Ep. 303 – The Nature of Mind: Practices and Perspectives for Inner Freedom

Jack Kornfield explores the nature of mind, offering playful practices and profound perspectives to uncover our true home of freedom, compassion, and ease.

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“If we don’t know the nature of mind and the ways of mind, our life is like a boat without a rudder, and we get pulled here there by all the thoughts, images, stories, feelings, and unfinished business that arise during the day” – Jack Kornfield

In this episode, Jack mindfully explores:

• The purpose of meditation and Buddhism
• Learning the true nature of mind
• An assortment of micro guided meditation practices
• Experiencing Buddha’s ‘sure heart’s release”
• Uncovering natural happiness and freedom of heart
• How we create our world with our mind
• Discovering what creates suffering and what creates happiness
• The mirror-like quality of meditation
• Stanislav Grof and LSD
• The playfulness and creative capacity of mind
• The Buddhist creation myth
• Counting/noting our thoughts
• Becoming aware of awareness
• Ajahn Chah’s meditation instructions 
• Finding the place of natural mind and rest
• Cultivating inner listening 
• The gradual and sudden dimensions of illumination
• Untangling the unfinished business of our lives 
• Touching the world in kindness and compassion
• Meeting ourselves and this world in kindness and humbleness
• Bearing witness to the sorrows of the world while resting in the heart of the Buddha
• Opening to the great mystery
• Becoming The One Who Knows
• The Timeless Buddha as the ground of all being, our true home

“Buddha didn’t give an answer to the great mystery, he taught us how to rest in our heart in the midst of that mystery, to find our true home, that awakened state.” – Jack Kornfield

This Dharma Talk from 5/3/1993 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.

About Jack Kornfield:

Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma, studying as a monk under the Buddhist master Ven. Ajahn Chah, as well as the Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. 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. His books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies.

Jack is currently offering a wonderful array of transformational online courses diving into crucial topics like Mindfulness Meditation Fundamentals, Walking the Eightfold Path, Opening the Heart of Forgiveness, Living Beautifully, .css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}