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A Path With Heart
Listening length: 3 hours, read by the author
When Jack Kornfield's A Path with Heart was first published, it was acclaimed as the most significant book yet about American Buddhism, one "destined to become a classic". With sales approaching 200,000 copies, it has established itself as a definitive guide to the practice of traditional mindfulness in America today.
On this audio edition, Jack Kornfield shares the key principles of Buddhism's cherished vipassana (insight) tradition and puts them into direct service, with the unique needs of the contemporary seeker in mind. Kornfield summons his experience as a monk, psychotherapist, and meditation teacher to craft an elegant approach to integrating modern life into a full spiritual practice. The challenges unique to our times -- including our bodies, careers, relationships, ecology, education, and more -- are all embraced by this complete vision for cultivating the skills we need in order to see the preciousness in all life. Complete with many special meditations and other practices -- all shared in the clear and friendly voice that has made Kornfield a legendary teacher -- A Path with Heart leads to the healing, compassion, and freedom that arise only when we open deeply to the world around us.
When Jack Kornfield's A Path with Heart was first published, it was acclaimed as the most significant book yet about American Buddhism, one "destined to become a classic". With sales approaching 200,000 copies, it has established itself as a definitive guide to the practice of traditional mindfulness in America today.
On this audio edition, Jack Kornfield shares the key principles of Buddhism's cherished vipassana (insight) tradition and puts them into direct service, with the unique needs of the contemporary seeker in mind. Kornfield summons his experience as a monk, psychotherapist, and meditation teacher to craft an elegant approach to integrating modern life into a full spiritual practice. The challenges unique to our times -- including our bodies, careers, relationships, ecology, education, and more -- are all embraced by this complete vision for cultivating the skills we need in order to see the preciousness in all life. Complete with many special meditations and other practices -- all shared in the clear and friendly voice that has made Kornfield a legendary teacher -- A Path with Heart leads to the healing, compassion, and freedom that arise only when we open deeply to the world around us.
3 pages, Audio Cassette
First published June 1, 1993
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About the author
Jack Kornfield
183 books1,384 followersJack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India and Burma. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. He began his training after graduating from Dartmouth College in Asian Studies in 1967. Then he joined the Peace Corps and was assigned to the Public Health Service in northeast Thailand, which is home to several of the world’s oldest Buddhist forest monasteries. He met and studied under the Buddhist master Ven. Ajahn Chah, as well as the Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw of Burma. After returning to the United States, Jack co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with fellow meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein. He is also a founding teacher of the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California, where he currently lives and teaches. Over the years, Jack has taught in centers and universities worldwide, led International Buddhist Teacher meetings with the Dalai Lama and worked with many of the great teachers of our time. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is a husband, father and an activist.
His books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies. They include, A Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology, A Path with Heart; After the Ecstasy, the Laundry; Teachings of the Buddha; Seeking the Heart of Wisdom; Living Dharma; A Still Forest Pool; Stories of the Spirit, Stories of the Heart; Buddha’s Little Instruction Book; The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness and Peace, Bringing Home the Dharma: Awakening Right Where You Are, and his most recent book, No Time Like the Present: Finding Freedom, Love, and Joy Right Where You Are.
His books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies. They include, A Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology, A Path with Heart; After the Ecstasy, the Laundry; Teachings of the Buddha; Seeking the Heart of Wisdom; Living Dharma; A Still Forest Pool; Stories of the Spirit, Stories of the Heart; Buddha’s Little Instruction Book; The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness and Peace, Bringing Home the Dharma: Awakening Right Where You Are, and his most recent book, No Time Like the Present: Finding Freedom, Love, and Joy Right Where You Are.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 361 reviews
April 28, 2012
I can sincerely say this is an excellent book but that it is not the correct book for me at this time. Books tend to be time sensitive documents, meaning if you read one at the “right” time, it can light fireworks under your butt, while if you had read the same book at an earlier or later time of your life, you might toss it aside and pick up instead the latest copy of Time (pun intended). My experience with what is probably Kornfield’s most widely read book is somewhere in between, but again, this may be on account of personality or timing. Anyway, having read the book and announced this caveat, I’ll plunge in to my review.
First let’s nail down what the book is about, because it’s not immediately clear by looking at the table of contents. The title comes from an oft-quoted passage from Carlos Castaneda’s first book, The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge:
"For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart. There I travel, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length. And there I travel looking, looking, breathlessly…"
The spiritual life is not just a path, but a forest, with infinite numbers of highways and byways and small trails, and if you’re not careful, or don’t have a good guide, it is easy to end up at a dead-end or some bad place you never intended. This book is meant as a guide or map to this terrain.
Its range is necessarily vast, covering everything from the important questions of one’s life (“Did I love well?”) to making peace with oneself (“dealing with our stuff” as Daniel Ingram would say), and initial attempts to train the wayward mind (the “puppy” as Kornfield puts it). Salient topics such as the stages of insight and the perennial debate of True Self versus No-Self are considered from Kornfield’s typically ecumenical and gracious standpoint. The particular issues of Westerners dealing with abuse, codependence, and self-loathing are tackled, and the positive role psychotherapy can play in unwinding these issues is also discussed. Karma is defined and the necessary role of compassionate, helpful work as “meditation-in-action” advocated.
Kornfield is one of the godfathers of the American meditation scene, and his vast experience, sensitive expression and insight are abundantly on display. It is not surprising then that while I would heartily recommend it as an introduction or preliminary text to one’s sadhana, it also bears reviewing at later stages of development. In other words, this is neither a book for beginners, intermediates, or advanced students of the Way; it’s for everyone, since everyone at all times is running into at least one or two issues discussed in the book.
Quality-wise Kornfield’s insights, suggestions and clarifications are impeccable. He is a very human and down-to-earth guide, one who sees beyond the starry-eyed ideals of perfection many traditions advocate (cf. Ingram’s Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha for more on this), and while the Theravada is his “home base” so to speak, his vision is all-embracing as regards the varieties of approaches one can take to the contemplative path. I would recommend this book even to dyed-in-the-wool Christians—maybe an evangelical or two… (but maybe not)—without hesitation. I don’t see how it could fail to inform or advise someone, regardless of where they are. In the end, sincerity and a desire to learn are what count.
Despite all these good points, I found myself constantly irritated by Kornfield’s writing. It is, to say the least, a little on the saccharine side; nay, sometimes it went down like seven packs of Splenda in my coffee. There’s a little too much “wisdom and compassion,” “heart,” and “joy,” “being” and Buddha-nature here, and in Kornfield’s world everyone is a “master”: a Zen Master (with both words capitalized no less, like it’s a job title or something), a meditation master, a spiritual master, or just plain master. I’m sorry, but not everyone can be a master. If you’ve been on retreat for ten or more years or you’re a natural-born genius, you might qualify, but these sorts are rare; the word is overused. (Besides, I don’t want a master; I want a teacher or guide or good friend, but I digress…) To make a long story short: Kornfield is heavy on the “fufu jargon,” and for a spiritual curmudgeon like me it just doesn’t fly.
This kind of writing is unabashedly “popular,” politically correct, and “nice.” The above is symptomatic of this, but his willingness to water down passages quoted from other (especially traditional) sources, to massage them into accordance with his way of presentation, also points to this tendency. (Not to mention irritates the hell out of me!) I groaned at one point (page 74) where, when quoting don Juan (from Castaneda) Kornfield felt it necessary to stick the word “spiritual” in front of the word “warrior,” as if without we might all think he was advocating something he clearly wasn’t. Two pages later an even worse example of this sort of heavy-handed editorializing reared its ugly head. In Kornfield’s words, the Buddha said:
"Just as the great oceans have but one taste, the taste of salt, so too there is but one taste fundamental to all true teachings of the Way, and this is the taste of freedom" (76).
The source is Udana 5:6, where in the original Pali it says “Just as the great ocean has one taste, the taste of salt, so too this Dhamma and Discipline have one taste: the taste of freedom.” Clearly, the Buddha was describing his teaching, not anyone else’s, but Kornfield, liking the passage, “adjusted” it to fit his message. I think you can see why this sort of thing, indulged in on a regular basis, would rub some people the wrong way.
So, the brilliant and witty, the philosophically profound and the airy-fairy—it’s all here and much more. I will leave you with some sage advice on this book from Daniel Ingram, who called A Path With Heart a “masterwork”:
"Only major problem is that is it so nicely written and gentle you might not realize how hard hitting it is. Assume it is very hard hitting and technical despite its friendly tone and you will get more out of it."
First let’s nail down what the book is about, because it’s not immediately clear by looking at the table of contents. The title comes from an oft-quoted passage from Carlos Castaneda’s first book, The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge:
"For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart. There I travel, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length. And there I travel looking, looking, breathlessly…"
The spiritual life is not just a path, but a forest, with infinite numbers of highways and byways and small trails, and if you’re not careful, or don’t have a good guide, it is easy to end up at a dead-end or some bad place you never intended. This book is meant as a guide or map to this terrain.
Its range is necessarily vast, covering everything from the important questions of one’s life (“Did I love well?”) to making peace with oneself (“dealing with our stuff” as Daniel Ingram would say), and initial attempts to train the wayward mind (the “puppy” as Kornfield puts it). Salient topics such as the stages of insight and the perennial debate of True Self versus No-Self are considered from Kornfield’s typically ecumenical and gracious standpoint. The particular issues of Westerners dealing with abuse, codependence, and self-loathing are tackled, and the positive role psychotherapy can play in unwinding these issues is also discussed. Karma is defined and the necessary role of compassionate, helpful work as “meditation-in-action” advocated.
Kornfield is one of the godfathers of the American meditation scene, and his vast experience, sensitive expression and insight are abundantly on display. It is not surprising then that while I would heartily recommend it as an introduction or preliminary text to one’s sadhana, it also bears reviewing at later stages of development. In other words, this is neither a book for beginners, intermediates, or advanced students of the Way; it’s for everyone, since everyone at all times is running into at least one or two issues discussed in the book.
Quality-wise Kornfield’s insights, suggestions and clarifications are impeccable. He is a very human and down-to-earth guide, one who sees beyond the starry-eyed ideals of perfection many traditions advocate (cf. Ingram’s Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha for more on this), and while the Theravada is his “home base” so to speak, his vision is all-embracing as regards the varieties of approaches one can take to the contemplative path. I would recommend this book even to dyed-in-the-wool Christians—maybe an evangelical or two… (but maybe not)—without hesitation. I don’t see how it could fail to inform or advise someone, regardless of where they are. In the end, sincerity and a desire to learn are what count.
Despite all these good points, I found myself constantly irritated by Kornfield’s writing. It is, to say the least, a little on the saccharine side; nay, sometimes it went down like seven packs of Splenda in my coffee. There’s a little too much “wisdom and compassion,” “heart,” and “joy,” “being” and Buddha-nature here, and in Kornfield’s world everyone is a “master”: a Zen Master (with both words capitalized no less, like it’s a job title or something), a meditation master, a spiritual master, or just plain master. I’m sorry, but not everyone can be a master. If you’ve been on retreat for ten or more years or you’re a natural-born genius, you might qualify, but these sorts are rare; the word is overused. (Besides, I don’t want a master; I want a teacher or guide or good friend, but I digress…) To make a long story short: Kornfield is heavy on the “fufu jargon,” and for a spiritual curmudgeon like me it just doesn’t fly.
This kind of writing is unabashedly “popular,” politically correct, and “nice.” The above is symptomatic of this, but his willingness to water down passages quoted from other (especially traditional) sources, to massage them into accordance with his way of presentation, also points to this tendency. (Not to mention irritates the hell out of me!) I groaned at one point (page 74) where, when quoting don Juan (from Castaneda) Kornfield felt it necessary to stick the word “spiritual” in front of the word “warrior,” as if without we might all think he was advocating something he clearly wasn’t. Two pages later an even worse example of this sort of heavy-handed editorializing reared its ugly head. In Kornfield’s words, the Buddha said:
"Just as the great oceans have but one taste, the taste of salt, so too there is but one taste fundamental to all true teachings of the Way, and this is the taste of freedom" (76).
The source is Udana 5:6, where in the original Pali it says “Just as the great ocean has one taste, the taste of salt, so too this Dhamma and Discipline have one taste: the taste of freedom.” Clearly, the Buddha was describing his teaching, not anyone else’s, but Kornfield, liking the passage, “adjusted” it to fit his message. I think you can see why this sort of thing, indulged in on a regular basis, would rub some people the wrong way.
So, the brilliant and witty, the philosophically profound and the airy-fairy—it’s all here and much more. I will leave you with some sage advice on this book from Daniel Ingram, who called A Path With Heart a “masterwork”:
"Only major problem is that is it so nicely written and gentle you might not realize how hard hitting it is. Assume it is very hard hitting and technical despite its friendly tone and you will get more out of it."
May 2, 2015
Have read it 3 times. Takes me to a beautiful place everytime.
May 14, 2009
I really like books about meditation, and I think the amazingly prolific Jack Kornfield, an American psychologist (Ph.D. in clinical psych), former Buddhist monk in Thailand, Burma and India, and now a husband, father, teacher, and popular lecturer, is a great place to start and to continue. The title of this book emphasizes Kornfield's favorite theme that love is what life is ultimately all about and whatever path one follows in life, one must be sure that it is a "path with heart," one that will lead a person at the end of his/her life to be able to answer positively to the question "Did I love well?" I also have enjoyed some of Korfield's audio CDs such as his six-CD set called Buddhist Meditation for Beginners, a collection of his lectures that emphasize the main tenets of Buddism--the four noble truths, (suffering, the cause of suffering, letting go of suffering, an end to suffering)and the eight-fold path to peace, etc., A Path with Heart contains chapter after chapter of Kornfield's calm, loving wisdom, and each has a detailed guided meditation such as lovingkindness, "stopping the war within," "a meditative visit to the healing temple," "transforming sorrow into compassion," forgiveness meditation, and many more. It took me a long time to finish this book because I was highlighting so much and taking so many notes. Despite the notes I already have, I believe that among all of the books I have read, this is one that deserves most to be reread and savored. So much calm, sane, and life-affirming advice to be gleaned here!
January 19, 2025
Very sweet.
Good natured.
Wise.
Kind.
A nice thorough introduction to the meditation path.
With practices.
And an enough autobiographical material to keep it relatable.
4/5 ⭐️
So why did I subtract a star?
This has been very dicey for me lately.
In fact.
If a book isn’t 5/5 stars lately.
I just close it and keep looking.
I finished this one.
Even though I was (just a little) less than blown away.
Because it is (a) very short, and (b) because Jack Cornfield is just so dang nice and lovable, and (c) I genuinely enjoyed it.
But in the end.
I felt like I (personally) didn’t take a whole lot away from it, based on where I am and what I need/respond to (lately).
Part of reviewing/rating books on GR is the 1-5 ⭐️ thing.
So (-1⭐️) for being somewhat LITE (for me here/now).
- M 💕
Good natured.
Wise.
Kind.
A nice thorough introduction to the meditation path.
With practices.
And an enough autobiographical material to keep it relatable.
4/5 ⭐️
So why did I subtract a star?
This has been very dicey for me lately.
In fact.
If a book isn’t 5/5 stars lately.
I just close it and keep looking.
I finished this one.
Even though I was (just a little) less than blown away.
Because it is (a) very short, and (b) because Jack Cornfield is just so dang nice and lovable, and (c) I genuinely enjoyed it.
But in the end.
I felt like I (personally) didn’t take a whole lot away from it, based on where I am and what I need/respond to (lately).
Part of reviewing/rating books on GR is the 1-5 ⭐️ thing.
So (-1⭐️) for being somewhat LITE (for me here/now).
- M 💕
January 15, 2010
This is a Kornfield's attempt at a general guide book to Buddhist spiritual inquiry. It makes an attempt to draw parallels between Buddhism and other spiritual traditions, but in general it's intended audience is practicing Buddhists with some familiarity with the tradition. I bought this book after seeing Kornfield speak at the Evolution of Psychotherapy conference. He got a room of about a thousand mental health practitioners to chant and do meditation in concert. It was a powerful experience. I have more mixed feelings about his book.
There were some pretty notable pros and cons with this book. First the pros: Kornfield does a good job of addressing some of the pitfalls that one can fall into during spiritual practice. I thought the chapter on near enemies, "No boundaries to the sacred," was something everyone ought to read. I've known a number of people who, while benefitted from spiritual practice, tend to use it to justify unhealthy ways of being. He also discusses some of the perils of working with a spiritual community and spiritual "master" that I think help dispel some of the mythologizing of these individuals.
There were a couple of things that irritated me throughout the book that I had a hard time getting past. First of all, Kornfield is very focused on the importance of working with a spiritual teacher. While I see how this can be helpful, I've also always believed that we each have our own access to mindfulness/enlightenment, and that a spiritual teacher is largly extraneous except for helping get us to practice more consistently. Secondly, Kornfield uses the word faith throughout the book. I have an inherent problem with this word, and a particular problem with it when it is used in the context of Buddhism. in general I think that faith condones human stupidity and when it comes to Buddhism it should be particularly avoided since Buddhism is not a religion in the typical sense of having beliefs about divine beings. At least the kind of Buddhism I practice doesn't.
So, overall, a worthwhile read, but a few things that irritated me that I had to overlook in finding what was helpful about this book.
There were some pretty notable pros and cons with this book. First the pros: Kornfield does a good job of addressing some of the pitfalls that one can fall into during spiritual practice. I thought the chapter on near enemies, "No boundaries to the sacred," was something everyone ought to read. I've known a number of people who, while benefitted from spiritual practice, tend to use it to justify unhealthy ways of being. He also discusses some of the perils of working with a spiritual community and spiritual "master" that I think help dispel some of the mythologizing of these individuals.
There were a couple of things that irritated me throughout the book that I had a hard time getting past. First of all, Kornfield is very focused on the importance of working with a spiritual teacher. While I see how this can be helpful, I've also always believed that we each have our own access to mindfulness/enlightenment, and that a spiritual teacher is largly extraneous except for helping get us to practice more consistently. Secondly, Kornfield uses the word faith throughout the book. I have an inherent problem with this word, and a particular problem with it when it is used in the context of Buddhism. in general I think that faith condones human stupidity and when it comes to Buddhism it should be particularly avoided since Buddhism is not a religion in the typical sense of having beliefs about divine beings. At least the kind of Buddhism I practice doesn't.
So, overall, a worthwhile read, but a few things that irritated me that I had to overlook in finding what was helpful about this book.
September 2, 2012
Buddhism has many strands. As the original teachings of Buddha through North India, South India, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Burma, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan it took on flavors of the local contexts and thus different forms of Buddhism emerged. It's arrival in North America took on a form known as Insight Meditation. (I'm not a scholar of Buddhism and I don't doubt that there there are others) . Insight Meditation, with a number of centers in the Cambridge/Boston area has had significant influence on meditation practice, in the Buddhist tradition, throughout much of the modernist Western World. There are a number of significant teachers in this tradition; amongst them are John Kabat-Zin, Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzburg, Larry Rosenberg (at whose feet I learnt much during a spell in Cambridge) and Jack Kornfield. (Is it a coincidence that all of these have a Jewish background?)
Kornfield's book is one of my favorites partly because he backs up his 'lessons' with numerous examples from his numerous teachers from across the different Eastern forms of Buddhism, his own life and practice as well as from those whom he has lead in meditation sessions. Typically in this IM tradition, the religious forms of Buddhism that have accreted around the practice of meditation are de-emphasized (Rosenberg is fond of telling beginners in his classes that he is not a Buddhist!) making is very accessible to a Westerner. He doesn't avoid the difficult-to-remember sanskrit and pali concepts on which much of Buddhism is based and therefore it's not be the kind of book that I would recommend to a newcomer to meditation practice. Larry Rosenberg and John Kabat-Zin are more accessible for beginners, as is the profound, yet very ordinary, Pema Chodron.
The best way that I can think of to introduce this book and give a prospective reader of it's flavor is to quote from one of the many insightful passages. Here's one.
"There is no way to avoid the transitions of life. The chief means of entering them gracefully is to be [mindfully aware] of them over and over again. It is like learning to ride a horse: over and over again walking, trotting, cantering, over smooth and rough terssin, mounting and dismounting, starting and stopping, until is becomes possible for us to move through life in a graceful conscious way. In moving through the difficult stages of our lives, we can learn to trust our heart to these cycles and their unfolding as surely as we can trust roots to go down and shoots to push up through the earth ... We can trust that each petal of a flower will open in the right order from outside to inside. We can trust that whatever calls our attention in [meditation] practice - our body, our personal history, the community, around us - in or out of retreat, it will bring us what we need to live fully and genuinely in the timeless here and now.
In a sense we are not going anywhere ...We are not trying to get somewhere better next year or in twenty years time, or even the next lifetime. We are learning to open to the timeless unfolding of our lives, being in greater and greater harmony with what is, with greater inclusiveness of our hearts to all seasons of our life
What is there to loose? What is there to gain?
If we gain something it was there from
the beginning
If we lose anything it was is hidden nearby (Ryokan) "
August 15, 2014
Living as I do in a fairly isolated environment, my being solitary most of the time without access to either a community or a teacher Jack Kornfield has in some ways fulfilled the role of both for me.His gentle insight into the ways we need to translate our practice into our daily lives has been a rudder as I wend my way along the path. His writings have provided guidance and inspiration as well as an anchor point for one who has a tendency to wander, I am grateful to have found his writing it has become very personal for me.
February 24, 2013
One of my spiritual advisors recommended this book, which makes me wonder if she wanted me to feel even more the spiritual midget than I am. While it is full of entertaining quotes (e.g. “People with opinions just go around bothering one another” says Buddha) and genuine, if therapeutic, insights, I couldn’t help feel Buddhism (the author’s specialty) is horribly complicated. The chapter titled Expanding and Dissolving the Self details myriad levels of meditative nirvana which entail months and years of retreats, self-abnegation, and other practices which shouldn’t be done without adult supervision. And there’s the rub: it feels a bit like the prolonged initiation rights to the in-crowd at high school, dunces and normal folk unwelcome. As one chapter heading warns: “As Achuan Chan put it, ‘If you haven’t cried a number of times, your meditation hasn’t really begun.’” While it may be true, who knew that bawling is the key to the universe? But I read and benefitted from the book, and as the Buddha says, “One need not carry the raft on one’s head after crossing the stream.” Amen.
September 23, 2017
This took me a long time to read as its so big and so dense. I really loved it tho - wise, kind and full of love, there was so much in here to write down, re-read and revisit. It's a book about spiritual practice, but it's also about how you take that practice into the world and how you relate to others. Definitely reading more by Kornfield.
July 13, 2016
It is a fairly basic book if you already have some detailed knowledge of (particularly western) Buddhism. However it goes over the basic forms of meditation, with a focus on heart/compassion centric meditation. The walkthrough it gives on how to actually do that meditation is better than any ive found online, so that is probably the most valuable part of the book. It also has a lot of the more preliminary aspects of Buddhist philosophy which underlie or justify these practices. There were some parts which I felt could have been trimmed from the book, like the part about gurus, or much of the last half of the book. But I guess its a general primer so its going to have a bit of "fat" on it. I'd say, if you need a reminder of how to apply Buddhist meditative practices to generating mental health for yourself, pick this up or download the audiobook. Especially if you are more neurotic, depressed, self critical, anxious, or have problems surrounding emotion. But if you already do these meditative practices on a daily basis, and feel like you are out of the Buddhism 101 stage, then its probably not for you. Its also fairly "cheesy" but hey, stop taking yourself so seriously and get a little cheesy.
December 21, 2019
like kornfield, my early practice focused too much on ideas of the mind, not including or focusing on the heart. this book helped me be kind to myself and others through tough times. I see myself returning to it frequently. It takes a very long, broad view towards spiritual practice and has lots of practical, compassionate advice for the many stages at which one may find oneself.
I'd also recommend it to anyone new to this type of stuff, it's easy and lovely to read, the practices are short and sweet, simple, compelling.
I'd also recommend it to anyone new to this type of stuff, it's easy and lovely to read, the practices are short and sweet, simple, compelling.
Currently reading
December 30, 2008I've been reading this book for a long time. I read a chapter, put it down. Pick it up months later. Not because it is bad or poorly written--it's not. It's just something I do with some books. I have learned from it...and I'm sure I will learn more in the future.
October 24, 2023
If my library were to burn down, this would be the first book i'd save!
July 11, 2022
What I discovered from this book is that I don't want to be a Buddhist, or practice Buddhist meditation. It is much too complicated. I don't want to go from teacher to teacher, wandering about to see what suits me best.
So the fist parts of the book are on meditation - the whys, hows, wheres etc. I struggled to get through this. Try all sorts of things, he says. What is the effect of this teaching and practice on myself and others? You might need Psychotherapy besides Meditation. The later parts of the book are much better - application to real life.
"Recite inwardly: May I be filled with loving-kindness; may I be well; may I be peaceful and at ease; may I be happy".
"The basic principle of spiritual life is that our problems become the very place to discover wisdom and love."
"You don't like what you have and want what you don't have. Simply reverse this. Want what you have and don't want what you don't have. Here you will find true fulfillment."
The 5 precepts:
Refrain from killing and harming living beings
Refrain from stealing and taking that which is not mine
Refrain from causing harm through sexual misconduct
Refrain from false speech, harmful speech, gossip and slander
Refrain from misuse of intoxicants or substances such as alcohol or drugs
So the fist parts of the book are on meditation - the whys, hows, wheres etc. I struggled to get through this. Try all sorts of things, he says. What is the effect of this teaching and practice on myself and others? You might need Psychotherapy besides Meditation. The later parts of the book are much better - application to real life.
"Recite inwardly: May I be filled with loving-kindness; may I be well; may I be peaceful and at ease; may I be happy".
"The basic principle of spiritual life is that our problems become the very place to discover wisdom and love."
"You don't like what you have and want what you don't have. Simply reverse this. Want what you have and don't want what you don't have. Here you will find true fulfillment."
The 5 precepts:
Refrain from killing and harming living beings
Refrain from stealing and taking that which is not mine
Refrain from causing harm through sexual misconduct
Refrain from false speech, harmful speech, gossip and slander
Refrain from misuse of intoxicants or substances such as alcohol or drugs
March 18, 2020
A wonderful book that covers both esoteric and practical aspects of meditation and spiritual growth. This book could fruitfully be read by both beginners and advanced practitioners but I think someone intermediate with several years meditation experience would get the most out of it.
As a long time meditator, I could relate to many of the different states of consciousness the author describes. I believe life - this life, now - is a journey in increasing consciousness, and increasing understanding of self and also understanding of self as it relates to the greater whole and universe at large. A wonderful book.
As a long time meditator, I could relate to many of the different states of consciousness the author describes. I believe life - this life, now - is a journey in increasing consciousness, and increasing understanding of self and also understanding of self as it relates to the greater whole and universe at large. A wonderful book.
May 1, 2012
I love Kornfield's writing style--it's clear, concise, engaging. His interpretations of Buddhism for Western audiences strikes a balance that resonates with me: not too heady, not too airy, not exoticising, and grounded in realistic understand as a person committed to social justice work and being in a community. I agree with other reviews that this is more of an "intermediate" book, not the best book if you are looking for an intro to interpretations of Buddhist philosophies in a Western context.
February 6, 2022
Top 3 most important books I've read in my life. I usually go through a book in a few days, not usually more than a week or so, but this book took me over a year because I would read only a few pages at a time because I'd be so moved and affected by what I'd read, so I decided to let it sink in rather than rush through it. I'm so grateful I did, and I'm looking forward to moving on to another book of Jack's, "After The Ecstasy, The Laundry."
December 1, 2010
This book put into words much of what I've been experiencing in the past year or so through my yoga practice. It's a must.
January 22, 2012
I have been enthralled with everything I have read by Jack Kornfield.
April 12, 2012
This is one of my all time favorite metaphysical/spiritual books. Well written and full of heart.
February 5, 2016
Intelligent, pragmatic and "enlightening" book about healing yourself, the world and all our relationships past, present and future. Highly recommended for seekers of inner and outer peace.
April 13, 2022
Will definitely continue to come back to this again and again. The book I didn't know I needed.
August 5, 2022
Gorgeous book
August 31, 2022
At the end of my life I want to ask, “Did I love well, live fully, and let go?”
July 7, 2023
A lovely book that helped reframe how I view spirituality and religion. Life changing!
April 6, 2024
"In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love." Mother Teresa
"All we can do is look into our own hearts and ask what matters in the way that we are living. What might lead me to greater openness, honesty, and deeper capacity to love?"
"In a society that almost demands life at double time, speed and addictions numb us to our own experience. In such a society it is almost impossible to settle into our bodies or stay connected with our hearts, let alone connect with one another or the earth where we live. Instead, we find ourselves increasingly isolated and lonely, cut off from one another and the natural web of life. One person in a car, big houses, cellular phones, Walkman radios clamped to our ears, and a deep loneliness and sense of inner poverty. That is the most pervasive sorrow in our modern society. "
"... come to rest in the present moment. This is the beginning and the end of spiritual practice."
"As we stop the war, each of us will find something from which we have been running--our loneliness, our unworthiness, our boredom, our shame, our unfulfilled desires. We must face these parts of ourselves as well."
"When we let ourselves feel the fear, the discontent, the difficulties we have always avoided, our heart softens. ... it is also an act of compassion. According to Buddhist scriptures, compassion is "the quivering of the pure heart" when we have allowed ourselves to be touched by the pain of life."
"...the peace we find in the hear that has rejected nothing, that touches all things with compassion."
"Take the one seat in the center of the room, open the doors and windows, and see who comes to visit. You will witness all kinds of scenes and actors, all kinds of temptations and stories, everything imaginable. Your only job is to stay in your seat. You will see it all arise and pass, and out of this, wisdom and understanding will come." - Achaan Chah
"One need not carry the raft on one's head after crossing the stream." - Buddha
"It's not the perfect but the imperfect that is in need of our love." Oscar Wilde
"The key this art [mindfulness] is the steadiness of our attention. When the fullness of our attention is cultivated together with a grateful and tender heart, our spiritual life will naturally grow."
"The breath can become a great teacher... Here we can feel what it means to live gracefully, to sense the truth of the river of energy and change that we are."
"[Meditation] is an art of opening and letting go..."
"Grant that I may be given appropriate difficulties and sufferings on this journey so that my heart may be truly awakened and my practice of liberation and universal compassion may be truly fulfilled." Tibetan prayer
"...
Those that make you return, for whatever reason,
to the spirit, be grateful to them.
Worry about the others who give you
delicious comfort that keeps you from prayer."
-Rumi
"The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge, while an ordinary man takes everything as a blessing or a curse." Don Juan
"... there is but one taste fundamental to all true teachings of the Way, and this is the taste of freedom." - Buddha
"The place where we can most directly open to the mystery of life is in what we don't do well, in the places of our struggles and vulnerability. These places always require surrender and letting go ..."
"The five most common difficulties that the Buddha described as the chief hinderances to awareness and clarity are grasping and anger, sleepiness and restlessness, and doubt."
"For the voice of wanting, what is here now is never enough."
"... peace comes not from fulfilling our wants but from the moment that dissatisfaction ends."
"Want what you have and don't want what you don't have. Here you will find fulfillment."
"We become angry either when we are hurt and in pain or when we are afraid."
"The strength of our anger reveals the amount of our attachment."
"Meditation is not a process of getting rid of something, but one of opening and understanding."
"Fear is always an anticipation of the future, an imagination."
"Boredom comes from lack of attention."
"Judgments are simply a prerecorded tape that plays through the mind over and over again."
"...we experience tiredness because of the breakneck speed of our culture..."
"Doubt is a string of words in the mind associated with a feeling of fear and resistance."
"The most important practice is our naming and acknowledging these demons..."
"The purpose of spiritual life is not to create some special state of mind. A state of mind is always temporary. The purpose is to work directly with the most primary elements of our body and our mind, to see the ways we get trapped by our fears, desires and anger, and to learn directly our capacity for freedom."
"Our fear creates a contracted and false sense of self."
"...be aware of feelings without grasping or aversion... "Free' is not free from feelings, but free to feel each one and let it move on, unafraid of the movement of life."
"... I noticed how hard it was to let myself feel the loneliness. I hated it; I resisted it. Only when I accepted this very resistance and gently held it all in compassion did it begin to subside."
"...spiritual practice offers us a profound shift of identity."
"Out beyond wrong doing and right doing there is a field of luminous consciousness. I'll meet you there." - Rumi
"Attaining access concentration requires a natural ability to concentrate, combined with perseverance and discipline. ... The mediative principles for attaining it are always the same: repetition, concentration, and surrender."
"From access concentration, the attention must now release all other meditation subjects and begin to examine the sensory experience of the present moment in an undistracted way."
"No matter what remarkable state arises, we must learn to allow it to come and go freely, recognizing that it is not the goal of meditation. ...the true path to liberation is to let go of everything, even the states and fruits of practice themselves, and to open to that which is beyond all identity."
"...liberation arises when we are 'without anxiety about nonperfection.'" Third Patriarch of Zen Buddhism
"The Buddha arises when we are able to see ourselves and the world with honesty and compassion."
"Liberation comes not a s a process of self-improvement, of perfecting the body or personality. Instead, in living a spiritual life, we are challenged to discover another way of seeing, rather than seeing with our usual images, ideals, and hopes. We learn to see with the heart, which loves rather than with the mind , which compares and defines."
"...what matters is the realm of awakening is not the particular experience we have but whether that too can be made into our practice, whether we can stay open to what is present, learn to love in this place as well."
"The near enemy of loving-kindness is attachment. ... True love is an expression of openness: "I love you as you are without any expectations or demands."
"The near enemy of compassion is pity"
"The near enemy of sympathetic joy (the joy in the happiness of others) is comparison."
"The near enemy of equanimity is indifference."
"...we cannot do away with feelings or messiness of human relationships. ... To be free is not to rise above these patterns ... but to go into and through them, to bring them into our hearts."
"We fragment our life and divide ourselves from it when we hold to ideals of perfection. ...
'True enlightenment and wholeness arise when we are without anxiety about nonperfection.' - Third Zen Patriarch
"I'm not okay, you're not okay, and that's okay."
"The purity that we long for is not found in perfecting the world. True purity is found in the heart that can touch all things, enfold all things, and include all things in its compassion. The greatness of our love grows not by what we have become, not by what we have fixed in ourselves, but in our capacity to love and be free in the midst of all life."
No Self or True Self
"...two distinct dimensions of self: selflessness and true self."
"All experience arises in the present, does its dance, and disappears."
"...the mark of true emptiness is joy; it enlivens the appreciation of the mystery of life as it appears to us each moment out of the void."
"The Buddha's model of an enlightened being was a noble warrior or skilled craftsman who had developed a character of integrity and wisdom through patient training."
"...chose to abandon pride, resentment, fear, and contraction when they arise..."
"We don't have to improve ourselves; we just have to let go of what blocks our heart."
Generosity "The most developed level of giving is called royal giving. ... we take such delight in the welfare and happiness of others ... that we give of the best we have ... ."
Honest questioning
"With a loving heart we must ask: Am I becoming more isolated, obnoxious, lost of addicted?"
Karma
"Unskillful responses such as grasping, aversion, and confusion all inevitably create more suffering..."
"As we intend and then act, we create karma: so another key to understanding the creation of karma is becoming aware of intention."
right intention - "When .. difficult circumstances arise in our life, ... bring to them the desire to understand, to learn, to let go, or to bring harmony and create peace..."
Heart
"...where we are is our temple..."
"Children... teach us surrender and selflessness."
"Spiritual life becomes more genuine when things become more difficult."
"The commitment in a conscious relationship is to remain together, committed to helping one another grow in love, honoring and fostering the opening of our partner's spirit."
"'As you press on for justice, be sure to move with dignity and discipline, using only the weapons of love.'" - MLK
Spiritual maturity
"Spirituality has become more about who we are than what ideal we pursue. Spirituality has shifted from going to India or Tibet or Machu Picchu to coming home."
"Of course I get angry, but then a few minutes later I say to myself, 'What's the use of this,' and I let it go." Zen master
"Patience allows us to open to that which is beyond time."
"'The problem with the word patience is that it implies we are waiting for something to get better, we are waiting for something good that will come. A more accurate word for this quality is 'constancy,' a capacity to be with what is true moment after moment, to discover enlightenment one moment after another.'" Suzuki Roshi
"Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment. ... to wake up, to face life directly."
"All we can do is look into our own hearts and ask what matters in the way that we are living. What might lead me to greater openness, honesty, and deeper capacity to love?"
"In a society that almost demands life at double time, speed and addictions numb us to our own experience. In such a society it is almost impossible to settle into our bodies or stay connected with our hearts, let alone connect with one another or the earth where we live. Instead, we find ourselves increasingly isolated and lonely, cut off from one another and the natural web of life. One person in a car, big houses, cellular phones, Walkman radios clamped to our ears, and a deep loneliness and sense of inner poverty. That is the most pervasive sorrow in our modern society. "
"... come to rest in the present moment. This is the beginning and the end of spiritual practice."
"As we stop the war, each of us will find something from which we have been running--our loneliness, our unworthiness, our boredom, our shame, our unfulfilled desires. We must face these parts of ourselves as well."
"When we let ourselves feel the fear, the discontent, the difficulties we have always avoided, our heart softens. ... it is also an act of compassion. According to Buddhist scriptures, compassion is "the quivering of the pure heart" when we have allowed ourselves to be touched by the pain of life."
"...the peace we find in the hear that has rejected nothing, that touches all things with compassion."
"Take the one seat in the center of the room, open the doors and windows, and see who comes to visit. You will witness all kinds of scenes and actors, all kinds of temptations and stories, everything imaginable. Your only job is to stay in your seat. You will see it all arise and pass, and out of this, wisdom and understanding will come." - Achaan Chah
"One need not carry the raft on one's head after crossing the stream." - Buddha
"It's not the perfect but the imperfect that is in need of our love." Oscar Wilde
"The key this art [mindfulness] is the steadiness of our attention. When the fullness of our attention is cultivated together with a grateful and tender heart, our spiritual life will naturally grow."
"The breath can become a great teacher... Here we can feel what it means to live gracefully, to sense the truth of the river of energy and change that we are."
"[Meditation] is an art of opening and letting go..."
"Grant that I may be given appropriate difficulties and sufferings on this journey so that my heart may be truly awakened and my practice of liberation and universal compassion may be truly fulfilled." Tibetan prayer
"...
Those that make you return, for whatever reason,
to the spirit, be grateful to them.
Worry about the others who give you
delicious comfort that keeps you from prayer."
-Rumi
"The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge, while an ordinary man takes everything as a blessing or a curse." Don Juan
"... there is but one taste fundamental to all true teachings of the Way, and this is the taste of freedom." - Buddha
"The place where we can most directly open to the mystery of life is in what we don't do well, in the places of our struggles and vulnerability. These places always require surrender and letting go ..."
"The five most common difficulties that the Buddha described as the chief hinderances to awareness and clarity are grasping and anger, sleepiness and restlessness, and doubt."
"For the voice of wanting, what is here now is never enough."
"... peace comes not from fulfilling our wants but from the moment that dissatisfaction ends."
"Want what you have and don't want what you don't have. Here you will find fulfillment."
"We become angry either when we are hurt and in pain or when we are afraid."
"The strength of our anger reveals the amount of our attachment."
"Meditation is not a process of getting rid of something, but one of opening and understanding."
"Fear is always an anticipation of the future, an imagination."
"Boredom comes from lack of attention."
"Judgments are simply a prerecorded tape that plays through the mind over and over again."
"...we experience tiredness because of the breakneck speed of our culture..."
"Doubt is a string of words in the mind associated with a feeling of fear and resistance."
"The most important practice is our naming and acknowledging these demons..."
"The purpose of spiritual life is not to create some special state of mind. A state of mind is always temporary. The purpose is to work directly with the most primary elements of our body and our mind, to see the ways we get trapped by our fears, desires and anger, and to learn directly our capacity for freedom."
"Our fear creates a contracted and false sense of self."
"...be aware of feelings without grasping or aversion... "Free' is not free from feelings, but free to feel each one and let it move on, unafraid of the movement of life."
"... I noticed how hard it was to let myself feel the loneliness. I hated it; I resisted it. Only when I accepted this very resistance and gently held it all in compassion did it begin to subside."
"...spiritual practice offers us a profound shift of identity."
"Out beyond wrong doing and right doing there is a field of luminous consciousness. I'll meet you there." - Rumi
"Attaining access concentration requires a natural ability to concentrate, combined with perseverance and discipline. ... The mediative principles for attaining it are always the same: repetition, concentration, and surrender."
"From access concentration, the attention must now release all other meditation subjects and begin to examine the sensory experience of the present moment in an undistracted way."
"No matter what remarkable state arises, we must learn to allow it to come and go freely, recognizing that it is not the goal of meditation. ...the true path to liberation is to let go of everything, even the states and fruits of practice themselves, and to open to that which is beyond all identity."
"...liberation arises when we are 'without anxiety about nonperfection.'" Third Patriarch of Zen Buddhism
"The Buddha arises when we are able to see ourselves and the world with honesty and compassion."
"Liberation comes not a s a process of self-improvement, of perfecting the body or personality. Instead, in living a spiritual life, we are challenged to discover another way of seeing, rather than seeing with our usual images, ideals, and hopes. We learn to see with the heart, which loves rather than with the mind , which compares and defines."
"...what matters is the realm of awakening is not the particular experience we have but whether that too can be made into our practice, whether we can stay open to what is present, learn to love in this place as well."
"The near enemy of loving-kindness is attachment. ... True love is an expression of openness: "I love you as you are without any expectations or demands."
"The near enemy of compassion is pity"
"The near enemy of sympathetic joy (the joy in the happiness of others) is comparison."
"The near enemy of equanimity is indifference."
"...we cannot do away with feelings or messiness of human relationships. ... To be free is not to rise above these patterns ... but to go into and through them, to bring them into our hearts."
"We fragment our life and divide ourselves from it when we hold to ideals of perfection. ...
'True enlightenment and wholeness arise when we are without anxiety about nonperfection.' - Third Zen Patriarch
"I'm not okay, you're not okay, and that's okay."
"The purity that we long for is not found in perfecting the world. True purity is found in the heart that can touch all things, enfold all things, and include all things in its compassion. The greatness of our love grows not by what we have become, not by what we have fixed in ourselves, but in our capacity to love and be free in the midst of all life."
No Self or True Self
"...two distinct dimensions of self: selflessness and true self."
"All experience arises in the present, does its dance, and disappears."
"...the mark of true emptiness is joy; it enlivens the appreciation of the mystery of life as it appears to us each moment out of the void."
"The Buddha's model of an enlightened being was a noble warrior or skilled craftsman who had developed a character of integrity and wisdom through patient training."
"...chose to abandon pride, resentment, fear, and contraction when they arise..."
"We don't have to improve ourselves; we just have to let go of what blocks our heart."
Generosity "The most developed level of giving is called royal giving. ... we take such delight in the welfare and happiness of others ... that we give of the best we have ... ."
Honest questioning
"With a loving heart we must ask: Am I becoming more isolated, obnoxious, lost of addicted?"
Karma
"Unskillful responses such as grasping, aversion, and confusion all inevitably create more suffering..."
"As we intend and then act, we create karma: so another key to understanding the creation of karma is becoming aware of intention."
right intention - "When .. difficult circumstances arise in our life, ... bring to them the desire to understand, to learn, to let go, or to bring harmony and create peace..."
Heart
"...where we are is our temple..."
"Children... teach us surrender and selflessness."
"Spiritual life becomes more genuine when things become more difficult."
"The commitment in a conscious relationship is to remain together, committed to helping one another grow in love, honoring and fostering the opening of our partner's spirit."
"'As you press on for justice, be sure to move with dignity and discipline, using only the weapons of love.'" - MLK
Spiritual maturity
"Spirituality has become more about who we are than what ideal we pursue. Spirituality has shifted from going to India or Tibet or Machu Picchu to coming home."
"Of course I get angry, but then a few minutes later I say to myself, 'What's the use of this,' and I let it go." Zen master
"Patience allows us to open to that which is beyond time."
"'The problem with the word patience is that it implies we are waiting for something to get better, we are waiting for something good that will come. A more accurate word for this quality is 'constancy,' a capacity to be with what is true moment after moment, to discover enlightenment one moment after another.'" Suzuki Roshi
"Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment. ... to wake up, to face life directly."
April 9, 2016
A Path with Heart is about meditation, inner transformation, and bringing “…a genuine spiritual practice in our own world” (p. 4). Jack Kornfield, a teacher, psychologist and meditation master, takes us through his spiritual life journey, which is based on the practice of Buddhism. We hear about his personal stories, anecdotes, struggles, epiphanies, and how they formed who he is today. Through useful meditation exercises, he teaches us how we can have a more fulfilling life in this challenging modern world. Jack talks about how to find inner peace in the face of personal obstacles, and how peace is not dependent on our outside environment or circumstances. He teaches us how we can address our everyday problems (relationships, sexuality, addiction, etc.) with a spiritual approach. Jack’s teachings are simple, easy to understand and apply. His main message is as follows: “In undertaking a spiritual life, what matters is simple: We must make certain that our path is connected with our heart.” (p. 11)
I connected well with this book and found it very inspiring. I have always found the Buddhist influence on yoga very fitting. There are many similarities between yoga and Buddhism: i.e. Daya (compassion) is the 7th of the 10 yoga Yamas (Restraints) and an integral part of Buddhism. The Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path’s Ethical Conduct of Right Speech/Action/Livelihood parallels the 1st Yama, Ahimsa (nonviolence). Yoga and Buddhism both share terms such as Samsara, karma, reincarnation, Samadhi, and more relevantly, Dhyana (meditation).
A Path with Heart is useful for yoga teachers and students because it includes practical Buddhist meditation techniques in boxes at the end of most chapters. Through these exercises, Jack teaches us how to physically meditate, mentally focus our attention (i.e. with the breath), practice awareness (i.e. through observation), establish a Daily Meditation, and how to do a Walking Meditation. He says, “We need a repeated discipline, a genuine training, in order to let go of our old habits of mind and to find and sustain a new way of seeing.” (p. 31) He teaches us how “…to commit ourselves in a systematic way.” (p. 31) This means “…’taking the one seat’” (p. 31), outwardly meaning “…selecting one practice and teacher among all of the possibilities, and inwardly, it means having the determination to stick with that practice through whatever difficulties and doubts arise until you have come to true clarity and understanding.” (p. 32)
Jack teaches us how use meditation as a tool or vehicle to develop awareness, loving kindness, healing, enlightenment, simplicity, transparency, compassion, service, nonharming, and equanimity. He also tells us that meditation can be a tool to help us cross the challenging waters of inner struggles, difficulties, demons, death, sorrow, impulses (thoughts/actions/reactions), forgiveness, “’…doubt, confusion, desire and fear.’” (p .33). Regarding our practice, Jack says “…we must have the courage and the determination to stick with it and use it in the face of all our difficulties.” (p. 34).
Kornfield (1993) describes a meditation, Reflecting on the Cycles of Your Spiritual Life, which I find greatly beneficial:
Remember how you first became awakened to the life of the heart and the spirit. Remember the sense you had at that time of the possibilities, of the mystery, of the divine. Bring to your mind the years that followed, the early spiritual teachers and the sacred places that inspired you. Look over the following years, remembering the systematic practices you have followed, the cycles you have gone through, the situations that have taught you the most, the unexpected lessons, the times of solitude, the times of community, your trials, your benefactors, your guides, your recent practice. Be aware of the problems you encountered as well, their difficulties, their teachings. (p. 183)
The above meditation is a useful self-reflection on your own spiritual journey, spiritual life. I find that it helps you gain perspective on your spiritual journey and see how far you’ve come, how much progress you’ve made, and how much you’ve grown. It’s also a good practice to bring yourself back into spiritual life if you have strayed: a reconnection. It’s a good way to practice gratitude and rekindle a sense of wonder in life. I feel that it is especially relevant to me, someone who frequently wanders from the spiritual path because of life demands such as work, money, school, relationships, family, etc. Jack inspires when he says “…feel yourself resting in this moment today with an openness toward your life ahead.” (p. 183) He asks how you can “…best honor both your choices and your life situation and include them in the opening of your heart and the cycles of your practice. Sense how you can be true to yourself and true to dharma, the Tao that is unfolding in your life.” (p. 183) This is something I need to hear right now, and often, especially the part about opening your heart.
Another meditation in the book is called Meditation on Compartments and Wholeness. Here, we are asked to “…reflect on the spiritual and the sacred in your life.” (p. 196) We’re asked to focus on activities, places, people, and situations that we find sacred. Then we are asked to focus our attention on the opposite, thinking about our body, gender, feelings, mind, family, colleagues, acquaintances, places, dimensions, “…activities involved in work, business, money, politics, or community.” (p. 196) Jack asks to “Envision how your sense of the sacred could grow, to include this in your practice with full attention and compassion, honoring these people, places or activities. (p. 197) This meditation poses a challenge to me, and others would probably feel the same. It’s a good practice to try and open your heart to those around you in your daily life.
Other meditations in this book include one called Who Am I?, where you and a partner take turns asking each other that question. The answers (identity with body, gender, race, belief, thought, role, occupation, feeling, state, etc.) “…do not matter, they are part of a deepening process.” (p. 214) The goal of this meditation is to find your true nature.
A Path with Heart is a book that I fell in love with. I related to it so well because I am naturally an open hearted, loving person. But challenges in life and the harsh world have caused me to grow protective armor around my heart over the years. As I see the heart and spirituality as synonymous, the practices and wisdom in this book can help me shed the protective layers of my heart in my daily life. I feel it can help me find energy in everything I do, whether it’s work, school, relationships, etc. I feel that Buddhist meditation can help me connect more with others around me, to the community, and to the world. As such, I won’t feel so alone in spiritual practice or life.
Kornfield (1993) sums it up beautifully when he says:
To open deeply, as a genuine spiritual life requires, we need tremendous courage and strength, a kind of warrior spirit. But the place for this warrior spirit is in the heart. We need energy, commitment, and courage not to run from our life or to cover it over with any philosophy – material or spiritual. We need a warrior’s heart that lets us face our lives directly, our pains and limitations, our joys and possibilities. This courage allows is to include every aspect of life in our spiritual practice: our bodies, our families, our society politics, the earth’s ecology, art, education. Only then can spirituality be truly integrated into our lives…In the beginning of this book, I have emphasized my own personal journey, because the greatest lesson I have learned is that the universal must be wedded to the personal to be fulfilled in our spiritual life. An integrated sense of spirituality understands that if we are to bring light or wisdom or compassion into the world, we must first begin with ourselves. (pp. 8-10)
Jack tells us that, “If we are still and listen deeply, even for a moment, we will know if we are following a path with heart. (p. 12)
References
Kornfield, J. (1993). A path with heart: A guide through the perils and promises of spiritual life. New York, NY: Bantam Books.
I connected well with this book and found it very inspiring. I have always found the Buddhist influence on yoga very fitting. There are many similarities between yoga and Buddhism: i.e. Daya (compassion) is the 7th of the 10 yoga Yamas (Restraints) and an integral part of Buddhism. The Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path’s Ethical Conduct of Right Speech/Action/Livelihood parallels the 1st Yama, Ahimsa (nonviolence). Yoga and Buddhism both share terms such as Samsara, karma, reincarnation, Samadhi, and more relevantly, Dhyana (meditation).
A Path with Heart is useful for yoga teachers and students because it includes practical Buddhist meditation techniques in boxes at the end of most chapters. Through these exercises, Jack teaches us how to physically meditate, mentally focus our attention (i.e. with the breath), practice awareness (i.e. through observation), establish a Daily Meditation, and how to do a Walking Meditation. He says, “We need a repeated discipline, a genuine training, in order to let go of our old habits of mind and to find and sustain a new way of seeing.” (p. 31) He teaches us how “…to commit ourselves in a systematic way.” (p. 31) This means “…’taking the one seat’” (p. 31), outwardly meaning “…selecting one practice and teacher among all of the possibilities, and inwardly, it means having the determination to stick with that practice through whatever difficulties and doubts arise until you have come to true clarity and understanding.” (p. 32)
Jack teaches us how use meditation as a tool or vehicle to develop awareness, loving kindness, healing, enlightenment, simplicity, transparency, compassion, service, nonharming, and equanimity. He also tells us that meditation can be a tool to help us cross the challenging waters of inner struggles, difficulties, demons, death, sorrow, impulses (thoughts/actions/reactions), forgiveness, “’…doubt, confusion, desire and fear.’” (p .33). Regarding our practice, Jack says “…we must have the courage and the determination to stick with it and use it in the face of all our difficulties.” (p. 34).
Kornfield (1993) describes a meditation, Reflecting on the Cycles of Your Spiritual Life, which I find greatly beneficial:
Remember how you first became awakened to the life of the heart and the spirit. Remember the sense you had at that time of the possibilities, of the mystery, of the divine. Bring to your mind the years that followed, the early spiritual teachers and the sacred places that inspired you. Look over the following years, remembering the systematic practices you have followed, the cycles you have gone through, the situations that have taught you the most, the unexpected lessons, the times of solitude, the times of community, your trials, your benefactors, your guides, your recent practice. Be aware of the problems you encountered as well, their difficulties, their teachings. (p. 183)
The above meditation is a useful self-reflection on your own spiritual journey, spiritual life. I find that it helps you gain perspective on your spiritual journey and see how far you’ve come, how much progress you’ve made, and how much you’ve grown. It’s also a good practice to bring yourself back into spiritual life if you have strayed: a reconnection. It’s a good way to practice gratitude and rekindle a sense of wonder in life. I feel that it is especially relevant to me, someone who frequently wanders from the spiritual path because of life demands such as work, money, school, relationships, family, etc. Jack inspires when he says “…feel yourself resting in this moment today with an openness toward your life ahead.” (p. 183) He asks how you can “…best honor both your choices and your life situation and include them in the opening of your heart and the cycles of your practice. Sense how you can be true to yourself and true to dharma, the Tao that is unfolding in your life.” (p. 183) This is something I need to hear right now, and often, especially the part about opening your heart.
Another meditation in the book is called Meditation on Compartments and Wholeness. Here, we are asked to “…reflect on the spiritual and the sacred in your life.” (p. 196) We’re asked to focus on activities, places, people, and situations that we find sacred. Then we are asked to focus our attention on the opposite, thinking about our body, gender, feelings, mind, family, colleagues, acquaintances, places, dimensions, “…activities involved in work, business, money, politics, or community.” (p. 196) Jack asks to “Envision how your sense of the sacred could grow, to include this in your practice with full attention and compassion, honoring these people, places or activities. (p. 197) This meditation poses a challenge to me, and others would probably feel the same. It’s a good practice to try and open your heart to those around you in your daily life.
Other meditations in this book include one called Who Am I?, where you and a partner take turns asking each other that question. The answers (identity with body, gender, race, belief, thought, role, occupation, feeling, state, etc.) “…do not matter, they are part of a deepening process.” (p. 214) The goal of this meditation is to find your true nature.
A Path with Heart is a book that I fell in love with. I related to it so well because I am naturally an open hearted, loving person. But challenges in life and the harsh world have caused me to grow protective armor around my heart over the years. As I see the heart and spirituality as synonymous, the practices and wisdom in this book can help me shed the protective layers of my heart in my daily life. I feel it can help me find energy in everything I do, whether it’s work, school, relationships, etc. I feel that Buddhist meditation can help me connect more with others around me, to the community, and to the world. As such, I won’t feel so alone in spiritual practice or life.
Kornfield (1993) sums it up beautifully when he says:
To open deeply, as a genuine spiritual life requires, we need tremendous courage and strength, a kind of warrior spirit. But the place for this warrior spirit is in the heart. We need energy, commitment, and courage not to run from our life or to cover it over with any philosophy – material or spiritual. We need a warrior’s heart that lets us face our lives directly, our pains and limitations, our joys and possibilities. This courage allows is to include every aspect of life in our spiritual practice: our bodies, our families, our society politics, the earth’s ecology, art, education. Only then can spirituality be truly integrated into our lives…In the beginning of this book, I have emphasized my own personal journey, because the greatest lesson I have learned is that the universal must be wedded to the personal to be fulfilled in our spiritual life. An integrated sense of spirituality understands that if we are to bring light or wisdom or compassion into the world, we must first begin with ourselves. (pp. 8-10)
Jack tells us that, “If we are still and listen deeply, even for a moment, we will know if we are following a path with heart. (p. 12)
References
Kornfield, J. (1993). A path with heart: A guide through the perils and promises of spiritual life. New York, NY: Bantam Books.
May 20, 2021
Một quyển sách hay, sâu sắc về quá trình rèn luyện tâm linh để trái tim rộng mở, mở lòng hơn với cuộc sống, với mọi người mọi vật. Bằng những câu chuyện, phân tích nhẹ nhàng, tác giả chia sẻ trải nghiệm của mình trong quá trình luyện tập tâm linh cũng như đời sống và lưu ý mọi người rằng không có cái gì tách biệt.
Tâm linh hay đời sống thường nhật đều là những bài học, những cơ hội, những huấn luyện dành riêng cho mỗi người, vấn đề là thái độ học hỏi và tỉnh thức của mỗi người đối với hoàn cảnh riêng của mình,
Tâm linh hay đời sống thường nhật đều là những bài học, những cơ hội, những huấn luyện dành riêng cho mỗi người, vấn đề là thái độ học hỏi và tỉnh thức của mỗi người đối với hoàn cảnh riêng của mình,
January 2, 2022
Jack Kornfield’s A Path With Heart is a beautiful gift of wisdom, kindness and above all, heart. As I read it, I was continually impressed by the fullness of heart and mind that Kornfield approaches the world. This is evident not only by his experience of training as a Buddhist monk but though the dedication that he’s approached his life as a teacher.
He begins the book with a simple question: did I love well? This is a beautiful question in itself, but then he deepens it with another question: does this path have heart? If it does, the path is good. If it doesn’t, it is of no use. Years ago, I started asking if paths were “good for my wellbeing” but this is a more direct and deeper way of asking the same thing. I will hold this question close to my heart as I continue my development and work towards a life of service to others.
Through my meditation practice, I’ve learned to let go of thoughts about the past and future and focus on the present moment. Kornfield describes this letting go of our battles, opening our heart and coming to rest in the present moment. Only here can we find the love we seek. I understood this as creating more spaciousness within myself so that I can really embrace all of who I am without the noise of the outside world.
In the third chapter, Kornfield invites us to “take the one seat.” This means that we should select one practice and one teacher among all the possibilities, and also have the commitment to stay with that practice through whatever difficulties arise until we have clarity and understanding. But not just any practice. Kornfield says that we should chose a practice that feels true to our hearts and unique to our soul. In my life, I’ve tended to believe that I can try something for a while, and then if I don’t like it anymore, I can stop. So I appreciated this wise approach of committing and persevering.
Next, Kornfield writes about the healing that is a necessary part of the spiritual process. I’ve gone through many phases of healing, usually not knowing how it was contributing to my spiritual path until long afterwards. Only in the past couple of years has it become clear how important the healing of my heart and mind has been to this process. I appreciated how Kornfield connects the Four Foundations of Mindfulness—body, heart, mind, and awareness of life—to the opportunities for healing, which also seems like a powerful tool for client coaching work.
On the topic of mindfulness, I’ve been practicing mindfulness meditation on and off for years and have worked to develop a more consistent practice over the past couple of years, so I was happy to read how foundational mindfulness meditation is to most spiritual practices. Kornfield describes much of what I’ve read elsewhere about mindfulness, but he does so in a way that is so incredibly eloquent. I’ll certainly come back to this when I need to help others deepen their mindfulness practice.
One aspect of meditation that I’ve learned over time is called “noting,” which means to mentally note thoughts and feelings and then return to the breath. Kornfield takes this a step further in the chapter about “Naming the Demons,” and describes how mindfully naming and acknowledging our difficult experiences allows us to investigate our life. Naming, it turns out, is just the first step. On the conscious path, we need to name our difficult states and understand their stories so that we can let them back into our heart. Only then can we “see the gold they conceal.”
While the spiritual path contains challenges that will test our commitment and questions that will have us look elsewhere, Kornfield reminds us that what we are seeking is found within ourselves, in our Buddha nature or basic goodness. As one Zen master says, “It is not far away. It is nearer than near.” This was a beautiful reminder about the abundant wisdom in my own heart, and that I’m able to connect with it anytime and anyplace.
In understanding remarkable teachings of generosity and compassion, Kornfield writes about the importance of acting with fearless compassion vs. codependence. As someone who’s been in relationships that could sometimes be described as co-dependent, this particularly resonated with me. True compassion arises from a healthy sense of self and allows to love ourselves, respect our own needs, honors and limits, and our true capacity.
Near the end of the book, Kornfield writes how spiritual practice allows us to step outside the limited view of personal identity, culture and religion to experience the great mystery of life, which is the great song of life. This is story is potently told by Hermann Hesse’s story, Siddhartha (one of my favorite books), in which the main character finally listens to the river and hears the great, mysterious song. Listening to this song allows us to see the life that is impermanent and filled with suffering, while also seeing the great possibilities with each difficulty. This allows us to find the harmony of our own song within the great song, and to find peace and freedom in the face of the mystery of life.
Jack Kornfield’s A Path With Heart is one of the most beautiful books that I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading and was really impactful to me. It contains immeasurable wisdom that I’m sure I’ll return to many times in the future as I continue on my own spiritual journey. It’s been an invaluable resource for me as I’m sure it will be for my clients who are seeking spiritual guidance.
He begins the book with a simple question: did I love well? This is a beautiful question in itself, but then he deepens it with another question: does this path have heart? If it does, the path is good. If it doesn’t, it is of no use. Years ago, I started asking if paths were “good for my wellbeing” but this is a more direct and deeper way of asking the same thing. I will hold this question close to my heart as I continue my development and work towards a life of service to others.
Through my meditation practice, I’ve learned to let go of thoughts about the past and future and focus on the present moment. Kornfield describes this letting go of our battles, opening our heart and coming to rest in the present moment. Only here can we find the love we seek. I understood this as creating more spaciousness within myself so that I can really embrace all of who I am without the noise of the outside world.
In the third chapter, Kornfield invites us to “take the one seat.” This means that we should select one practice and one teacher among all the possibilities, and also have the commitment to stay with that practice through whatever difficulties arise until we have clarity and understanding. But not just any practice. Kornfield says that we should chose a practice that feels true to our hearts and unique to our soul. In my life, I’ve tended to believe that I can try something for a while, and then if I don’t like it anymore, I can stop. So I appreciated this wise approach of committing and persevering.
Next, Kornfield writes about the healing that is a necessary part of the spiritual process. I’ve gone through many phases of healing, usually not knowing how it was contributing to my spiritual path until long afterwards. Only in the past couple of years has it become clear how important the healing of my heart and mind has been to this process. I appreciated how Kornfield connects the Four Foundations of Mindfulness—body, heart, mind, and awareness of life—to the opportunities for healing, which also seems like a powerful tool for client coaching work.
On the topic of mindfulness, I’ve been practicing mindfulness meditation on and off for years and have worked to develop a more consistent practice over the past couple of years, so I was happy to read how foundational mindfulness meditation is to most spiritual practices. Kornfield describes much of what I’ve read elsewhere about mindfulness, but he does so in a way that is so incredibly eloquent. I’ll certainly come back to this when I need to help others deepen their mindfulness practice.
One aspect of meditation that I’ve learned over time is called “noting,” which means to mentally note thoughts and feelings and then return to the breath. Kornfield takes this a step further in the chapter about “Naming the Demons,” and describes how mindfully naming and acknowledging our difficult experiences allows us to investigate our life. Naming, it turns out, is just the first step. On the conscious path, we need to name our difficult states and understand their stories so that we can let them back into our heart. Only then can we “see the gold they conceal.”
While the spiritual path contains challenges that will test our commitment and questions that will have us look elsewhere, Kornfield reminds us that what we are seeking is found within ourselves, in our Buddha nature or basic goodness. As one Zen master says, “It is not far away. It is nearer than near.” This was a beautiful reminder about the abundant wisdom in my own heart, and that I’m able to connect with it anytime and anyplace.
In understanding remarkable teachings of generosity and compassion, Kornfield writes about the importance of acting with fearless compassion vs. codependence. As someone who’s been in relationships that could sometimes be described as co-dependent, this particularly resonated with me. True compassion arises from a healthy sense of self and allows to love ourselves, respect our own needs, honors and limits, and our true capacity.
Near the end of the book, Kornfield writes how spiritual practice allows us to step outside the limited view of personal identity, culture and religion to experience the great mystery of life, which is the great song of life. This is story is potently told by Hermann Hesse’s story, Siddhartha (one of my favorite books), in which the main character finally listens to the river and hears the great, mysterious song. Listening to this song allows us to see the life that is impermanent and filled with suffering, while also seeing the great possibilities with each difficulty. This allows us to find the harmony of our own song within the great song, and to find peace and freedom in the face of the mystery of life.
Jack Kornfield’s A Path With Heart is one of the most beautiful books that I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading and was really impactful to me. It contains immeasurable wisdom that I’m sure I’ll return to many times in the future as I continue on my own spiritual journey. It’s been an invaluable resource for me as I’m sure it will be for my clients who are seeking spiritual guidance.
August 5, 2020
Đầy trí tuệ và từ bi! Đây là một cuốn sách nhất định sẽ mang đến hạnh phúc và bình an cho những ai được đọc và thực hành theo những gợi dẫn của tác giả. Thực sự biết ơn thầy Jack Kornfield vì những điều mà bản thân nhận được từ cuốn sách uyên áo, sâu sắc và thiết thực của thầy!
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