Jack Kornfield addresses the grief of the war in Ukraine, talking about how to have a peaceful heart in a time of war, and then explores the legacy and teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh.
This meditation was originally live-streamed by Spirit Rock on 2/28/22
A Peaceful Heart in a Time of War
Before Jack’s planned talk on Thich Nhat Hanh’s legacy, he feels compelled to address the grief of the war in Ukraine. He talks about how it’s easy to get caught up in the media coverage of the war and how there has to be a better game than war for human beings. What do we do in a world burning with suffering and hatred? We listen to people like Thich Nhat Hanh.
“Stop making enemies. Make prayers, make blessings. This is our moral task. It’s really the task of our human hearts. You know it, I know it, we know it together.” – Jack Kornfield
Jack Kornfield explores more about the peaceful heart in Heart Wisdom Ep. 114
The Legacy of Thich Nhat Hanh (13:30)
Jack tells stories about Thich Nhat Hanh, of his dignity and presence. Jack covers some of his teachings on having a vast perspective, to carry the joy and suffering together, that we can train the mind and invite our steadiness and concentration to grow. He explores Thich Nhat Hanh’s principles of non-violence, understanding, and compassion.
“Once you quiet the mind and open the heart, there’s one other pesky little thing that you have to attend to, dear ones, that’s called your life. You have to change your life. You have to change the rhythm of your life and inner dimensions of it so that you notice when there’s a lack of forgiveness or grasping or fear, anxiety, confusion, and so forth. And instead of living from fear or grasping or frustration or anger… you more and more turn to live from gratitude, from love, from fearlessness. You become the Bodhisattva embodied.” – Jack Kornfield
Mingyur Rinpoche, Raghu Markus, and Krishna Das discuss the essence of love and compassion in Mindrolling Ep. 407
A Beacon of Peace (38:30)
Jack talks about how one of Thich Nhat Hanh’s greatest gifts was to make very complex teachings very simple to understand, including that of our interconnectedness. He explores how Thich Nhat Hanh was profoundly human, but also a door to the infinite. In the end, Jack tells us that just as Thich Nhat Hanh made himself a beacon of peace, we can do the same.
“So this asks for your reflection. Are you watering seeds of forgiveness? Are you watering seeds of generosity? You can, you know. Are you watering seeds of patience? Of compassion? Of wonder? For what you water will grow.” – Jack Kornfield