We don't know all the reasons that propel us on a spiritual journey, but somehow our life compels us to go. Jack Kornfield More Quotes by Jack Kornfield More Quotes From Jack Kornfield When we take the one seat on our meditation cushion we become our own monastery. We create the compassionate space that allows for the arising of all things: sorrows, loneliness, shame, desire, regret, frustration, happiness. Jack Kornfield frustration regret loneliness Meditation practice is neither holding on nor avoiding; it is a settling back into the moment, opening to what is there. Jack Kornfield meditation-practice holding-on moments But forgiveness is the act of not putting anyone out of your heart, even those who are acting out of deep ignorance or out of confusion and pain. Jack Kornfield pain ignorance heart Attention to the human body brings healing and regeneration. Through awareness of the body we remember who we really are. Jack Kornfield medicine healing philosophy Compassion is our deepest nature. It arises from our interconnection with all things. Jack Kornfield interconnection arise compassion You awaken your True spirit by way of the broken heart: ragged, vulnerable, fierce and finally compassionate. Chris trod this rough way and shows honestly how it can be done. Jack Kornfield broken done heart When we struggle to change ourselves we, in fact, only continue the patterns of self-judgement and aggression. We keep the war against ourselves alive. Jack Kornfield struggle self war The near enemy of love is attachment. Attachment masquerades as love. It says, “I will love this person because I need them.” Or, “I’ll love you if you’ll love me back. I’ll love you, but only if you will be the way I want.” This isn’t love at all - it is attachment - and attachment is rigid, it is very different from love. Jack Kornfield attachment love-you love-is Without being aware of it, you take many things as being your identity: your body, your race, your beliefs, your thoughts. Jack Kornfield buddhism race suffering Indifference pretends to create peace, but it is based on not caring, a silent resignation. It is a movement away, a separation fed by a subtle fear of the heart. We pull back, believing that what happens to others is not our concern. Our courage leaves us. Indifference is a misguided way of defending ourselves. Jack Kornfield caring heart believe There are several different kinds of painful feelings that we might experience, and learning to distinguish and relate to these feelings of discomfort or pain is an important part of meditation practice, because it is one of the very first things that we open to as our practice develops. Jack Kornfield meditation-practice pain feelings In deep self-acceptance grows a compassionate understanding. As one Zen master said when I asked if he ever gets angry, 'Of course I get angry, but then a few minutes later I say to myself, 'What's the use of this,' and I let it go.' Jack Kornfield compassion acceptance letting-go One of the essential tasks for living a wise life is letting go. Letting go is the path to freedom. It is only by letting go of the hopes, the fears, the pain, the past, the stories that have a hold on us that we can quiet our mind and open our heart. Jack Kornfield pain wise letting-go There is beauty to be found in the changing of the earth’s seasons, and an inner grace in honouring the cycles of life. Jack Kornfield cycle-of-life grace earth In opening we can see how many times we have mistaken small identities and fearful beliefs for our true nature and how limiting this is. We can touch with great compassion the pain from the contracted identities that we and others have created in the world. Jack Kornfield buddhism pain compassion Whatever we cultivate in times of ease, we gather as strength for times of change. Jack Kornfield ease Meet this transient world with neither grasping nor fear, trust the unfolding of life, and you will attain true serenity. Jack Kornfield serenity grasping world Weigh the true advantages of forgiveness and resentment to the heart. Then choose. Jack Kornfield resentment forgiveness heart Even time is a concept. In reality we are always in the eternal present. The past is just a memory, the future just an image or thought. All our stories about past and future are only ideas, arising in the moment. Our modern culture is so tyrannized by goals, plans, and improvement schemes that we constantly live for the future. But as Aldous Huxley reminded us in his writings, "An idolatrous religion is one in which time is substituted for eternity...the idea of endless progress is the devil's work, even today demanding human sacrifice on an enormous scale. Jack Kornfield sacrifice writing memories This life is a test-it is only a test. If it had been an actual life, you would have received further instructions on where to go and what to do. Remember, this life is only a test. Jack Kornfield tests life-is remember
