Heart Wisdom With Jack Kornfield

In this illuminating talk, Jack explores the heart of freedom through the lens of his friendship with Ram Dass, reflecting on how to cultivate a heart that can meet it all with loving awareness.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.This time on Heart Wisdom, Jack Kornfield shares:Ram Dass and the liberation of the heartThe Dharma teaching of letting goFreedom from attachment to preferencesCompassion in difficult timesThe wisdom of Buddhist teachings in modern life“There was something so liberating about Ram Dass because he wasn't attached to who he was—he was playing with it.”  –Jack KornfieldThis episode was first recorded on Feb 23, 2026 for the Spirit Rock Monday Night Talk and MeditationAbout 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 Sayada

In this deeply grounding guided meditation, Jack Kornfield invites us to rest in mindful loving awareness and gratitude for the miracle of being alive.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.This time on Heart Wisdom, Jack Kornfield shares: Guided meditation on mindful loving awareness Gratitude for breath, body, heart, and mind Opening to the field of awareness beyond thoughts The healing power of compassion toward ourselves Recognizing the interconnectedness of all life“Who you are is bigger than the mind, bigger than the emotions, bigger than the changing sensations of the body. You're the field of awareness itself, consciousness that was born into this body.” –Jack KornfieldThis episode was first recorded on Feb 23, 2026 for the Spirit Rock Monday Night Talk and MeditationAbout Jack Kornfield:Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, a

Celebrating the release of All In This Together, Jack shares stories and leads a guided meditation inviting us into the fear dispelling and protective practice of loving kindness.Jack’s new book is out now: All in This Together: Stories and Teachings for Loving Each Other and Our WorldToday’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.“Loving kindness protects us from our fears that come up. When you go into the jungle, watch the news, or whatever wild thing you do, loving kindness is a basis to tend and care for your own heart.” –Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack shares stories and leads a guided meditation on:Coming together to quiet the mind and open the heartJack shares background on his new book of stories, All InThis TogetherThe healing importance of forgiveness in a conflicted worldA Buddhist story on how loving kindness (metta) protects us from our fearsLooking at our relationship to technology in the w

Celebrating the release of All In This Together, Jack reflects on learning to bow to life’s mystery—and how doing so opens a path to liberation, love, and inner peace.Jack’s new book is out now: All in This Together: Stories and Teachings for Loving Each Other and Our WorldToday’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.https://youtu.be/c9lBoai7ZTY“There’s something so mysterious about how things unfold. We live in something so huge and magnificent, but we get into small mind about how it should be, but we honestly don’t know so much.” –Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:More healing stories on love and respectSharon Salzberg’s travel advice from Chögyam Trungpa RinpocheThe stories of how both Spirit Rock Meditation Center and Insight Meditation Society came to beBowing to the mystery of how everything unfoldsThich Nhat Hanh’s wisdom from a treeHow weird, wild, and mysterious it is to be hu

Honoring the release of All In This Together, Jack reflects on how stories awaken compassion, heal division, and call us back to meeting one another with respect.Jack’s new book is out now!: All in This Together: Stories and Teachings for Loving Each Other and Our WorldToday’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.“We have the opportunity to reach out and mend the fabric of life... Action that actually undoes anxiety is making even the tiniest difference to others.” –Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:Jack’s recent trip with Trudy to India to see His Holiness the Dalai LamaWhat the Dalai Lama said about A.I. and compassionHaving a wise relationship with A.I. and technologyVaranasi and facing the reality of death at the burning ghatsStories as a medicine for the soulThe transformative story of Ram Dass, Maharajji, and the glance of mercyBeing fully worthy of loveLearning how to connect wit

In honor of All In This Together, Jack, Anne Lamott, and Tami Simon continue their heart-opening conversation on story, tenderness, and remembering who you areJack’s new book is out now!: All in This Together: Stories and Teachings for Loving Each Other and Our WorldToday’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode, Jack, Anne, and Tami mindfully explore:Anne Lamott’s 12-Step cruise ship seminar wisdomHow to tell or write a heart-opening storyGetting to the emotional center of it allRemembering who you really areIlluminating our common humanityLaughter as carbonated holiness and sacred groundWhat’s between the telling and the listeningHow to trade our exhaustion for peace and restMicro-dosing love and understandingThe healing power of true romantic, soul-mate loveBeing loved just as you areStories on hopeOperating from the heart caveJack’s recent visit with His Holiness the Dalai LamaStories of c

Jack opens with reflections on the cosmic dance of life before guiding listeners into a meditation on stillness, breath, and embodied presence. Drawing on ancient imagery and gentle instruction, he invites us to take our seat in the still point of the turning world.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.Jack’s new book is out now!: All in This Together: Stories and Teachings for Loving Each Other and Our WorldIn this episode, Jack explores:The meaning of solstice as a sacred pauseTaking your seat in stillnessThe breath as a living, shared processBecoming the loving witnessFinding harmony with the rhythms of lifeThis Dharma Talk originally took place in Dec 2025 for the Spirit Rock Monday Night Dharma Talk and Guided Meditation. Stay up to date with Jack’s upcoming livestreams and events here.“You are being breathed. The earth is breathing you, and the ocean of air is dancing with your body.”–Jack Korn

As winter deepens, Jack reflects on the quiet light that does not go out—the warmth of compassion, generosity, and courage that sustains us through dark seasons. Through stories of everyday kindness and ancient wisdom, he invites us to tend the inner fire that heals and connects us.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.“That's what you carry. That's who you really are. That's what was born in you, is the great heart of compassion and tenderness.” –Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack explores:Compassion as a response to fearEveryday acts of generosityTending the inner fire during dark seasonsBeginner’s mind and seeing with wonderAdding your light to a troubled and beautiful world“The heart can’t do anything but tenderness and mercy when we really listen.” –Jack KornfieldJack’s new book is out now!: All in This Together: Stories and Teachings for Loving Each Other and Our WorldThis Dharma Talk original

As we fully enter the winter season, Jack reflects on the ancient meaning of solstice—the standing still—and what becomes possible when we allow ourselves to pause. In a world shaped by speed, grief, and uncertainty, he invites us into stillness as a sacred act.Jack’s new book is out now!: All in This Together: Stories and Teachings for Loving Each Other and Our World“To be able to come together and not do anything is an extraordinary thing in our culture and our time.” –Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack explores:The sacred meaning of the winter solsticeStillness as a spiritual practiceImpermanence and the uncertainty of human lifeHolding grief and beauty at the same timeBirth, death, and remembering what truly matters“Imagine this is your last day. Who would you call? What would you say? And why are you waiting?” –Jack Kornfield, reflecting on a teaching from Stephen LevineThis Dharma Talk originally took place in Dec 2025 for the Spirit Rock Monday Night Dharma Talk and Guided Meditation. Stay up to date

In a moment when the world feels uncertain, Jack sits down with Anne Lamott and Tami Simon for an intimate, deeply human conversation about stories of the heart—how they soften us, unite us, and remind us of our own beauty.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.Jack’s new book is out now!: All in This Together: Stories and Teachings for Loving Each Other and Our World“What makes me happy in working with people is to be able to remind them of how beautiful they are.” –Jack Kornfield.In this episode, Jack, Anne, and Tami mindfully explore:Writing tips, wild stories, and inspiration between Jack, Anne, and TamiThe power of taking ‘writers walks’Protest, aging, Jesus, Buddha, and vulnerable storiesAnne Lamott’s fan-girl letter to Jack from years agoReminding you of your own beautyJack’s story of having to bow his ego at the monasteryHow to hold a generous vision in dark timesUncovering the story of the he

Celebrating the release of his new book of his favorite stories, All In This Together, Jack shares wise tales on living with integrity, presence, stillness, and generosity.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.Jack’s new book is out now!: All in This Together: Stories and Teachings for Loving Each Other and Our World“Whether you make art, write, tend a garden, or parent children—if you can share your dignity, generosity, understanding, integrity, vision, and make that come alive within you and others, your life becomes a blessed source of happiness.” –Jack Kornfield.In this episode Jack mindfully explores:Meaning and connectionThich Nhat Hanh’s favorite Tolstoy storyAnswering the Empress’s three life-changing questions: What is the best time to do things? Who are the best people to work with? What is the most important thing to be doing at all times?Living in the present moment and serving those arou

Celebrating the release of his new book of his favorite stories, All In This Together, Jack shares why ‘sometimes we need a story more than food.’ Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.Jack’s new book is out now!: All in This Together: Stories and Teachings for Loving Each Other and Our World“Light the candle, make a sacred space, and talk about what it means to hold this life in compassion. And then invite people to tell the stories that they need for the healing of their own heart. That’s why ‘sometimes you need a story more than food’ (Barry Lopez)—sometimes to hear it, sometimes to tell it.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:The art of awakening through stories Barry Lopez and why ‘sometimes you need a story more than food’Stories that release the weight from our souls and unburden our heartsLighting candles, making sacred space, and sharing stories togetherOverco

Jack Kornfield and Prof. Rajiv S. Joshi explore how facing suffering with love can awaken the courage to heal our world.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.Jack’s new book hits shelves on 11/11: All in This Together: Stories and Teachings for Loving Each Other and Our World – Preorder your copy today!“Love is this unbelievable, inexplicable force. When there’s love it’s almost that anything is possible. It’s love that binds all things.” –Prof. Rajiv S. JoshiIn this episode, Jack and Rajiv mindfully explore:Living Fully in a Time of Change: Joanna Macy’s funeral as a teaching on joy, love, and the beauty of a life well-lived.Facing Suffering with Courage: The two kinds of suffering—what we run from and what we open to with compassion.Meditation as Refuge: Expanding the heart’s window of tolerance to hold fear, grief, and love all at once.The Sweet Way of the Dharma: Remembering peace, joy, and humor

Jack Kornfield and Prof. Rajiv S. Joshi explore ‘inner climate change,’ guiding us through meditation and reflection on transforming the world by becoming the Tree of Enlightenment.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.Jack’s new book hits shelves on 11/11: All in This Together: Stories and Teachings for Loving Each Other and Our World – Preorder your copy today!“As much as we want to transform the world, if we don’t change ourselves, we might not inspire those around us and perhaps change the system.” –Prof. Rajiv S. JoshiIn this episode, Jack and Rajiv mindfully explore:Guided meditation: A journey into becoming the Tree of Enlightenment—rooted, steady, and open to the sky. Jack and Prof. Rajiv invite us to feel the deep stillness and sacred presence of the trees, reminding us that awakening is a natural unfolding within the web of life.Buddha and trees: The Buddha’s life was interwoven with trees—

Jack Kornfield and Prof. Rajiv S. Joshi share uplifting spiritual wisdom on how inner climate change shapes outer climate healing, the environment, and the future of humanity.Jack’s new book hits shelves on 11/11: All in This Together: Stories and Teachings for Loving Each Other and Our World – Preorder your copy today!Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.“It’s very clear that no amount of technology—no amount of internet, AI, computers, nanotechnology, space exploration, or biotechnology—will put an end to warfare, racism, or climate disruption. None of these advancements will resolve the conflicts we face in the world, because their roots lie in the human heart. Without an inner transformation, no outer transformation can truly take place.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack and Prof. Rajiv S. Joshi mindfully explore:Inner Climate Change: How transforming the heart and mind shapes the outer wor

Jack Kornfield leads a guided sound journey into spacious awareness—exploring meditation, mantra, and the freedom beyond duality.Dive into Jack’s recently unearthed lost tapes from a vintage Yucca Valley retreat in 1990! Take the The Sacred Journey Home: Timeless Teachings on Freedom and Love Just Where You Are with Jack Kornfield“When we touch spaciousness, we discover that in letting go there arises a natural compassion, the great heart of a Buddha. In this, we find that the true place of peace is one of trust—an open, spacious heart in the very midst of our life.” — Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:The Spacious Heart: A guided sound journey into awareness, transcending duality, and opening to the vastness of mind and heart.Beyond Duality: Discovering consciousness as boundless as the sky, where there is no inside or outside, only open spaciousness.Weather of the Heart: Seeing moods, joys, and sorrows as passing like colors in water or changes in the weather.Enlightenment as Non-Perfec

Exploring spaciousness as the ground of awakening, Jack Kornfield shows how peace, impermanence, and love are all born from the open heart.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.“Meditation centers, temples, ashrams, and spiritual communities are in one fundamental way, places of peace, reminders of the peace and harmony possible for us in our lives.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:The Spacious Heart: The peace and pleasure found in meditation centers, temples, and ashrams, and how spaciousness becomes a refuge in our lives.Shifting Identity: The flexibility of consciousness and how opening beyond the body and self allows us to release ill-will and rest in freedom.Impermanence and Real Love: Stories from India and the Dalai Lama on happiness, letting go into love, and the humor of the “Bang Bang Bang Theory.”Beyond Self-Improvement: Spiritual practice not as fixing or perfect

Jack shares a whimsical story on light and dark, birth and death, forgiveness and mercy, passion and sincerity, impermanence and immorality, and finding your inner light.In this episode, Jack mindfully explores:Light and Darkness: Stories and teachings on finding the inner light, becoming a lamp in the darkness, and awakening through difficulty.Life, Death, and Initiation: Nachiketa’s dialogue with Lord Yama, initiation and coming of age, and the mystery of immortality and the deathless.Sincerity and Blessing: Zen teachings on proving sincerity, the boons that come with it, and the light of forgiveness and mercy.The Fire of Life: Prana, chi, and kundalini as a passion for truth; the roar of the lion and living from what we most deeply value.The Open Heart: Not casting anyone out, transforming wounds into light, and resting in the question “Who am I?”If you enjoy Jack’s storytelling, dive into Transform Your Life Through Jack Kornfield’s Most Powerful Stories – a 10-hour storytelling wisdom journey!“When we to

Jack Kornfield explores the nature of mind, offering playful practices and profound perspectives to uncover our true home of freedom, compassion, and ease.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.Join the Year of Awakening with Jack Kornfield for a monthly group livestream Q&A hang with Jack, along with weekly modules and prompts to keep your life focused on awakening!“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 KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:The purpose of meditation and BuddhismLearning the true nature of mindAn assortment of micro guided meditation practicesExperiencing Buddha’s ‘sure heart’s release”Uncovering natural happiness and freedom of heartHow we create our world with our

In this inspiring poetry-infused talk, Jack weaves Rumi’s wisdom on the camel, lion, and child of the spirit into a journey from devotion, to courage, to wonder—inviting us to awaken the Buddha’s Lion’s Roar within and remember the inner royalty of the heart.Join the Year of Awakening with Jack Kornfield for a monthly group livestream Q&A hang with Jack, along with weekly modules and prompts to keep your life focused on awakening!“Poetry and the sense of beauty that art awakens is to move from a small sense of our problems and difficulties to some greater perspective of the heart.” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:Rumi’s wisdom on The Camel, The Lion, and the Child of the SpiritHealing our wounds, grief, and sorrowsWaking ourselves up from our tranceTouching our rage, fears, and longings with kindness and respectPoetry of compassion, mystery, tenderness, and awakeningLetting yourself love what you loveTenderness and seeing with the eyes of the Divine Mother and the great heart of c