It is possible to find genuine happiness and liberation in the ups and downs of your own human life. We can all sense how it is possible for our own capacity for greater compassion and freedom to grow. If this were not possible, said the Buddha, I would not ask you to do so.

For four decades, Buddhist meditation teacher Jack Kornfield has shared practical instructions for awakening the wise and compassionate heart in the midst of all we experience. The Jewel of Liberation presents 10 pinnacle dharma talks (teaching sessions) hand-selected by Jack from his personal collection to illuminate the pathways out of suffering and into the natural freedom that is both our shared birthright and our greatest gift to the world.

Reclaim the Seat of Dignity, Compassion, and Lovingkindness

Meditation is the practice of awakening itself; it is the fundamental tool the Buddha offered to quiet the mind and open the heart. We begin our retreat with an examination of the art of meditation and how it empowers us to see things clearly and be gracious with the flow of this ever-changing life.

The Jewel of Liberation continues with guidance in managing our troubles, the weeds that arise even as we cultivate the seeds of abiding happiness. Our retreat culminates with an inquiry into the laws of life, the understandings we must have if we are to experience freedom independent of our circumstances.

The Possibility of Freedom Here and Now

The sure hearts release is found nowhere else but in our own direct experiencefor it is who and what we are, teaches Jack Kornfield. The world so much needs people who are free in this way, unafraid to love every being. Here is his invitation for each of us to be a lamp of freedom for yourself and for all.

Jack Kornfield, Ph.D. is a meditation teacher, author, and psychotherapist. After returning in 1972 from Asia, where he lived as a Buddhist monk for five years, Jack Kornfield cofounded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and obtained a doctorate in clinical psychology. His books include A Path with Heart; Seeking the Heart of Wisdom (with Joseph Goldstein); and Stories of the Spirit, Stories of the Heart (with Christina Feldman). Dr. Kornfield currently lives with his wife and daughter near California's Spirit Rock Center, where he is a guiding teacher.