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Jack Kornfield Quotes

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Jack Kornfield is an American author and meditation teacher, born in 1945. His works mainly focus on Buddhist meditation and spiritual growth, which have won him a wide audience.

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All Heart Spiritual Way Practice Compassion Suffering World Ifs Letting Go Mind Moments Our Lives Meditation Pain Understanding Needs Doe Buddhism Matter Past

Famous Jack Kornfield Quotes

“It is possible to speak with our heart directly. Most ancient cultures know this. We can actually converse with our heart as if it were a good friend. In modern life we have become so busy with our daily affairs and thoughts that we have lost this essential art of taking time to converse with our heart.”

Ifs Knows Heart Art Culture Lost Speak Modern Essentials Busy Affair Ancient Take Time Good Friend Modern Life Converses

Book:A Path With Heart: The Classic Guide Through The Perils And Promises Of Spiritual Life

Source: A Path With Heart: The Classic Guide Through The Perils And Promises Of Spiritual Life

“Everybody needs to take some time, in some way, to quiet themselves and really listen to their heart.”

Way Needs Heart Quiet

Author:Jack Kornfield

“We do not have to improve ourselves; we just have to let go of what blocks our heart.”

Heart Letting Go Block

Author:Jack Kornfield

“We need courage and strength, a kind of warrior spirit. But the place for this warrior strength is in the heart. We need energy, commitment, and courage not to run from our life nor to cover it over with any philosophy-mate rial or spiritual. We need a warrior’s heart that lets us face our lives directly, our pains and limitations, our joys and possibilities.”

Needs Heart Kind Philosophy Running Pain Faces Spiritual Joy Spirit Energy Our Lives Possibility Commitment Warrior Limitation Over It Mates Warrior Spirit

Author:Jack Kornfield

“The emotional wisdom of the heart is simple. When we accept our human feelings, a remarkable transformation occurs. Tenderness and wisdom arise naturally and spontaneously. Where we once sought strength over others, now our strength becomes our own; where we once sought to defend ourselves, we laugh.”

Humans Heart Feelings Simple Accepting Laughing Emotional Transformation Arise Remarkable Tenderness

Author:Jack Kornfield

“Whatever your difficulties - a devastated heart, financial loss, feeling assaulted by the conflicts around you, or a seemingly hopeless illness - you can always remember that you are free in every moment to set the compass of your heart to your highest intentions. In fact, the two things that you are always free to do - despite your circumstances - are to be present and to be willing to love.”

Source: A Lamp in the Darkness: Illuminating the Path Through Difficult Times

“Do not doubt your own basic goodness. In spite of all confusion and fear, you are born with a heart that knows what is just, loving, and beautiful.”

Knows Heart Beautiful Born Doubt Goodness Confusion Spite

Author:Jack Kornfield

“No amount of outer technology, no amount of computers and biotechnology and nanotechnology is going to stop the continuation of warfare and racism and environmental destruction. What's called for on the Earth at this time is really a change of heart ... the question is really not the future of humanity, but the presence of eternity.”

Heart Earth Humanity Technology Amount Computer Racism Destruction Eternity Environmental Warfare Continuation Change Of Heart Nanotechnology Biotechnology Future Of Humanity Environmental Destruction

Author:Jack Kornfield

“The aim of spiritual life is to awaken a joyful freedom, a benevolent and compassionate heart in spite of everything.”

Heart Spiritual Life Is Aim Spite Compassionate Spiritual Life Joyful Benevolent

Author:Jack Kornfield

“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.”

Way Heart Done Shows Spirit Broken Honestly Vulnerable Rough Compassionate Fierce Ragged

Author:Jack Kornfield

“If grief or anger arises, Let there be grief or anger. This is the Buddha in all forms,Sun Buddha, Moon Buddha, Happy Buddha, Sad Buddha. It is the universe offering all things to awaken and open our heart.”

Ifs Heart Form Universe Grief Sun Moon All Things Arise Offering

Author:Jack Kornfield

“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.”

Mind Heart Stories Pain Past Life Is Path Wise Quiet Letting Go Essentials Tasks Wise Life

Author:Jack Kornfield

“Even the most exalted states and the most exceptional spiritual accomplishments are unimportant if we cannot be happy in the most basic and ordinary ways, if we cannot touch one another and the life we have been given with our hearts.”

Ifs Way Heart Has Beens States Spiritual Given Ordinary Accomplishment Exceptional Unimportant Exalted

Book:A Path With Heart: The Classic Guide Through The Perils And Promises Of Spiritual Life

Source: A Path With Heart: The Classic Guide Through The Perils And Promises Of Spiritual Life

“Beneath the sophistication of Buddhist psychology lies the simplicity of compassion. We can touch into this compassion whenever the mind is quiet, whenever we allow the heart to open.”

Mind Heart Lying Compassion Psychology Quiet Simplicity Buddhist Sophistication

Book:The Wise Heart: Buddhist Psychology for the West

Source: The Wise Heart: Buddhist Psychology for the West

“In all practices and traditions of freedom, we find the heart's task to be quite simple. Life offers us just what it offers, and our task is to bow to it, to meet it with understanding and compassion.”

Heart Understanding Simple Compassion Practice Offers Tradition Tasks Bows Simple Life Understanding And Compassion

Author:Jack Kornfield

“Grant that I have enough suffering that my heart really opens to the great compassion of this world, that I be given enough so that I don't wall myself off from the world, that it breaks down the heart and the separation and the ego and the fear, and it lets me touch the nectar, the milk of kindness itself, of something greater.”

World Heart Enough Suffering Given Compassion Break Kindness Greater This World Wall My Heart Ego Let Me Separation Grants Milk Breaking Down Nectar

Author:Jack Kornfield

“The ends do not justify the means. If our actions will bring harm to others, even in the service of some 'good,' they are almost certainly deluded. If our actions do not come from a kind heart, from loving courage and compassion, they are deluded. If they are based on a distinction between 'us' and 'them,' they stem from delusion. Only to the extent that we act from the wisdom of no separation, understanding how we are woven together, will our intention bring benefit.”

Ifs Heart Kind Mean Ends Action Together Understanding Compassion Benefits Intention Harm Separation Distinction Delusion Justify Stem Our Actions Woven Deluded Kind Heart

Author:Jack Kornfield