Ep. 216 – Heart and Mind, Wholeness and Emptiness

Heart Wisdom with Jack Kornfield

Be Here Now Network

Kornfield, Religion & Spirituality, Religion, Jackkornfield, Buddhism, Spirituality, Jack Kornfield

4.8 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 13 December 2023

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In Jack's heartfelt final talk at Insight Meditation Society, he explores heart and mind, wholeness and emptiness, and how the only way to be free is to let go of it all.

"When I was first studying Buddhism and meditating, even as it got a lot deeper, it was a clearing of the mind—mind becoming more silent, fewer thoughts, starting to see with a vision of clarity how things really arise, pass, and are truly ownerless. There's a kind of coolness to that vision, just like on a hot summer day when you go into a place and the cool breeze comes, and it cools off at night. That kind of vision of openness, of spaciousness of mind, and the clarity to see, has a sweetness, a sweet kind

In this heartfelt episode, Jack mindfully explores:

The significance of this session as his last Dharma Talk at Insight Meditation Society before leaving to California to found Spirit Rock Meditation Center
Jack's connection as a founding teacher of IMS alongside other Be Here Now Network teachers and podcasters, Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein
How sangha—spiritual community—has a way of naturally calibrating itself and the students/teachers within it
The sweet coolness and spacious clarity which comes from spiritual practice
Suzuki Roshi and the wisdom of 0 and 1, emptiness and wholeness
A moving story of service and renewal from a Ram Dass book
How the only way to be free is to let go of all of it, absolutely everything
The question Jack will ask himself when his body is dying: whether I've lived fully and loved well
What the Buddha said about love

"The only way to be free is to let go of all of it." – Jack Kornfield

"What I imagine I'll ask myself when I die is: whether I've lived fully—but even more than that—whether I've loved very well." – Jack Kornfield

This Dharma Talk from 03/18/1984 at Insight Meditation Society was originally published on DharmaSeed.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	In a world that often feels like it's teetering on the edge, it's not surprising that so many of us grapple with feelings of instability and overwhelm.
0:10.0	On Tuesday, December 19th, join acclaimed Buddhist meditation teachers Sharon Salzburg and Ethan Nicktern for a free online conversation on staying grounded, available, and engaged even when the world is on fire.
0:24.0	Ethan and Sharon will also discuss the upcoming darmamoon year-long Buddhist studies program
0:29.0	and offer their insights on how studying Buddhism can help us show up more fully for ourselves and others during these challenging times.
0:37.0	Visit darmamamoon.com slash event for more info and reserve your free spot. What I'll imagine I'll ask myself when I die is whether I've lived fully, but even more than that, whether I've loved very well. Hey there, Heart Wisdom Fam and welcome to Jack Kornfield's Heart Wisdom Hour here on
1:20.2	Ram Doss's Be-Hair Now Network.
1:22.8	I'm Ganesh Braemiller, welcoming you to episode 216, heart and mind,
1:28.0	wholeness and emptiness.
1:29.9	And I know I always say, this is a special one, but this is indeed a special one.
1:37.2	I found Jack's final talk that he gave at the Insight Meditation Society, which he founded in 1975 alongside other Be Here Now
1:47.4	Network teachers Sharon Salzburg and Joseph Goldstein. Many of the talks, the vintage ones that we've been listening to recently, have been from the Inside Meditation Society, and I'm sure I will still be able to on earth some others as we go along.
2:05.0	But when I found this one marked on 3 18, 1984 as Jack's final talk at IMS before going to California to found the
2:17.7	amazing Spirit Rock Meditation Center. I just couldn't help myself but put this one out. It is truly heartfelt and has some of my favorite
2:28.1	quotes that I have ever gotten from Jack, some long ones and also some really short quippy ones that hit home.
2:36.1	I'm going to share one now.
2:37.6	I know the jury's out on whether you like me to read quotes up front, but I'm going to do it because this one is fire. The only way to be
2:47.0	free is to let go of it all. And wow, that really does not leave too much room for interpretation.
2:54.7	And one other thing that Jack said in here that really got me.
2:59.8	I mean, I think we've all been in different situations where we've left something we've left a job
3:05.8	We've left a relationship you know even graduation day at school
3:12.1	And it's always so poignant. There's generally some
3:15.7	celebration and then there's generally some sadness. So what Jack said here in
	...

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