#684: Jack Kornfield — How to Reduce Anxiety and Polish the Lens of Consciousness

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Jack Kornfield (@JackKornfield) trained as a
Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma.
He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of
the key teachers to have introduced Buddhist mindfulness practice
to the West. 


Jack co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre,
Massachusetts, with Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein, and
Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. Current projects
include CloudSangha.co, which offers practice groups for all; The
Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program, which has
trained 7,000 mindfulness teachers in 75 countries; and Wisdom
Ventures, a fund investing in companies that promote compassion.


His books have been translated into 22 languages and sold 2
million copies. They include The Wise Heart: A Guide to the
Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology; A Path with Heart;
After the Ecstasy, the Laundry; Buddha’s Little Instruction Book;
The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness, and Peace; and his most
recent book, No Time Like the Present: Finding Freedom, Love, and
Joy Right Where You Are.


Jack is also co-founder of Cloud Sangha, and
they offer a quick and free mindfulness test to gauge your
mindfulness levels. As a conscious online community, Cloud Sangha
brings people together to create meaningful human connections and
integrate mindfulness into everyday life.


Please enjoy!


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[07:47] Stan Grof.


[14:53] Yogic swoons and anesthetic autopiloting.


[18:28] What’s the point of consciousness?


[25:47] A big story or no story at all?


[31:44] The Cosmic Game.


[34:56] How would the Buddha deal with anxiety?


[43:50] The stories anxiety tells.


[46:41] Mystics and the mystery.


[52:04] Jhana practice and the dimensions of meditation.


[57:23] Achieving altered states: a matter of confidence or
capacity?


[1:01:30] What is love?


[1:09:54] Wise guys.


[1:12:49] Reliably eliciting the non-self.


[1:14:35] Sifting out the charlatans.


[1:15:27] Atisha’s instructions.


[1:19:56] Cultivating a more joyful mind.


[1:24:27] Living “social, not solo” and Cloud Sangha.


[1:31:51] Ram Dass flunking the course.


[1:41:23] Connection, climate, and justice.


[1:48:40] Parting thoughts.


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