Ep. 281 – The Paradox of Practice: When to Sit, When to Serve

Heart Wisdom with Jack Kornfield

Be Here Now Network

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

4.8 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 19 March 2025

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Exploring the spiritual paradox of individual and universal responsibility, Jack helps us find balance between meditation and service in our daily lives.

This Dharma Talk from 12/7/1992 at Insight Meditation Society was originally published on Dharmaseed.

In this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack mindfully explores:

The paradox of individual and universal responsibility
What's the better spiritual practice—meditation or service?
What exactly is individual, and what is the universe?
Joanna Macy's painful yet healing trip to Chernobyl
Becoming stewards of each other, the earth, and the future
Distinguishing between freedom and it's near enemies
Near enemies as fostering separation; freedom as interdependence
How to respond to suffering authentically and helpfully
Creating change blossoming from the human heart
The radical act of "doing nothing and facing yourself"
Dealing with the homelessness problem, warfare, environmental destruction
Balancing "Don't just do something, sit there," and "Don't just sit there, there isn't time."
Choosing between inner practice and outward service
Following a true path with heart in this lifetime
Vimala Thakar, Ajahn Chah, and Maha Ghosananda as beacons of peace
The power of helping feed the hungry
Navigating the up and down, inner and outer, cycles of spiritual life

"Every act counts. Each one of us has the power to affect the world." – Jack Kornfield

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Transcript

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1:13.3	So that the only way that freedom, justice, goodness can come to human beings is not by political or economic change, it never works, but by the transformation of the heart, when someone learns how to be unafraid in the face of anger or fear, learns how to work with their own greed
1:20.2	and desire, then perhaps something useful can come to the world. And without that, it's just empty.
1:29.3	So one of the greatest political acts you can do
1:33.3	is to do nothing and face yourself.
1:42.3	Every act counts.
1:45.4	Each one of us has the power to affect the world.
1:49.6	A prescient quote from Jack Hornfield.
1:52.4	From episode 281 of Heart Wisdom,
1:55.1	The Paradox of Practice, When to Sit, When to Serve.
2:00.4	This one is from a Dharma talk at the Insight Meditation Society on December 7, 1992,
2:06.6	and is all about finding the balance between the individual and universal responsibility,
2:15.1	a.k.a. What is the better spiritual practice, to meditate or to be out there serving?
2:22.5	Jack shares both sides why it's important to do the inner spiritual work.
	...

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