This week, Jack discusses the divine feminine along with the past and present roles of women in the Buddhist tradition. We each carry within us both the masculine and feminine nature. Jack explores the Buddha's teaching on the matter and what it is to embrace them.

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In light of the political “bread and circus” happening in America, leading up to the 2016 presidential elections, Jack shares stories and wisdom on the topic of tending ourselves and tending the world. On this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack explores how tending to injustices big and small and do all we can to ease the suffering of others. “The one who awakens shines with a radiance of spirit. Come out and shine like the moon, but first, quiet yourself. Quiet the mind, tend the heart, and come back to yourself. Let what is beautiful in you have space, to be heard and listened to, and blossom. ” – The Buddha

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On this episode of Heart Wisdom, Jack talks about leadership, nobility, and love. American presidents George Washington and Lincoln are used as examples of men who showed true nobility of heart. There is a sense of justice in their words and a kind of integrity to their actions in the midst of unbearable suffering, which is a sign of real leadership. This is a quality of nobility which we can find ourselves in our own roles as leaders. The Buddha says that wise leadership requires generosity, integrity, peace, and sacrifice among many other traits. These are all qualities that can be awakened in us. This is why we are given the practices of compassion, mindfulness, and equanimity. Jack teaches us to utilize these practices in an effort to awaken our inner nobility. Jack also discusses the diversity of love and its many roles. Love brings happiness, heals, and even teaches through loss. We explore a few ways in which love can present itself and affect our lives.  

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Jack’s timeless wisdom leads the way as he responds to a handful of questions concerning some of the common struggles encountered on the human plane. How can we be present with difficult situations without indulging the emotions? The problem often lies more in the narratives we tell about ourselves and others that perpetuate the suffering. We must be willing to allow the energies of life to rise and fall as they do, all the while expanding our capacity to feel without necessarily believing the storyline, which is often biased and untrue to begin with. In learning to be with our emotions we are better able to respond from a place of wisdom rather than an expectation of how it should be. Taking time to recognize the distinction between wise and unskillful desire is a practical and effective method for addressing the root causes for much of our suffering. Through examining our impulses, we gain the perspective necessary to determine if the associated actions will ultimately increase our joy or our sorrow. Jack reminds us that we don’t need to get rid of anything, we just have to remember who we really are and operate from that deeper self. The seeds we plant in the garden of the heart are not separate from us in their origin or their blossoming.

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Jack offers tales of tenderness that remind us of the qualities of faith and compassion which move us in the direction of freedom. What resources can we bring to a world of conflict that might allow us to live in the reality of the present with an openness and trust that what needs to be healed will be done through love? In coming to rest in the space of calm and kind attention that grows in meditation, we learn to listen with the heart and move with the inspired energy that follows.

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To create and maintain appropriate boundaries we must first understand what it is as we are approaching attachment, commitment and love. Jack offers a definition and reinterpretation of attachment to represent more compassionate qualities such as commitment, dedication and wise ambition. He encourages us to be present without the need to control, to show up but not be focused on the outcome. We learn to step back and listen to the world as a means of witnessing the play of life. Our opening will present itself, but only when our perspective is wide enough to discover the full range of potential.

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Jack offers up several stories to emphasize the ways in which mindfulness consistently returns us to a radical capacity for presence that can truly change our lives for the better. The natural freedom revealed through the quality of compassionate awareness is itself an act of respect. The understanding and integration of right livelihood lays the groundwork for gratitude in ourselves, and serves to inspire others who encounter its compelling energy. There are many ways to approach the work we are given, but through honoring our tasks we can bring to them a spirit of dignity, care, and beauty. 

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A timely discussion about the rapid expansion of mindfulness practice and the importance and value in sharing our own stories for the well-being of others. Using examples from his own experiences in traveling the world, Jack reminds us that awareness, in all forms, is what brings us into the heart of our own humanity

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A succinct reminder of the ever-present possibility to step out from the blinders of our ordinary perception, from the fear and anxiety of modern life, and to instead see with eyes of understanding. Through practice we begin to fully grok the necessity for and value of forgiveness, learning to let go of the expectations that inevitably compromise our capacity for compassion. Beginner’s mind is highlighted as an anchor point for helping us return to the openness, eagerness, and lack of preconception that embody our true nature.

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Drawing from Buddhist text, Jack tells the story of the last year of Buddha’s life, and the teachings he imparted to his followers and future seekers on the path. Guidance for practice, and instructions for building and sustaining wise relationships were the focus of these final offerings. The power of mythology is emphasized in appreciating its capacity to speak to the human imagination. When removed from the lens of literality, these stories are brought to life, imbuing the narrative with a depth and timeless relatability from which we can continually find inspiration.

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