Delight in the Facets of Awakened Living through an Audio Retreat with Jack Kornfield It is possible to find genuine happiness and liberation in the ups and downs of your own human life. We can all sense how it is possible for our own capacity for greater compassion and freedom to grow. "If this were not possible," said the Buddha, "I would not ask you to do so." For four decades, Buddhist meditation teacher Jack Kornfield has shared practical instructions for awakening the wise and compassionate heart in the midst of all we experience. The Jewel of Liberation presents 10 pinnacle dharma talks (teaching sessions) hand-selected by Jack from his personal collection to illuminate the pathways out of suffering and into the natural freedom that is both our shared birthright and our greatest gift to the world. Reclaim the Seat of Dignity, Compassion, and Lovingkindness Meditation is the practice of awakening itself; it is the fundamental tool the Buddha offered to quiet the mind and open the heart. We begin our retreat with an examination of the art of meditation and how it empowers us to see things clearly and be gracious with the flow of this ever-changing life. The Jewel of Liberation continues with guidance in managing our troubles, the "weeds" that arise even as we cultivate the seeds of abiding happiness. Our retreat culminates with an inquiry into the "laws of life," the understandings we must have if we are to experience freedom independent of our circumstances. The Possibility of Freedom Here and Now "The sure heart’s release is found nowhere else but in our own direct experience―for it is who and what we are," teaches Jack Kornfield. "The world so much needs people who are free in this way, unafraid to love every being." Here is his invitation for each of us to "be a lamp of freedom for yourself and for all." Highlights Wise understanding―the beginning of the Buddhist path • Meditation as the art of "taking your seat halfway between heaven and earth" • The transformation that occurs through the discovery of our true identity • Tending the garden of the heart • Compassion, the antidote to fear and despair • "The One Who Knows"―Ajahn Chah’s description of our innate wisdom and presence • "Enlightenments" and the infinite doorways to freedom • Seeing life the way it is with equanimity and trust • The three laws of impermanence and the secret treasures they hold • That which sustains lasting changes in our lives • A 10-hour audio retreat with Jack Kornfield including 10 pinnacle dharma talks Course Describe wise the beginning of the Buddhist path. • Summarize the transformation that occurs through the discovery of our true identity. • Discuss compassion, the antidote to fear and despair. • Explain Ajahn Chah’s description of our innate wisdom and "The One Who Knows." • Apply teachings of living with equanimity and trust. • Practice meditation to sustain lasting change in your life.
Author
Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India and Burma. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. He began his training after graduating from Dartmouth College in Asian Studies in 1967. Then he joined the Peace Corps and was assigned to the Public Health Service in northeast Thailand, which is home to several of the world’s oldest Buddhist forest monasteries. He met and studied under the Buddhist master Ven. Ajahn Chah, as well as the Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw of Burma. After returning to the United States, Jack co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with fellow meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein. He is also a founding teacher of the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California, where he currently lives and teaches. Over the years, Jack has taught in centers and universities worldwide, led International Buddhist Teacher meetings with the Dalai Lama and worked with many of the great teachers of our time. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is a husband, father and an activist. His books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies. They include, A Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology, A Path with Heart; After the Ecstasy, the Laundry; Teachings of the Buddha; Seeking the Heart of Wisdom; Living Dharma; A Still Forest Pool; Stories of the Spirit, Stories of the Heart; Buddha’s Little Instruction Book; The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness and Peace, Bringing Home the Dharma: Awakening Right Where You Are, and his most recent book, No Time Like the Present: Finding Freedom, Love, and Joy Right Where You Are.
