Jack Kornfield – Heart Wisdom – Ep. 119 – Listen With the Heart

Listen

In this dharma talk, Jack Kornfield explores why it’s so important to listen with the heart, both to yourself and to others, during these very chaotic and divisive times.

Listen With the Heart

How do we relate to one another in this mystery that is life? Jack explores why it’s important to listen from the heart in these days of chaos and extreme political divisiveness. The first step is to listen to ourselves, our intuition, and what our minds and bodies want us to remember.

“What these divisive times ask for more than anything else is an ability to listen with the heart.” – Jack Kornfield

Omid Safi talks about listening, suffering, and Rumi with Marilyn Shannon on Sufi Heart Ep. 18
Outer Listening (14:40)

After some inner listening, we are ready to listen to the world outside of ourselves. Using stories of political commentators, lawyers, and the Nonviolent Peaceforce, Jack illustrates the need to stop “othering” people and start listening deeply. He talks about how we can also stop and listen to what nature is trying to tell us.

“When we learn to listen like this to one another, listen deeply, not only do we get to know and connect with others, but it changes us. It changes you, because you’re not alone in your suffering, and it’s not your team or your people or your party or your side, it’s us, trying to find our way through it.” – Jack Kornfield

We’re All In It Together (33:24)

Jack tells a story from his time at IMS, and how dealing with a conflict between two different styles of teachers really opened his mind to how we’re all in it together. He talks about what it means to listen in a deep and caring way to one another, especially in an age where social media exacerbates the “othering” of people with different beliefs. 

“As I listen, I get to relate to the people, not just the ones that like me, but the ones who don’t like what I have to say. And I try to do it with friendliness and an open heart.” – Jack Kornfield

 

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