Meditation teacher Jack Kornfield explains the why and how of developing wise attention, or open awareness. Meditation comes alive through a growing capacity to release our habitual entanglement in the stories and plans, conflicts and worries that make up the small sense of self, and to rest in awareness. In meditation we do this simply by acknowledging the [...]
About Jack Kornfield
Truth and Reconciliation Begin With Us
In spite of the conflict and pain that our national discourse on white supremacy has surfaced, Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield is still hopeful — for we all have the tools to begin making real change happen. Like many, I am heartbroken with sadness over the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the rising wave of hate and violence in our culture. While this is part of a [...]
Stand Against Suffering: A Call to Action by Buddhist Teachers
Thirteen leading Buddhist teachers, joined by more than 140 additional signatories, call on Buddhists and all people of faith to take a stand against policies of the new administration that will create suffering for the most vulnerable in society. As long as a society protects the vulnerable among them, they can be expected to prosper and not decline. —The Buddha, in the [...]
Buddhism’s Call to Action
Jack Kornfield on the importance of contributing to activism with Buddhist practice and wisdom. Science and technology alone cannot stop continuing warfare, racism, and environmental destruction. The illusion of separation that fuels global consumerism and greed, fear, and ignorance needs to be transformed by the realization of interdependence, by the illumination of [...]
How to Do Metta
Kuan Yin, bodhisattva of compassion. Photo by Liza Matthews. Jack Kornfield on beginning this time-honored, heart-opening practice. In our culture, people find it difficult to direct loving-kindness to themselves. We may feel that we are unworthy, or that it’s egotistical, or that we shouldn’t be happy when other people are suffering. So rather than start loving-kindness [...]
Don’t Wait to Be Happy!
A heartfelt message to us all, from Jack Kornfield. Dear friends, after more than forty years teaching mindfulness and compassion to thousands on the spiritual path, the most important message I can offer is this: You don’t have to wait to be free. You don’t need to postpone being happy. All too often these beautiful spiritual practices of mindfulness and compassion [...]
Now Is the Time to Stand Up: Practicing the Dharma in Uncertain Times, Part 2
After the election of Donald Trump, Lion's Roar shared a new teaching by Jack Kornfield, called "Practicing the Dharma Uncertain Times." Now, Jack follows up with second, more action-oriented installment of post-election guidance and encouragement. As long as a society holds regular and frequent assemblies, meeting in harmony and mutual respect, can they be expected to [...]
Practicing the Dharma in Uncertain Times
During times of pain and confusion, we arrive at the perfect place to deepen our practice of awakening. Following the results of the US presidential election, Jack Kornfield shares how to practice the dharma in these uncertain times. When times are uncertain, difficult, fearful, full of change, they become the perfect place to deepen the practice of awakening. After [...]
How RAIN Can Nourish You
Jack Kornfield teaches us the transformative mindfulness practice known as "RAIN." Mindfulness does not reject experience. It lets experience be the teacher. With mindfulness, we can enter the difficulties in our life and find healing and freedom. There are four principles for mindful transformation of difficulties that are taught in Western mindfulness retreats with [...]
Meet a Teacher: Jack Kornfield
My twin brother and I were born at a Marine base in North Carolina on July 16, 1945—the same day as the first atomic bomb explosion in Alamogordo. My father was a brilliant and abusive scientist, my mother quite open-minded, and I have three great brothers. An out-of-place hippy, I graduated from Dartmouth in 1967 and asked the Peace Corps to send me to a Buddhist country. I [...]