Forgiveness meditation jack kornfield biography

Jack Kornfield explores the forgiving heart, offering us the basic ingredients for wise forgiveness, and leads a powerful guided meditation practice called the three directions of forgiveness.

This dharma talk was originally live-streamed bySpirit Rockon 9/20/21

The Forgiving Heart

Jack begins with some stories to remind us of the profound humanity and connection beneath all the pain and suffering we experience, and how we can touch our measure of suffering with a forgiving heart. Jack talks about learning to forgive ourselves and let go of self-judgment. 

He covers the gift of forgiveness, and how we can learn to forgive even in tough circumstances.

“With mindful loving awareness, the very practice that we’ve been doing, we can step out of the tyranny of self-judgment, judging ourselves for all the things we haven’t done right… We can forgive ourselves for being a learner in this life. I mean, did you get a manual when you were born? Are you supposed to be an expert?” – J

•

Forgiveness-1

Over the holidays, I was reading a book bygd Robin Casarjian titled Forgiveness: A modig Choice for a Peaceful Heart.

I realized that if we hope to cultivate inner peace, forgiving oneself and others is as essential as maintaining a regular meditation practice.

Over the next weeks, I’d like to share some reflections about forgiveness.

In his book The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness and Peace, Jack Kornfield reminds us that the Buddha taught, “You can search the whole universe and not find a single being more worthy of love than yourself.”

But how many of us truly act with kindness towards ourselves?

Self-forgiveness can soften how we komma to terms with the smallest negligence and with the most horrendous acts.

All too often I treat my body without respecting its limitations—which are multiplying over the years!

Sometimes inom push myself to work for hours at my computer without taking a break, until my shoulders and neck protest, and my eyesight blurs.

At suc

•

"The Practice of Forgiveness" (excerpt from THE WISE HEART) by Jack Kornfield

Buddhist psychology offers specific teachings and practices for the development of forgiveness.  Like the practice of compassion, forgiveness does not ignore the truth of our suffering.  Forgiveness is not weak.  It demands courage and integrity.  Yet only forgiveness and love can bring about the peace we long for.  As the Indian sage Meher Baba explains, “True love is not for the faint-hearted.”

We have all betrayed and hurt others, just as we have knowingly or unknowingly been harmed by them.  It is inevitable in this human realm. Sometimes our betrayals are small, sometimes terrible.  Extending and receiving forgiveness is essential for redemption from our past.  To forgive does not mean we condone the misdeeds of another. We can dedicate ourselves to make sure they never happen again. But without forgiveness the world can never be released from the sorrows of t