Jack Kornfield

Jack interviewed at Kripalu, Winter 2011

jackkornfield — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:45:57 +0000

Balancing Act: How Meditation Lets Us Look Inside Ourselves to See the Whole World

Jack Kornfield, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, author, and one of the most well-known teachers of Buddhism in the West. He’s a founding teacher of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and Spirit Rock Center in California. Here, he talks about meditation, his signature loving-kindness practice, an upcoming Kripalu retreat, and why he loves to teach.

What’s at the core of the trainings you teach?
The trainings are centered in equanimity and balance—it’s the training of the heart and mind to stay balanced. I teach a series of steps for equanimity, beginning with reflections on the vastness of time and changing circumstances, ever-changing winds of gain and loss, praise and loss, pleasure and pain. Training has to do with reflecting on the value of keeping a peaceful heart and envisioning others with compassion. We realize that people can love enormously, and that you can’t love on behalf of someone else; we try to understand the limits of love. It’s also using a series of deep intentions: May I live with peace in the joys and sorrows of the world. May you find peace.

What transformations can people have when they practice meditation?
There’s a glow people have, a “meditation facelift” that leaves people profoundly refreshed, their eyes open and skin clear. You don’t have to become a card-carrying Buddhist. You can tend to the beauty that’s awakened in yourself from meditation practice in moments, by skillful use of intention, and the practice of loving-kindness. You can do this anywhere—in the airport, supermarket, or workplace. In any circumstance, even tending young children, having the skills of wise intention is invaluable and makes that circumstance more alive.

Body-based practices, such as being aware of the breath, can help you embody the power of mindfulness and live fully in the present, whether you’re jogging or cooking. The result is the ability to live your life in the reality of the present, rather than in the worries of the future and regrets of the past. And you have the flexibility and ability to respond to your circumstances with a tremendous sense of inner power.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW AT KRIPALU.ORG

The Buddha Is Still Teaching: Contemporary Buddhist Wisdom

jackkornfield — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:39:02 +0000

When the Buddha set in motion the wheel of Dharma, he knew that the teaching he gave was inexhaustible—that every future generation would find its own skillful ways to convey it to the hearts and minds of those ready to hear. The Buddha Is Still Teaching is testimony to the fulfillment of that promise today. The selections it contains, from today’s most highly regarded contemporary Buddhist teachers, bring the Dharma eloquently to life for us in our own time, place, and culture. They demonstrate that two and a half millennia have done nothing to diminish the freshness of the Buddhist teachings, or their universal applicability to our lives.

Barnes & Noble | Powell’s | IndieBound

A Path with Heart

jackkornfield — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:48:51 +0000

Jack Kornfield’s A Path with Heart has been acclaimed as the most significant book yet about American Buddhism—a definitive guide to the practice of traditional mindfulness in America today. On this audio edition, Kornfield teaches the key principles of Buddhism’s cherished vipassana (insight) tradition, and puts them into direct service, with the unique needs of the contemporary seeker in mind.

After the Ecstasy, the Laundry

jackkornfield — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:42:40 +0000

When does enlightenment come? At the end of the spiritual journey? Or the beginning? On After the Ecstasy, the Laundry, Jack Kornfield—author of the modern classic on American Buddhism, A Path with Heart—brings into focus the truth about satori, the awakened state of consciousness, and enlightenment practices today.

Buddhism: A Beginner’s Guide to Inner Peace and Fulfillment

jackkornfield — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:38:06 +0000

The teachings of Buddhism offer us a practical way to achieve the inner peace, fulfillment, and happiness that we all want. Buddhism is an informative yet compact audio guide with celebrated teacher Jack Kornfield. In one liberating CD-session, you will hear the story of Siddhartha’s enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree, the core wisdom of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, and essentials of Buddhism’s many branches and practices. Then Jack Kornfield leads two traditional guided meditations, “Mindfulness” and “Lovingkindness,” to help you awaken the heart and live fully and compassionately in the moment.

Meditation for Beginners

jackkornfield — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:34:16 +0000

Have you ever thought about trying meditation, but didn’t know how to get started? On Meditation for Beginners, trusted teacher Jack Kornfield uses clear language and a thorough step-by-step guidance to show you to start-and stick with-a daily meditation practice. In this complete beginner’s course, Jack introduces you to the “Insight” tradition of meditation that has helped practitioners throughout the ages cultivate profound inner calm and a lasting capacity for happiness.

Buddhism for Beginners

jackkornfield — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:31:14 +0000

At the heart of all Buddhist wisdom lies one astonishing truth: a way out of suffering and into a more deeply fulfilling life is not a myth, but a reality available to you the moment you open your eyes through the power of skillful inquiry. Now, with Buddhism for Beginners, Jack Kornfield invites you to experience for yourself the gifts of this vast spiritual tradition. Created specifically to address the questions and needs of first-time students, this full-length retreat on audio offers an ideal way to learn Buddhism’s essential principles and insights.

Forgiveness Meditation

jackkornfield — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:28:33 +0000

If you’ve been hurt by another person—or by your own inner judge and jury—you’ve probably figured out that it’s impossible to forgive through sheer will or intention. True healing, teaches Jack Kornfield, comes naturally with the opening of insight, understanding, and release. In this guided session, you’ll learn to germinate forgiveness and move out of pain, fear, and confusion, even if you’ve been struggling with your situation for years.

Guided Meditations for Difficult Times

jackkornfield — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:20:52 +0000

We all face tough times. But how can we meet these difficult situations with a compassionate heart and a clear mind? “Inside each of us is an inner light that I call ‘The One Who Knows,’” teaches Jack Kornfield. “Awakening to this wisdom can help us find our way through pain and suffering with grace, tenderness, and curiosity.”Guided Meditations for Difficult Times gives us eight new practices for reconnecting to our inner guide to skillfully navigate life’s storms.

Guided Meditations for Self-Healing

jackkornfield — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:14:53 +0000

Meditation brings you into a deep communion with your own body and heart, but what happens when you are sick or in pain? With Guided Meditations for Self-Healing, Jack guides you through meditations created specifically to ease physical and emotional suffering, and activate a powerful capacity for restoring yourself to wholeness.