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On Instagram there was an image of a large tree with the caption, "The trouble with you is that you think you have time." The quote was attributed to Jack Kornfield. It haunted me for a couple of days. Then I came back to search for the source, which turned out to be this book. I read it in a couple more days, and I found it thought provoking. I am a Christian, and have never read a Buddhist book before. I found it non-threatening and insightful. It's a fallacy, of course, to think I'll have plenty of time to do whatever it is that I am even now putting off. This book helps me recommit to a path with heart. I recommend it.
If the number of times someone has read or listened to an audio book is any indication, then A Path With Heart by Jack Kornfield must be one of my favorite books. I’ve listened to it dozens of times over the past thirteen years, and I still find myself learning something new with every listen.
For those who don't know him, Jack Kornfield is a meditation teacher and psychologist who is one of the founders of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Marin county. He spent several years studying as a monk in Asia, has a PhD in psychology, and as of the writing of this book, had been practicing and studying meditation and Buddhism for over twenty five years.
Though grounded in Buddhist psychology, the principles of spiritual practice the book touches upon are universal. At its core, the book speaks to the possibility of living a genuine spiritual practice in our every day lives. That is to say, to discover an enduring well-being and happiness here and now.
You may be wondering how is it possible to reconcile the ancient teachings of the Buddha with the ways of our modern life. After all, the relative simplicity of life twenty five hundred years ago is in stark contrast to the technological complexity of today’s living.
The Buddha spoke of one thing and one thing only: suffering and the end of suffering. Given today’s high levels of depression, suicide, drinking, smoking, drug addictions, pornography addiction, rape, murder, genocide and war, it’s safe to say that the vast majority of humans experience varying degrees of suffering and unhappiness. So the Buddha’s teachings are perhaps as relevant today as ever.
Using today’s language, Jack Kornfield shares the enormous breadth and depth of this body of wisdom perhaps as best as it can be summarized in one book, and he does so in a remarkably elegant and beautiful way, the medium being the message. Indeed, it would be hard to find an author with a deeper understanding of the Buddha’s teachings. But it wasn’t always this way. As a child, he suffered at the hands of an abusive father and sought refuge and clarity in the east.
He shares that the great challenges of modern society are consumerism, individual isolation and ambition. Though the first two are more obvious, the third one is perhaps less so since ours is a country that holds personal ambition in high regard. He provides deep insights like how the momentary satisfaction of buying a consumer good does not come from the acquisition but rather from the ending of wanting. He teaches that stopping the war within and stopping the war without and coming to rest in our heart is the beginning and the end of spiritual practice.
His own journey of healing to a place of wholeness, peace and ease didn’t just come from thousands of hours of meditation. It was also a long and arduous process of reclaiming his emotions and healing through individual and group therapy. In the beginning, he felt satisfied that he had cultivated his mind to deal with difficulties, but in time he realized that to be truly awakened one must fully inhabit one’s animal body. This goes against our common understanding that cultivating the mind is enough.
He writes about dealing with and naming difficulties, which can be the source of our awakening. He speaks of discovering selflessness and a healthy sense of self or true self. He writes about common everyday difficulties such as codependency and acting out old patterns of relating like fear and blame as well as finding a teacher to support us on our path. The book is both descriptive and prescriptive, mostly inspiring us to live the wisdom of the ancient teachings here and now.
A Path With Heart could be summarized by Zen master Dogen who said, “To be enlightened is to be intimate with all things.” As it says in the Buddhist texts, “Awakening is not something newly discovered; it has always existed. There is no need to seek or follow the advice of others. Learn to listen to that voice inside yourself just here and now. Your body and mind will become clear and you will realize the unity of all things. Do not doubt the possibilities because of the simplicity of these teachings. If you can’t find the truth right where you are, where else do you think you will find it?”
Buy this book, you won’t regret it.
As we know, Mark Twain advised us, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.”
This is an excellent book for finding personal peace. Contains much information about meditation and has actual meditation instructions also. You will not regret reading it, or following the meditation scripts. The author covers modern issues, as well as more traditional ones. It is a gentle guidebook for living a more peaceful life.
Jack Kornfield is a favorite Buddhist author, and I consider this to be a classic. It was on my shelf for years, and not deeply read during that time. I recently reacquired it, and paid it its proper due. Many meditations are included with wonderful instruction. Highly recommended for its caring tone.
This book helped me so much. Through it, I came to understanding meditation and the spiritual path, not as a way to "fix" our lives or ourselves but as a path toward healing that can help us live with less suffering. It is especially helpful to understand that those whom we might view as gurus or enlightened ones deal with the issues of life, relationships, sorrow, loss, love, anger and hate. This book has helped me change from being less "goal-oriented" about meditation and the spiritual path, and with this change there is less frustration and disappointment when I feel that I have failed to live up to some (self-imposed) impossible standard. The techniques, especially that of not resisting the sensations that arise during meditation and naming the feeling, have really helped. I highly recommend this book to anyone who meditates or is interested in meditation.
Detailed book that is great to read on my days off. Jack speaks in a clear language which is easy to follow and if you listen to his talks at all then you will really be able to hear his "voice" through the words he rights. All these years later and his message still rings true. When I follow along with the simple instructions in the book I feel like it puts me into a better place. I suffer from anxiety disorder and depression and I crack this book open whenever I need to get out of a funk. Thanks for all the great work you do Jack and bless your kind soul. Your Heart Wisdom Hour podcast is superb. Also every podcast you have made with Duncan has brought me to tears and spoke to me at a time and place where your message came through loud and clear.
If you're familiar with Jack Kornfield's work, perhaps you'll find this a great manual for developing a meditative practice. I have been carrying it around with me for over a year, and I still am finding helpful suggestions as things come up. I bought it as a beginner, but I set it aside and came back to it once my practice was more established.
I must admit that I'll probably never explore the original Buddhist texts, so I'm grateful for a teacher who has done so and is willing to make their essence accessible. Kornfield is never condescending or obscure, which in my case leaves me wanting to learn more. There's humor but an unblinking insistence that we press on.
The best book if you want to start a meditation/spiritual practice. This book was a jewel in starting my meditation practice almost 20 years ago. Now I have had Jack K as a teacher, done more meditation retreats than I can count, and I believe, I have become a more compassionate person. This is a book I have given to countless friends because it has been so inspirational to me.
Good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end.
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