Most of us have spent our lives caught up in plans, expectations, ambitions for the future; in regrets, guilt or shame about the past. To come into the present is to stop the war.
Jack KornfieldRead
We can bring our spiritual practice into the streets, into our communities, when we see each realm as a temple, as a place to discover that which is sacred.
Interpretation
Spiritual practice can be integrated into everyday life by viewing the world as sacred.
Jack Kornfield emphasizes the importance of integrating spiritual practices into daily life by encouraging individuals to perceive their surroundings—particularly their communities and the world at large—as sacred spaces or 'temples'. This perspective allows for a deeper connection with both one's spirituality and the community, fostering a holistic approach to personal growth and social engagement.
In practice
During a community workshop on mindfulness, this quote can inspire participants to view their interactions as sacred moments.
Most of us have spent our lives caught up in plans, expectations, ambitions for the future; in regrets, guilt or shame about the past. To come into the present is to stop the war.
We need courage and strength, a kind of warrior spirit. But the place for this warrior strength is in the heart. We need energy, commitment, and courage not to run from our life nor to cover it over with any philosophy-mate rial or spiritual. We need a warrior’s heart that lets us face our lives directly, our pains and limitations, our joys and possibilities.
The questions asked at the end of lie are very simple ones: Did I love well? Did I love the people around me, my community, the earth, in a deep way? And perhaps, Did I live fully? Did I offer myself to life?
According to Buddhist scriptures, compassion is the "quivering of the pure heart" when we have allowed ourselves to be touched by the pain of life.
Much of spiritual life is self-acceptance, maybe all of it.
When we struggle to change ourselves we, in fact, only continue the patterns of self-judgement and aggression. We keep the war against ourselves alive.
The Americans say that we are ungrateful-but I ask them for heaven's sake, what should we be grateful to them for-for murdering our fathers and mothers?-Or do they wish us to return thanks to them for chaining and handcuffing us, branding us, cramming fire down our throats, or for keeping us in slavery, and beating us nearly or quite to death to make us work in ignorance and miseries, to support them and their families. They certainly think we are a gang of fools.
But perhaps the most important lesson I learned is that there are no walls between humans and the elephants except those that we put up ourselves, and that until we allow not only elephants, but all living creatures their place in the sun, we can never be whole ourselves.
Also, when you escape a Communist regime, you treasure liberty and you understand that as government and state expand, liberty must contract.
Tempus edax rerum. Time the devourer of everything.
He cannot be strict in judging, who does not wish others to be strict judges of himself.
Neither failure nor success has the power to change your inner state of Being.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.