In this talk, Jack Kornfield explores the joy of virtue, or the happiness of integrity, relating virtue to morality, to not harming any form of life, and to respecting nature.
A note from Sean
Every few months, Jack Kornfield would ask me to collect the money from his classes and deliver it to a local food bank. He rarely announced it. It wasn’t for a tax deduction. He wanted to help people. It was beautiful to be part of that, and to see a teacher walk his talk. That’s what integrity looks like to me.
Try this today. Pick one small, honest or kind act that nobody will see. Own a small mistake, or leave something helpful for a stranger. Do it quietly. That evening, take one minute to notice how your body feels when you remember it. No need to judge the feeling either way.
Keep going: 12 Principles of Forgiveness by Jack Kornfield and the free loving-kindness meditation script.
This talk suits anyone who wants to look at how they treat people, and themselves. If that brings up shame or grief, go gently. Listen in short stretches and stop whenever you need to.
The Joy of Virtue
In this talk on “The Joy of Virtue,” Kornfield looks at the relationship between happiness and integrity. Is morality truly connected to happiness and joy? His answer is yes: he describes these aspects of life as interconnected.
A Key to Happiness
Kornfield explains that who we really are comes down to our integrity, or our virtue. As we share and express our goodness, we naturally come into harmony and resonance with who we are at our core, and this is what leads to true happiness. Many teachers express this understanding, that peace comes from our integrity.
Many practices shine through in the practice of virtue. Kornfield puts it this way: “Through the practice of virtue, there is compassion, there is mindfulness, there is patience. All the great virtues come together.” By harnessing our integrity and morality, we practice all of the other interwoven teachings.
Practices for Integrity
Since integrity is embedded in all other mindfulness practices, we can follow the heart towards the practices that most resonate with our deepest yearnings in a particular moment. From loving kindness meditations to practices related to stress and anxiety, we enhance our morality in both conscious and unconscious ways as we expand our embodiment of mindfulness, compassion, and presence.
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