Most of us have spent our lives caught up in plans, expectations, ambitions for the future; in regrets, guilt or shame about the past. To come into the present is to stop the war.
Jack KornfieldRead
We need courage and strength, a kind of warrior spirit. But the place for this warrior strength is in the heart. We need energy, commitment, and courage not to run from our life nor to cover it over with any philosophy-mate rial or spiritual. We need a warrior’s heart that lets us face our lives directly, our pains and limitations, our joys and possibilities.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True strength comes from within and allows us to face life's challenges directly.
In this quote, Jack Kornfield emphasizes the importance of having a resilient and courageous spirit. He suggests that while we may often look to external sources of strength or philosophies to cope with life, the most profound kind of strength lies in having a 'warrior's heart'—a heart that confronts life's challenges, embraces both joy and pain, and remains committed to living authentically and fully.
Themes
CourageStrengthWarriorLifeCommitmentHeart
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared in a motivational speech to inspire an audience facing adversity.
More from Jack Kornfield
All quotes →The questions asked at the end of lie are very simple ones: Did I love well? Did I love the people around me, my community, the earth, in a deep way? And perhaps, Did I live fully? Did I offer myself to life?
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We can bring our spiritual practice into the streets, into our communities, when we see each realm as a temple, as a place to discover that which is sacred.
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According to Buddhist scriptures, compassion is the "quivering of the pure heart" when we have allowed ourselves to be touched by the pain of life.
Jack KornfieldRead
Much of spiritual life is self-acceptance, maybe all of it.
Jack KornfieldRead
When we struggle to change ourselves we, in fact, only continue the patterns of self-judgement and aggression. We keep the war against ourselves alive.
Jack KornfieldRead
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