In this guided meditation, Jack Kornfield helps us to open our hearts and to extend compassion to all in a time of war.
This episode of the Heart Wisdom Podcast was originally live-streamed by Spirit Rock on 2/28/22. Subscribe to the Jack Kornfield Youtube channel to get new meditations and talks from Jack: Jack Kornfield on Youtube
Relaxing and Letting Go
Jack Kornfield eases us into this meditation by telling us to let go. He directs us to be exactly where we are inside our bodies. By recognizing our physical presence and imagining our bellies and hearts as soft, we can begin to relax. We can be open to whatever feelings may emerge, and treat ourselves with compassion.
May You be Held In Compassion (3:41)
As we delve deeper into meditation, Jack introduces us to the practice of loving-kindness. Extending compassion to others helps us open our hearts. We first imagine a loved one, dive into our connection to them, then send them positive thoughts. We wish them compassion, protection, easement of pain, and peace. Jack then says to imagine the same care being given to ourselves.
“You can be like a lamp that shines this compassion now, out from your own consciousness and heart, across time and space.”
For more information on love and compassion, tune into Ep. 407 of Mindrolling
The Wars of the World (12:47)
After cultivating a deep sense of compassion for ourselves and those dear to us, Jack invites us to offer compassion to those caught in the wars of the world. We envision sending the same loving prayers of protection and peace to fearful mothers, the elderly, the youthful and more. We extend compassion specifically to those in Sudan, Myanmar, Ukraine, and other wartorn places.
To learn more about being a practioner of peace , listen to The Dalai Lama’s Policy of Kindness.
Poetry for Healing (15:37)
We hear a poem by John O’Donohue which includes the lines:
“Those who make riches from violence and war, we pray that they might hear in their dreams the cries of the lost. That we might see through our fear of each other, a new vision to heal our fatal attraction to aggression. That those who enjoy the privilege of peace might not forget their tormented brothers and sisters.”
Inspired through this poem, we envision those who are struggling and hold them all in our hearts. We hope that those in pain can feel our compassion. We imagine a direct connection between us all. We are all members of this earth, therefore, we are all one.
