Jack Kornfield - A Lamp in the Darkness: Illuminating the Path Through Difficult Times

Entry points onto the path of Dharma are ubiquitously available yet mysteriously unpredictable as to when and where they appear to us. I imagine that just about every person who has ever been touched by the practice of mindfulness remembers with clarity and gratitude that first moment of connection with these teachingswhich is never simply an introduction to the healing and transformative possibilities of the Dharma, but also, in essence, proffers a gentle reintroduction to oneself and to the possibilities for a veritable flourishing of ones life and heart.

This book is such an entry point. It is a beckoning source of both light and warmth, as its title suggests, inviting us into the cultivation of mindfulness and heartfulness through practice. It is the gift of a master teacher who has been responsible in large measure, along with a relatively small group of colleagues, for the introduction of mindfulness meditation practice in all its forms into American and Western culture over the past forty years.

Jack Kornfield is one of the great mindfulness teachers of the present day. His skill in inspiring people to practice is unsurpassed, as is the precision of his meditation instructions and the breadth and depth of his understanding. Beyond all that, he is best known and loved for the qualities of his heart, for his gentleness and kindness, for his compassion and caring, and for his willingness to be vulnerable and quintessentially real. The vast scope of Jacks rich and varied embodiment of wisdom, which is tailored to our present day and circumstance, is artfully condensed in this volume, a new portal through which to enter the world of meditative awareness and what it has to offer, especially in times of great difficulty when the mind so easily falls into darkness and feelings of unworthiness.

And the beauty of it is that not only can we read Jacks words, but that he is present through his verbal guidance on the audio versions of the meditation instructions. His voice rounds out and amplifies the gift of non-separation, where one comes to see that the deepest and most fundamental connection is not with the teacher, however great and skillful he might be, but with oneself in ones own fullness, a fullness that is not often recognized at first. In the poet T. S. Eliots words, it is a fullness that is Not known, because not looked forbut finally, hopefully, heard, half-heard, in the stillness/Between two waves of the sea. That stillness, that recognition, that clarity, that potential for reconnecting in the deepest of ways with ones own beauty, ones own genius, however much unrecognized or denied, is what is offered here in these highly nuanced practices aimed at giving yourself back to yourself, which is what so many people say is what they receive from their mindfulness practice.

With that in mind, may this entry point be one of miracle and wonder for you. May your experience of the practice lead to a re-befriending of yourself and a reigniting of passion for the life that is yours to live and for the path that is yours to walkday and night, through thick and thinin all the seasons of a life.

I saw a cartoon in the San Francisco Chronicle that showed a family crossing the Sahara desert on camels. The father was on the first camel with his rugs and bags, the mother on the second, and three children were on smaller camels behind them. The last little girl and the father were obviously having a dialogue and the father looked back and shouted to her, Stop asking if were almost there yetwere nomads for crying out loud!

Every life is filled with change and insecurity, and every life includes loss and suffering and difficulties that arise regularly. We are all nomads in this ever-changing world, and we need ways to ground ourselves and remain centered no matter what happens.

When we encounter difficult times in our lives, it is not just the outer changes, but often our own state of mind that causes us the most difficulty. Grief and anxiety, fear and loss, and other turbulent emotions that we carry with usand the stories we tell ourselves about the pains and trials of our livescan contribute to our suffering and illnessuntil we learn how to release them.

Often, our initial strategy is to simply run away. But we find that our troubles follow us. Paradoxically, one of the best ways to heal from emotional betrayal and abuse, from injury and illness and trauma, is to turn toward that which is injured within us. In fact, when we bring a caring and fearless attention to that which is injured and difficult, these very circumstances often offer us important lessons and even surprising gifts that will transform our lives.

It is important to remember that the healing journey is not always about overcoming the difficulties were experiencing or about getting well, at least not completely. It sometimes requires learning to accept more fully the way things are, bringing a wise and compassionate spirit to the circumstances of our lives. We all have the capacity to heal, but we have to discover what form that healing is to take.

Do not be afraid to face your difficulty. Turn toward it. Lean into the wind. Hold your ground.

By working with the teachings and meditations included in this book and audio, you will begin to trust the life force within you and learn the skills you need to transform your difficulties into a lamp that will guide youand othersthrough the rest of your life.