A Lamp in the Darkness: Illuminating the Path Through Difficult Times

by Jack Kornfield Ph.D., Jon Kabat-Zinn Ph.D. (Foreword by)

Overview

When the path ahead is dark, how can we keep from stumbling? How do we make our way with courage and dignity? "Inside each of us is an eternal light that I call 'the One Who Knows,'" writes Jack Kornfield. "Awakening to this wisdom can help us find our way through pain and suffering with grace and tenderness." For anyone seeking answers during a time of trial, he offers A Lamp in the Darkness, a program filled with spiritual and psychological insights, hope-giving stories, and special guided meditations for skillfully navigating life's inevitable storms.

The practices in this book are not positive thinking, quick fixes, or simplistic self-help strategies. They are powerful tools for doing "the work of the soul" to access our inner knowing and to embrace the fullness of our life experience. With regular practice, these teachings and meditations enable you to transform your difficulties into a guiding light for the journey ahead. Join Jack Kornfield as your trusted guide and friend as you explore:

• Shared Compassion—a guided practice for planting the seeds of compassion and opening the heart to all that life brings

• The Earth Is My Witness—a meditation to establish firm footing in the midst of darkness, centered by a steady witnessing presence

• The Practice of Forgiveness—what Kornfield calls "the only medicine that can release us from the past and allow us to truly begin anew

• "The Temple of Healing—a guided visualization to meet your own inner healer

• Equanimity and Peace—a meditation for maintaining balance and acceptance regardless of the situation

Just as it is certain that each life will include suffering, explains Kornfield, it is also true that in every moment there is the possibility of transcending your difficulties to discover the heart's eternal freedom. With A Lamp in the Darkness, he offers you a beacon for yourself and others until joy returns again. Foreword by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Includes digital access to audio tracks.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781622030965
Publisher:	Sounds True
Publication date:	02/01/2014
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	120
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Jack Kornfield, PhD, trained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, Burma, and India and has been teaching meditation internationally since 1974. He is one of the key teachers to introduce mindfulness practices to the West. He co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts and founded the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre California. He holds a PhD in clinical psychology and has taught in centers and universities worldwide. Jack has led International Buddhist Teacher meetings with the Dalai Lama, worked with many of the great teachers of our time, and is a father and activist. He is co-creator of the Awareness Training Institute and has written more than a dozen books, including Meditation for Beginners; A Path With Heart; After the Ecstasy, the Laundry; and more.

Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, is professor of medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the founder and director of its renowned Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic. His clinic was featured in 1993 in the public television series Healing and the Mind with Bill Moyers. Jon Kabat-Zinn is the author of 15 books, in print in over 45 languages. These include Full Catastrophe Living; Wherever You Go, There You Are; Coming to Our Senses; and Mindfulness for Beginners.

Table of Contents

Foreword Jon Kabat-Zinn ix

Introduction: An Invitation to Awaken 1

1 The Wisdom of Our Difficulties 3

2 The Earth Is My Witness 13

3 Shared Compassion 21

4 Awakening the Buddha of Wisdom in Difficulties 29

5 The Practice of Forgiveness 35

6 The Temple of Healing 43

7 The Zen of an Aching Heart 49

8 Equanimity and Peace 55

9 Your Highest Intention 63

10 The Four Foundations of Mindfulness and the Healing Journey 69

Afterword: The Return of Joy 95

Acknowledgments 99

Notes 101

About the Author 103

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"I will make sure to keep several copies on hand to give to friends in times of need."
-ELIZABETH LESSER
Author of Broken Open

". . . rich with practical lessons in truth and love, compassion and mindful awareness- and will help guide us home for decades to come."
-LAMA SURYA DAS
Author of Buddha is As Buddha Does

Editorial Reviews

I will make sure to keep several copies on hand to give to friends in times of need.” —ELIZABETH LESSER, author of Broken Open

“. . . rich with practical lessons in truth and love, compassion and mindful awareness- and will help guide us home for decades to come.” —LAMA SURYA DAS, author of Buddha is As Buddha Does

From the Publisher