Ep. 279 – Standing Up For Compassion: A Wise Rudder in Turbulent Politics

Heart Wisdom with Jack Kornfield

Be Here Now Network

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

4.8 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 4 March 2025

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Standing up for compassion in this powerful new Dharma Talk, Jack offers a steady spiritual rudder for navigating turbulent politics with the heart of a Bodhisattva.

Learn the Dynamic Art of Interactive Guided Meditation with Jack Kornfield in this online masterclass beginning April 7!

“It’s a time to get quiet and remember that you’re here for a beautiful purpose, oh Bodhisattvas. What better thing to do with your life?” – Jack Kornfield

In this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack mindfully explores:

Navigating this world's maelstrom of change from a deep spiritual rudder
Returning from his trip to Asia; landing in Los Angeles on fire
Samsara and the nature of uncertainty
Creating a wise society based on mutual care
Trading our personal and cultural anxiety for imagination and hope
Alison Luterman's heart-opening poem, Praise the Broken Promise of America
Using the Dharma to move past Liberal versus Conservative
How to help the vulnerable in the world
Remembering your best values as things change
Grounding yourself, steadying your heart, and remaining hopeful
Bringing peace to this world, developing metta, and supporting what's good
Taking the long view, living with integrity, virtue, and imagination
Joining together with your community to stand up for compassion
Being hopeful and helpful through difficult times
Living like a Bodhisattva—offering support, compassion, loving kindness

“Take the long view—your intention, heart, and mind in all the cycles of birth and death. That deep intention of wisdom creates what’s possible for a wise society. It becomes a rudder through difficult times.” – Jack Kornfield

“When a society treats its members with respect, cares for the weak and vulnerable among them and tends the natural world around… it can be expected to prosper and not decline.” – Mahāparinibbāna Sutta

This Dharma Talk was originally recorded for the Spirit Rock Meditation Center Monday Night Talk and Meditation on 2/10/25.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	The Bodhisattah's reflection, how can I live and contribute to a wise and healthy and compassionate society?
0:15.0	How can I be part of us meeting in harmony and respect?
0:23.2	How can I support protecting the vulnerable and the natural world around us and respecting
0:32.7	the wisdom of generations before.
0:44.1	When a society treats its members with respect,
0:47.3	cares for the weak and vulnerable among them,
0:50.2	and tends to the natural world around,
0:54.2	it can be expected to prosper and not decline.
1:00.7	A resonant passage from the Maha Perinabana Suta,
1:07.9	spoken through Jack Cornfield in episode 279 of the Heart Wisdom podcast.
1:15.0	Standing up for compassion, a wise rudder in turbulent politics.
1:19.9	This talk was first recorded for the Spirit Rock Monday Night,
1:23.6	Dharma Talk and Guided Meditation on February 10th, and is Jack's moving response to what has been going on in the world of politics as of late?
1:33.9	He shares the rather chilling story of coming home from Thailand and Cambodia, this beautiful
1:41.0	trip he took with Trudy recently, to a lot of the places where his spiritual
1:45.7	journey began. But his return flight landed in Los Angeles when it was up in flames.
1:55.1	Maybe a rather chilling metaphor for what we were going to walk into next.
2:03.0	I have to admit, I stayed pretty insulated from politics throughout the election.
2:09.1	News media and social media can affect me.
2:13.4	But my ignorance is Ananda bubble was quickly popped by the moving poem,
2:21.5	which Jack shares here by Alison Luterman, praise the broken promise of America,
2:30.4	which really lays out what is going on.
	...

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