Heart Wisdom With Jack Kornfield

Who are we really? Jack Kornfield peels back the veil on our identity roles to uncover the deeper truth that we really are. Join Jack's New Free Course, Stand Up For Compassion: A Free Course and Resource for Navigating Uncertain Times. In this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack mindfully explores:Opening to a new vast, gracious, and spacious perspective on lifeStepping out of your ordinary habits and roles to see something in a new wayHow to navigate the reality that death is stalking usMeditation as a practice of letting things goThe spirituality of the nature of change and the present momentRam Dass and the mystery of identity, change, and awarenessSeeing past our roles to the deeper reality of who we areLooking into the mystery of: Who I Am?Touching the secret beauty you were born withJack's experience communicating with Koko the GorillaSeeing past the illusion of separateness and the small selfMeditation as a sacred space of non-consumptionRemembering and healing through listening and letting goSeei

Exploring how to stay buoyant and balanced on life's great ocean of change, Jack sets our spiritual compass for letting go into what is.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. Join Jack's New Free Course, Stand Up For Compassion: A Free Course and Resource for Navigating Uncertain Times. "What we're asked to do here is a very deep thing, which isn't to change ourselves, but to give ourselves to our life, to practice with continuity and care, bowing, opening. It's really like being in labor, if you've ever had a child or been there for childbirth, it's a birth of your life, a birth of yourself, over and over, letting go to what is." – Jack KornfieldIn this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack mindfully explores:The Tibetan story of Avalokitesvara, Green Tara, and White TaraThe spiritual wisdom of a duck resting on the oceanFloating softly on life's constant ocean of changeExperiencing ourselves as an alway

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 practiceJoanna Macy and healing the environmentThe rollercoaster ride of meditationAwakening right here and right nowThe transformative power of bowing to it allThe Buddhas of all the universesSuffering and the truth of Nirvana, timeless delightFacing the reality of the human realm—joy and sorrow, birth and deathLooking at the difficulties facing the planet today—war, famine, racism, greed, environmental concernsStop fighting what is true; the end of denialBowing to suffering, attachment, and changeInsight—seeing things just as they are"We awaken the wisdom and the great, compassionate heart of a Buddha right whe

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 practiceComing fully into the reality of the present momentBecoming mindful loving awareness itselfWitness the play of our human experienceUncovering true freedom as your innate birthrightExperiencing the present moment as loving awarenessResponding 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 KornfieldThis recording is from Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Monday Night Talk and Meditation on 3

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 KornfieldIn this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack mindfully explores:Staying centered amidst life’s struggles Stopping blame and “right and wrongNavigating Late-Stage Capitalism in the 21st CenturyThe Great Turning as an opportunity to reset our lives as human beingsThe Great Turning as a birth process—messy, painful, dangerous, and beautifulRemembering your fearlessness amidst politics and news media Becoming “imaginal cells” of the butterflyTrusting the constant renewal of life and nature Black Elk, Gary Snyder, and the power of loving the earthMeditation and sitting with heartbreakDissolving guilt, fear, and doomscrollingCarryin

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 revolu

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 i

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 existenceGood spiritual community as an island of peace and sanitySeeing past negative fear politics and news mediaA Charm to Use Against the Language of PoliticsThe Buddha on mindfulness of your life breathNoting the subtle nuances of the breath in meditation"Buddha in the palm of your hand" techniqueTraining the restless puppy of the mindUsing breath to reconnect body, heart, and mindShort and simple guided breath practicesWhat the Cross and the Circle representDirecting your breath to feel and open emotional wounds and dis-easeReawakening your body, and reconnecting with life, through breathing"Most of the destructi

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 KornfieldIn this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack mindfully explores:Navigating this world's maelstrom of change from a deep spiritual rudderReturning from his trip to Asia; landing in Los Angeles on fireSamsara and the nature of uncertaintyCreating a wise society based on mutual careTrading our personal and cultural anxiety for imagination and hopeAlison Luterman's heart-opening poem, Praise the Broken Promise of AmericaUsing the Dharma to move past Liberal versus ConservativeHow to help the vulnerable in the worldRemembering your best values as things changeGrounding yourself, stead

“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 KornfieldThis 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.” –

In this engaging Q&A session, Jack and Trudy explore romance, impermanence, attachment, diffusing anger, manifesting your dreams using mindfulness, and more!Learn How to Thrive in Love: Buddhist Secrets to Transform Your Relationships with Jack Kornfield and Trudy Goodman – join now!In Part 2 of this episode, Jack and Trudy dive into Q&A on:Finding appreciation and wisdom in things “falling apart”Accepting change, aging, impermanenceEntering the naked unknown of the wilderness, natureThe wisdom of swimming with dolphins in the oceanSending metta (loving kindness) to the world and those in positions of powerHow to tend our romantic relationships and partnerships with mindfulness and careDiffusing anger and learning how to communicate lovinglyConnecting from a place of vulnerability and presenceMoving past warfare, racism, violence, and blameLearning how to communicate across differencesNoting the difference between your intention and it’s impact on othersManifesting your dreams using mindfulness“Attach

Jack Kornfield and Trudy Goodman join forces in an exploration of Buddha’s eternal wisdom: ‘hatred never ceases by hatred, but by love alone is healed.’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.“We start to sense that who we are is not just limited by the events of the world, but that we’re connected to something vast, mysterious, and greater.” – Jack KornfieldIn Part 1 of this episode, Jack and Trudy mindfully explore:Loving Awareness and mindful responseSeeing the world with the eyes of a BuddhaOpening to that world with the heart of a BuddhaHow the art of meditation is actually the art of loveThe story of Maha Ghosananda, the Gandhi of CambodiaBuddha’s eternal wisdom: Hatred never ceases by hatred, but by love alone is healedFacing climate change, racism, warfare, refugees, injustice, and traumaDealing with our cultural anxiety, and saving ourselves from despairBecoming the calm person on the boat who ca

Love is in the air, as Jack explores the nature of desire, relationships, and spiritual passion—offering wisdom on stabilizing the heart, navigating distractions, and awakening to the timeless and sacred.Learn How to Thrive in Love: Buddhist Secrets to Transform Your Relationships with Jack Kornfield and Trudy Goodman beginning Feb 17 – join anytime!“If you know what it’s like to really fall in love with someone, then you can begin to sense what it means to bring the full presence of attention to your life.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:The Buddha on mindfulness and awarenessStabilizing the heart, mind, and body in the presentOvercoming distractions and difficult moodsBeing aware of desires arising and passingChanda – spiritual passion, the desire for awakeningThe connection between power, insecurity, and fearHow to stop feeding the hungry heart in unskillful waysThe difference between desire and loveRelationship, marriage, and staying in loveA moving love story from Thich Nhat Han

Rekindling the ancient art of listening, Jack shares how we can transform our lives through nourishing inner stillness and simplifying the mind.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.“The Divine waits for us to taste the food and not just read the menu.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:Reclaiming the ancient Art of ListeningMeditating like the Buddha in natureHow your breath reflects your lifeMeditation, attention, and overcoming restlessnessThe ways we keep ourselves busyHow to trust your human instinctsReclaiming an intimacy with your sensesNoticing when we’re listening and when we’re notHonoring others through your attentionCultivating the humility of ‘Don’t Know Mind’The mystery of life, death, love, consciousnessNourishing inner stillness and simplifying your mindLetting go into the unfolding present momentThe rather bizarre situation of having a human bodyOur connection to

In this defining talk, Jack shed's light on his adventurous journey to Thai meditation master Ajahn Chah, and how upon returning home, he had to learn to embody a heart of authenticity.Transform your 2025 with Jack! Join “The Year of Awakening: A Monthly Journey with Jack Kornfield” a year-long online program on mindfulness, love, community, and connection. Join in anytime.“Being with Ajahn Chah was being with a person who rested in their Buddha Nature, their own true nature. He was just himself. He was really at peace with himself. You could feel it from the energy of his presence, rooted like a great tree in the earth.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:His mystical journey to learn with Thai meditation master Ajahn Chah,Needing to work his way down the chakras to fully live this human lifeSudden awakening versus gradual change on the spiritual pathRamana Maharshi and liberation through facing one’s own deathHow to live in your soul and dance your unique danceWhat it’s like hanging ou

Jack helps us heal conflicts, release defensiveness, and cultivate the harmony of wise relationships through the art of reconciliation, deep listening, and truth.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.“When we read about western civilization, it is in our history books as predominantly a history of conflict—who fought whom, who took over what kingdom, country, or land from someone else and conquered and triumphed. That conflict is still with us in very obvious ways, whether it is in Los Angeles, or Yugoslavia, or Somalia, Ethiopia, or Cambodia. And so, when we look at human civilization with such a long history of conflict, the question comes, can we learn another way to live as humans?” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:Buddhist teachings on community, conflict, and living harmoniouslyIf modern civilization is actually all that civilizedAristotle on humanity’s weapons of wisdom an

Opening the doorway to transformation, Jack and Dr. Hübl explore spiritual discernment, identity, “central casting,” overcoming nervous system triggers, reframing trauma, and more.Transform your 2025 with Jack! Join “The Year of Awakening: A Monthly Journey with Jack Kornfield” a year-long online program beginning Jan 2025, but join anytime.The ‘wisdom of insecurity’ is to learn that it’s okay to feel insecure—that it’s part of our human law—and to love anyway.” – Jack KornfieldIn Part 2 of this episode originally airing for Dr. Hübl’s ‘Spiritual Healing Journey Summit,’ Jack and Thomas mindfully explore:Spiritual community, idealism, disillusionment, and healing spiritual injuryJack’s experience “pressure testing” his teacher Ajahn ChahTrading our “blind faith” for “spiritual discernment”Living in joy with a free heart amidst it allRam Dass, identity, and “central casting”Seeing past our identities/roles to our Divine Nature while still fully honoring themReframing “trauma” with Buddha’s lens of sufferingHea

Jack and Thomas explore how ritual serves as a powerful language for opening the heart and living joyfully through life’s challenges.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."Ritual and symbol become a gateway back to the heart to our deep connection. When we have that in spiritual life, things open up in a different way." – Jack KornfieldIn Part 1 of this episode originally airing for Dr. Hübl’s ‘Spiritual Healing Journey Summit,’ Jack and Thomas mindfully explore:How to live joyfully through difficult timesFinding the wonder of “everyday grace”Reducing suffering through spiritual practiceWestern Psychology and Eastern SpiritualityInterconnection and opening to the great web of beingRelational mindfulness and communal mindfulnessRitual as a language and gateway to the heartHow to talk with nature and speak for the treesThe transformation of having true mentors and guidesService, activism, and navigating b

Shining a lamp in the darkness, Jack offers a heartwarming holiday story, guided meditation, angelic chant, and powerful intention setting ceremony for the New Year and beyond.Transform your 2025 with Jack! Join “The Year of Awakening: A Monthly Journey with Jack Kornfield” a year-long online program beginning Jan 2025!“May your holidays and the turning of the seasons bring new light, great love, wisdom, and understanding into your life, to all your touch, and across this beautiful blue-green globe.” – Jack KornfieldIn part 2 of this special holiday series, Jack merrily shares:A heartwarming Christmas Dharma story to relax the mindLearning the true and boundless joy of making others happyA powerful “Just Like Me” two-person guided meditation practiceTransforming the world through seeing the beauty of those around usSetting the compass of your heart for our highest good and intentionCreating your own New Year’s vow, and becoming a lamp in the darkness for those in needA special blessing-cord ceremony—an intent

In this cozy holiday special, Jack sheds seasonal tidings on how to rediscover the secret beauty within you and share your special gifts with the world.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.“What you most deeply long for is who you are, is coming back to your own heart, to your own beauty, your own wellbeing that you were born with, to that secret beauty.” – Jack KornfieldIn part 1 of this special holiday video series, Jack merrily explores:The spiritual meaning of the Winter Solstice, the turning of the seasons, and the holidaysHow Jack’s teacher Ajahn Chah reacted when a Christmas Tree was put up in the MonasteryReconnecting with the great mystery of the world and with each otherHow to deal with your family with compassion, equanimity, and peaceSeeing the secret beauty behind the eyes of everyone you meetMoving past the body of fear, the small sense of selfThe paradox of spiritual practice: you’re per