The Point Was Never to Live Without Fear | Jack Kornfield

What do you do with fear that won't dissolve? Jack Kornfield's answer is not to dissolve it at all. Thank it. Your nervous system has been tuned to threat for as long as there have been nervous systems, and most of what it warns you about never happens. So invite it for tea, as Thich Nhat Hanh would say. I know you. Thank you for trying to take care of me. I'm okay right now. You can rest. Tami Simon asks him about a line from No Time Like the Present, that the best forms of healing, therapy and meditation are all about learning to trust, and he tells her where he learned it: the monsoons and the cold of the monastery, the inner storms, relationship, and the refugee camps where he met people who had lost everything and still carried a dignity no one could take. He describes the light he experienced there, so bright he would open his eyes to check whether it was lighting the room. He tells the story of the Buddha under the Bodhi tree saying, oh Mara, I see you. And then he tells his own: a tremor, a frightening misdiagnosis about a dozen years ago, and a fear far bigger than he expected from someone who has sat with the dying. He went to Ram Dass with it, and Ram Dass smiled and said, oh yeah, I flunked the course a number of times myself. The point was never to live without fear. It is to be human and love all of it, the contraction and the expansion, because who we are is bigger than all of that. Jack Kornfield is the co-founder of Spirit Rock Meditation Center and the author of A Path with Heart and No Time Like the Present. Explore more from Jack Kornfield and hundreds of teachers at Sounds True One. Get your first month FREE at https://bit.ly/4ctecMn Subscribe to Sounds True's YouTube Channel ► https://bit.ly/SubscribeSTYT Sounds True is a mission-driven learning and media company, and a recognized leader in wellbeing, personal growth, and spiritual transformation. Partnering with the world’s foremost wisdom teachers and best-selling authors, the company reaches millions worldwide with its unique programs, digital learning experiences, and worldwide events. The company also features a variety of original series, weekly shows, and live online experiences on Sounds True One, its global platform and community with members across more than 125 countries. Sounds True is a Public Benefit Corporation and also the home of the Sounds True Foundation. Connect with us: ▪️Facebook: http://bit.ly/2XFIIeE ▪️Instagram: http://bit.ly/2UlEoiH ▪️Website: http://bit.ly/2tOl02d