In the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on abortion, Jack Kornfield explores the theme of mindful respect and how we can all listen to each other with loving awareness.
This dharma talk was originally live-streamed by Spirit Rock on June 27, 2022.
Mindful Respect
Jack begins by sharing about the sense of respect he learned while living in Ajahn Cha’s forest monastery. He asks us to remember that spirit of mindful respect as he talks about the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on abortion. Jack tells an old Irish story about Sir Gawain and the Hag of Beara, and how what women want is their own sovereignty.
“And one of the beautiful things in the forest monastery where I lived with Ajahn Cha is everything was done with that spirit of mindful respect: folding the robes, how you cared for your monk’s bowl, the bowing before you eat, when you meet your elders before you chant, the sweeping of the paths through the forest as the trees would lose their leaves, sweeping like Michelangelo painted.” – Jack Kornfield
Ethan Nichtern shares some of his thoughts about the recent Supreme Court’s recent ruling in The Road Home Ep. 77
Listening In a Different Way (18:40)
Jack explores how mindful loving awareness offers a bow of respect to whatever arises. He talks about having respect for our bodies, for the Earth, for our minds, for our own hearts and feelings, and for the hearts and feelings of all those around us. Jack talks about listening with loving awareness, and about the grace of inhabiting a ‘beginner’s mind’ when possible.
“In this difficult time, we have to learn to listen to each other. In this divisive and fraught moment in our history in the US and elsewhere in the world, we can’t afford to not offer respect to one another and to try to listen in a different way.” – Jack Kornfield
Raghu Markus and Dr. Sabrina N’Diaye discuss the power of listening in Mindrolling Ep. 358
Loving Awareness for All (36:15)
Jack talks more about the power of listening deeply to other people and the stories they are sharing. He explores how we need to deal with the landmines in our hearts – the fear, the confusion, the pain – in order to tackle bigger issues like racism and economic injustice. Without mindful loving awareness, we can become lost in polarization and separation.
“When we embody respect, graciousness, loving awareness for all, when we listen deeply, we are changing the world person by person, piece by piece. And this is the only way that it happens. We add our voice, we add our love, we add our courage, and we do so with the power of loving awareness and the freedom that it offers.” – Jack Kornfield