Jack Kornfield, a Buddhist teacher and author and a founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center, gives this talk on the mystery of uncertainty. He speaks of meeting it with a beginner’s mind and the grace of not knowing.
Embracing the uncertainty of life is one of our greatest challenges. When we have attachments to things and people and ideas of how we wish for things to go, it can be hard to remember that nothing in life is permanent and nothing in life is certain.
In this mindfulness talk, Jack Kornfield explores the mystery of uncertainty and how we can find our Buddha nature within it.
Bringing Mindful Presence to Uncertainty
Regardless of what occurs in our lives, can we bring a sense of loving kindness or mindful presence to the comings and goings of life? To all of the impermanence, the emotions, and the uncertainty?
Mindfulness exercises can help us sit with whatever is here, to let each moment be as it is – even in fear, even in grief, and even in confusion. Rather than struggling to change life’s mystery, we can practice sitting with the raw nature of our existence.
Sitting With What Is Here
In any moment, we can practice embracing what is here by sitting with it compassionately. If emotions are present and strong, can we tune into what this feels like in the physical body? Can we trust that, despite the heaviness of this experience, we are whole and held in this very moment?
It can be very challenging to do this type of work when emotions are strong, so if you are new to mindfulness practice, starting with beginner’s basics may help you build the fundamental skills to move deeper.
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