Inner Resources for Navigating Global Crises with Compassion

Key Quotes

"It's said that the Buddha and I'll speak from the Buddhist traditions somewhat was called the great physician and his diagnosis in the most fundamental teachings were that there is suffering in life not that life is suffering but life has suffering and much of it is human caused and those causes are greed hatred fear ignorance or delusion Then he goes on to say there's a way to change greed to generosity there's a way to change hatred and fear to love and there's a way to change ignorance into wisdom and this is our human capacity our human birthright and the medicine to do that are practices of ethics or living a life of integrity our practices of generosity and forgiveness and compassion and then practices of mindful I'll call it mindful loving awareness that we can be present in a liberated generous and peaceful way in this world."

Jack Kornfield explains that the Buddha's core diagnosis of life is that suffering exists, not that life is suffering. Kornfield highlights that the causes of this suffering are rooted in human-caused issues like greed, hatred, fear, and ignorance. He then offers the Buddhist perspective on transforming these negative states into positive ones through practices of integrity, generosity, compassion, and mindful awareness.

"The opportunity for humanity especially at this time is what one elder I loved Joanna Macy who just died she died at 96 and she lived and worked on this for her whole life she called the great turning where humanity is faced with the crisis that is exacerbated by exploitative view of the world that we should take and get as much from every part of the environment and we should compete with one another for that and she said it's leading us to so much suffering destruction that now it's time for humanity to realize that we are interconnected and what happens in the rainforest affects our lungs and our breathing what happens in the ocean affects everyone who lives on the planet and that it's possible to live in a different way so our invitation in some way and all the ways that we work and act and vote and commune with one another is to live in a more respectful and conscious way and that's how we'll change the earth for humanity."

Jack Kornfield references Joanna Macy's concept of "the great turning" to describe a critical opportunity for humanity. Kornfield explains that Macy believed humanity's current crisis stems from an exploitative worldview focused on taking from the environment and competing. He emphasizes Macy's call for humanity to recognize its interconnectedness with the planet and to adopt a more respectful and conscious way of living.

"My friend Maha Ghosananda Cambodian elder who was nominated for the Nobel Prize a number of times and he worked with the people who got the Nobel Prize for helping to try to end landmines so many children are killed by landmines in all these war zones he went to the US Senate and he said yes we need support for a landmine ban he said but more importantly we have to remove the landmines from the heart that way of thinking that seizing territory or power and so forth and the aggression and fear in that whole complex that's what creates our trouble so we actually had to meditate for a few minutes to kind of quiet themselves and then ask what really matters to you when you think of your grandchildren when you think of your legacy and that's the question for all of us and when we become that other things are surprisingly possible."

Jack Kornfield shares an anecdote about Maha Ghosananda, a Cambodian elder, who advocated for removing "landmines from the heart" in addition to physical landmines. Kornfield uses this to illustrate that the root of societal trouble lies in internal aggression and fear, rather than solely external conflicts. He suggests that by quieting the mind through meditation and reflecting on what truly matters, like legacy and grandchildren, individuals can access deeper possibilities.

"Do not depend on the hope of results you may have to face the fact that your work will be apparently worthless and achieve no results at all if not perhaps at times bringing about its opposite As you understand this you start more and more to concentrate not on the results but on the value the rightness and the truth of the work itself and we as human beings can ground ourselves in values that we know are timeless eternal values of compassion values of mutual respect values of integrity and that becomes our resting place if you will it becomes our power."

Jack Kornfield quotes Thomas Merton, advising against focusing solely on the outcomes of one's work. Kornfield explains that Merton encouraged concentrating on the inherent value, rightness, and truth of the work itself, even if results are not immediately apparent or seem negative. He posits that grounding oneself in timeless values like compassion, mutual respect, and integrity provides a stable foundation and source of power.

"The thing that i love particularly is that this is how you live dan and i i live also is that the trees turn sunlight into sugar through chlorophyll all those are the lessons you learned in high school or whatever about the cycle of the plants that what it means is that when sunlight hits the trees that the light activates a chemical reaction that turns that light into sugar and then the trees become the food for all the animals and various things like that who designed this you know you can put whatever name you want on it but it is wild and we think we're in charge now."

Jack Kornfield uses the example of trees converting sunlight into sugar through photosynthesis to illustrate the profound mystery of life. Kornfield points out that this fundamental biological process, often learned in high school, is a wild and awe-inspiring phenomenon. He suggests that recognizing such natural processes highlights the vastness of existence and our limited perception of being in charge.

"Who you are is the loving witness of all of this this is the timeless dimension of consciousness itself and practicing this way and knowing this gives you a kind of freedom that is true for you that is your birthright again they can put your body in prison but no one can imprison your spirit you can go through beautiful things and you go wow that was fantastic and horrible things oh my god that's terrible and it breaks your heart and you feel so much compassion and then at some point you step back and say wow that was an amazing year we got through wasn't it because the one who knows is the consciousness itself that sees all of this arising and passing and is a space of peacefulness graciousness love i like to call it mindful loving awareness because you're present and you're present with love you're alive to it."

Jack Kornfield defines the true self as the "loving witness" of all experiences, which he describes as the timeless dimension of consciousness. Kornfield explains that this awareness is not bound by physical or emotional states, and practicing this understanding leads to a profound sense of freedom. He emphasizes that this consciousness observes the arising and passing of all phenomena, remaining a space of peacefulness and love, which he terms "mindful loving awareness."