Monday, March 5, 2018
“Hatred never ceases by hatred, but by love alone is healed. This is the ancient and eternal law.”
– Jack Kornfield
Jack Kornfield (@JackKornfield) trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma, shortly thereafter becoming one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974.
Jack has had a profound and direct impact on my life, and I’m thrilled to finally have him on the podcast to share our history, his incredible stories, and practical tactics and techniques that you can use.
Jack co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with fellow meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein and the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is a father, husband, and activist.
Jack’s books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies, including The Wise Heart, A Lamp in the Darkness, A Path with Heart, After the Ecstasy, the Laundry (one of my favorite book titles of all time), and his most recent, No Time Like the Present: Finding Freedom, Love, and Joy Right Where You Are.
Enjoy!
Want to hear another episode about meditation and mindfulness? — Listen to this episode with Sharon Salzberg (stream below or right-click here to download):
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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Selected Links from the Episode
- Connect with Jack Kornfield:
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
- Spirit Rock — An Insight Meditation Center
- The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology by Jack Kornfield
- A Lamp in the Darkness: Illuminating the Path Through Difficult Times by Jack Kornfield
- A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life by Jack Kornfield
- After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path by Jack Kornfield
- No Time Like the Present: Finding Freedom, Love, and Joy Right Where You Are by Jack Kornfield
- Tandem Paragliding in Grindelwald
- Psychedelics: Help or Hindrance? by Allan Hunt Badiner, Tricycle
- Be Here Now by Ram Dass
- Psilocybin: A Journey Beyond the Fear of Death? by Richard Schiffman, Scientific American
- Buddhist Wheel of Life by Diana St. Ruth, Buddhism Now
- Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman
- Esalen
- Gestalt Practice
- Vultures and Charnel Grounds — East and West, Vajratool
- What Is the Concept of Samadhi?
- Why the World Should Not Forget Khmer Rouge and the Killing Fields of Cambodia by Adam Taylor, The Washington Post
- The Sound of One Hand Clapping: 281 Zen Koans with Answers by Yoel Hoffman
- The Brain: The Mystery of Consciousness by Steven Pinker, Time Magazine
- Mind: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human by Daniel J. Siegel M.D.
- U.K. Appoints a Minister for Loneliness by Ceylan Yeginsujan, The New York Times
- MediTrain
- A Meditation on Lovingkindness by Jack Kornfield
- Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness by Sharon Salzberg
- The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer by Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn and Dr. Elissa Epel
- Meditations at Jack’s site
- Jack’s programs at Sounds True
- First White House Buddhist Leadership Conference by Jack Kornfield
- CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning)
- The Magic of Mindfulness: Complain Less, Appreciate More, and Live a Better Life
- Mindfulness Daily with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield
- The Power of Awareness with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield
- The Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach
- Guided Meditation with Jack Kornfield
- The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu
- Mosaic Voices
- Cu Chulainn: An Iron Age Hero by Daragh Smyth
- Restrepo
- Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger
- The Water of Life: Initiation and the Tempering of the Soul by Michael Meade
- The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness, and Peace by Jack Kornfield
- The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined by Steven Pinker
- Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire’s Slaves by Adam Hochschild
Show Notes
- What’s Jack’s connection with hang gliding and paragliding? [08:49]
- Now 72, Jack recalls his childhood, a brilliant but abusive father, and becoming the peacemaker in his family. [11:51]
- “If you’re going to be angry, do it right.” [18:18]
- Why did Jack make the transition from pre-med to Asian studies at Dartmouth? [20:50]
- The journey from card-carrying hippie to Buddhist monk. [22:32]
- How did psychedelics influence Jack’s spiritual path, and what’s his stance on them today? [24:27]
- Who is Stanislav Grof, and when did Jack meet him? [34:35]
- How did Jack manage to find and study under Ajahn Chah? [38:55]
- What did Jack’s rookie monk training in Thailand look like, and what suffering did he find there that was most difficult to endure? [42:53]
- On periods of long silence and out-of-body experiences. [50:37]
- Mystical experiences are not always pleasant. [53:45]
- We talk about my own experience at Spirit Rock. [56:48]
- While in Thailand and Burma, did Jack ever come close to quitting his training and going home? [57:52]
- “Hatred never ceases by hatred, but by love alone is healed. This is the ancient and eternal law.” [1:03:02]
- What advice would Jack have for people with multiple “real life” responsibilities who find it hard to take off long periods of time required for deep inner work? [1:08:40]
- How does compassion differ from empathy? [1:22:24]
- How might technology help us develop and harness compassion? [1:27:14]
- Jack explains lovingkindness meditation and why it’s often effective for Westerners who have trouble with other forms of meditation (like me). [1:28:27]
- On attending the First White House Buddhist Leadership Conference and the mission of CASEL. [1:38:04]
- How a busy or impatient person might get hooked on mindfulness practice, and why love is a superpower. [1:41:53]
- What does Jack recommend for people who have derailed from their path of self-discovery and need to find the way back? [2:04:08]
- Sometimes what might seem like a derailment is just another form of communication required for the time at hand. [2:09:29]
- What self-talk might someone employ when potentially inappropriate anger begins to surface? [2:11:48]
- After his training abroad, what made Jack return to the United States to study clinical psychology? [2:24:53]
- How does Jack use forgiveness to help veterans, gang kids, and others trying to cope with often horrific experiences? [2:29:53]
- An ancient story about a warrior returning home and why community support beats community apathy. [2:34:08]
- Does Jack feel there are problems caused by lack of significant initiation rituals in modern society? [2:39:00]
- Which book of his would Jack recommend for a newcomer to his work? [2:44:22]
- What would Jack’s billboard say? [2:49:05]
- Parting thoughts. [2:50:28]
People Mention
Posted on: March 5, 2018.
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