—intimacy with your lover, with your friends, or the sky and the trees, the drought, the grasses, your neighbors, the rhythms of the seasons, your children or parents." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully illuminates:Spiritual practice as a path with heart about connecting our spiritual life and worldly life Using breath to relate with nature and life as movement and a process of change Understanding the movements of mind and using mindfulness to live more fully A story involving Jack, a Zen master, and a glass of sake at Naropa How mindfulness, awareness and intimacy are synonymous The way Jack personally deals with and gets intimate with loneliness in his life Meditation as teaching the art of appreciation for what's in front of us The art of getting intimate with our fear to engage with life more fully"To enter into one thing in a very personal and immediate way—not with your mind, but your whole being—is to touch everything." – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk from Spirit Rock in January 1989 was originally published on DharmaSeed.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Navigating the body's river of sensations, Jack helps us into the still-point of freedom amidst life's cycles of change."If our goal in spiritual practice is some state, some open state, it would be in spiritual life like buying already open flowers instead of buds, or like adopting an adult instead of a child. To awaken the heart of a Buddha requires us to find the deepest respect and compassion for things as they are, for they way things are. There isn't anything you can hold onto in that because it's always changing. There is no enlightened retirement. The way things are includes the cycles of stillness and action, the times of raising a family or being a renunciate, making money or retiring—and finding somehow a way to be with what is, with the truth of change." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully elucidates:The Dalai Lama's view on the Big Bang Theory How when we open deeply to our feelings, we recognize the body as a flowing river of sensation The Buddha's 'Eight Worldly Winds' and using mindfulness and Right Effort to navigate life's cycles of expansion and contraction Ram Dass, Be Here Now, and the "rollercoaster of highs and lows" of spiritual practice Finding freedom in the still-point amidst the cycles of change Trusting ourselves and the universe enough to let go into the mystery"Life is a process of expansion and contraction. We breathe, and as we sit in meditation you notice there are long and short breaths, cool, fast, deeper ones and shallow ones. If you let it breath itself it has all these rhythms of the body opening and closing all the time. Then you pay attention to sensations in the body. At first it feels like tension, pain, hot, or cold, but the more deeply you listen with your inner-awareness, that which we call pain, tension, hot, or cold, becomes pulsing, throbbing, needles, pinpricks, swirling movement. The more deeply we feel, the more our body shows itself to be a river of sensation." – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk from Spirit Rock on 4/23/1989 was originally published on DharmaSeed.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.

In this Independence Day focused episode, Jack reflects on how we can foster true freedom and independence through using a spiritual rudder."The Buddha, in the last bit of his life, said, 'When I'm gone, don't follow or place all of your reliance on elders or teachers, but rather follow the Dharma, the universal law, and know these things for yourself. Know the forces of grasping, hatred, and ignorance. Really know what they are. Let yourself see them, and know that it is possible to find freedom from these. If it weren't possible I wouldn't tell you about it. Then as you live your life, be aware of what brings goodness, what brings freedom from grasping, hatred, and delusion. Nourish that which brings that freedom, sustain it and support it." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack dives into:The ideals of the U.S., versus its reality and history What it means to be independent, what it means to be free Learning what your "spiritual rudder" is to steer you in the midst of this Kali Yuga Buddha's advice on following the Dharma, and your Way, rather than following others Our spiritual rudder as synonymous with truth, love, integrity, and our Buddha Nature True freedom as freedom from the pull and sway of outside circumstances Real loving kindness, real metta, as timeless, fearless, and freeThis Dharma talk given by Jack on July 4th, 1994 was originally published on DharmaSeed.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hop in the Sauna with Jack Kornfield and Prince Ea, as they steep deeply into topics of spirituality, fear, meditation, compassion, and staying awake in the world.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom"People say the world is going to hell in a hand-basket, but that's only half the story. There is a lot of suffering that really needs our honest compassion and tending, but it also needs hope. If you go into a refugee camp and you're depressed and worried; they don't need that, they already have plenty of that. They need somebody that comes in and says, 'We human beings can make the world better." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack and Prince Ea steam in:Meeting all facets of the world with optimism and hope Why we should never underestimate the human heart Mindful presence, loving awareness, and waking up to who we are Overcoming fear and not buying into the scare tactics used in politics What it was like for Jack to meet and learn from Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj The story of Jack becoming a Buddhism monk and finding Vipassana meditation Unpacking compassion as a verb, rather than empathy which is inactiveAbout Prince Ea: Prince Ea is a film maker, speaker, human optimization researcher, and creator who has touched the hearts, minds and souls of millions of people worldwide. By producing creative, inspirational and thought provoking content, Prince has accumulated over 1 billion views on Facebook alone and even more on a combination of other platforms. For more info, please princeea.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jack joins CEO of OpenAI's ChatGPT, Sam Altman, onstage with Soren Gordhamer at Wisdom 2.0 to talk artificial intelligence, spirituality, ethics, and the future of humanity.Sam Altman is the co-founder and CEO of OpenAI and ChatGPT. Soren Gordhamer is the founder of Wisdom 2.0.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdomIn this episode, Jack, Sam, and Soren explore:How A.I. technology will impact our world and the future of humanityThe ways Sam's meditation practice is influencing his tech careerPotential benefits and pitfalls of opening artificial intelligence onto the worldIf we can instill values, ethics, and morals into A.I.How Sam created OpenAI to allow a collective democratic process for how A.I. evolvesDoes artificial intelligence technology have a sense of self?Learning how humanity can best utilize these evolving toolsHow A.I. can aid our spiritual practice"What are people going to do in the post-A.I. world when we all have tremendous resources, we've solved a lot of inequities in the world, and we have a lot of time on our hands? Well, there are a lot of people who need a lot of spiritual practice, and we're gonna have that time." – Sam AltmanSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jack Kornfield explores the connection between spirituality and sexuality, emphasizing the importance of observing our hearts in relationships. He discusses karma, virtue, and intention, and how our sadhana and practice can be enhanced through relationships. The panel discussion delves into the profound experiences that can come from embracing sexuality, emphasizing commitment and non-attachment in relationships. The chapter explores the complex nature of relationships, discussing attachment, suffering, and the balance between self-expression and keeping the heart open.

Exploring the relationship between spirituality and sexuality, Jack offers reflections and perspectives on ways to dance with the sexual energy in our lives.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/heartwisdom"In a way, sex is a mirror. How your sexuality goes in a particular day or week is pretty much a reflection of the rest of your heart, mind, spirit, and being. In that regard, it's just like meditation—you sit down, close your eyes, and you get to see what's there: frustration, anger, happiness, or love. Sexuality serves the same way, physically, but even more so emotionally." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:The relationship between spirituality, sexuality, and our lives Why sexuality is such a major part of our culture Our underlying fear of true intimacy Suzuki Roshi's koan of "How do you realize Buddha while making love?" The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in relation to our sexuality Wounds, trauma, healing, and the body Using relationships in a skillful way to grow Tantra, breath, and going beyond ourselves"If you look at our culture, television and mass media, sex is such a big part of it. Why is it such a big thing in our culture and our lives? Because, in part, it's a vehicle to go beyond ourselves." – Jack KornfieldThis Dharna talk from 1987 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.orgSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Directly following Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's death, Jack offers perspectives on the life and dharma of one of spirituality's most impactful and controversial figures."Lama Govinda said that of all the young tulkus, of all the young incarnate lamas to leave Tibet, there was none as bright as Trungpa Rinpoche—bright in the sense of his field of his being and his energy. Lama Govinda, even at a point when he wasn't very happy with the way Trungpa Rinpoche was behaving, said that he still had to admit there was no one who walked across the Himalayas and came out who had that light more than Trungpa." – Jack Kornfield In this episode, Jack dives into:A celebration of the life, teachings, and impact of Chögyam Trungpa RinpocheThe Vimalakīrti Sutra, and how certain Bodhisattvas teach as householders so that their message can be best understood by the worldHow Jack being invited to teach alongside Ram Dass, Sharon Salzberg, and Joseph Goldstein on the faculty of Trungpa's Naropa University in Boulder, CO sparked their teaching careers in the WestLama Govinda's view on Trungpa's innate radiant brightness and his "lion's roar"The traditions, trainings, and spirit of Shambala through the metaphor of the rising sunMeeting our life and practice with an openness and fearlessnessBuddhist personality types and their unique seeds of awakeningTrungpa's discipline for practice, and his deep devotion for his teachers and dharma lineagePing-ponging between Ram Dass's and Trungpa Rinpoche's dueling Bhakti and Buddhism sessions the opening summer at Naropa"Trungpa Rinpoche gave himself as fully to the West as any Buddhist teacher that I know that has come. And in a more remarkable way, he absorbed our culture, our language, our customs, who we are, into himself and said, 'Alright, let's play! Let's take the seed of the Dharma and really make it sparkle and alive in the West.'" – Jack Kornfield This Dharma Talk on 4/01/1987 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.orgSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.