What does it mean to be on a spiritual path? So many of us
associate it with withdrawal from personal and worldly concerns.
Far from it, says Jack Kornfield, respected and long-time teacher
of Buddhist meditation. He emphasizes that the spiritual path must
take us into the darkest parts of our own nature as well as into
community and political action in the greater world. The key to
moving in both of these directions is developing compassion and
kindness. "It's only with that kindness," he says, "that we can go
into those depths, that we can heal the most deeply wounded places
in ourselves, or that we can bring ourselves to the great
political, economic problems of the world and make a genuine
difference." With humor and humility, he illustrates these points
through stories--of his experiences as a monk in Asia, of his
return to American life, and a very moving story of how the Dalai
Lama was confronted by Buddhist women with the patriarchalism of
traditional Buddhism.
Kornfield is the author of A Path With Heart (Bantam 1993).
New Dimensions seeks out the most innovative and creative people
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through the voices and visions of those who are asking new
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