After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path
by Jack Kornfield
Book Description
The rich harvest of an entire generation's spiritual work in the West, After the Ecstasy, the Laundry is one of the most authentic and convincing accounts ever written of the lifelong path of inner transformation. Written by a Buddhist teacher and meditation master of international renown, this moving and fascinating book also draws on the firsthand experiences of dedicated leaders and practitioners within the Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and Sufi traditions. The result is a uniquely intimate and honest understanding of how the modern spiritual journey unfolds-and of how we can prepare our own hearts for awakening.
"Enlightenment does exist," Jack Kornfield assures us. "Unbounded freedom and joy, oneness with the divine...these experiences are more common than you know, and not far away." But even after achieving such realization, we are faced with the day-to-day task of translating that freedom into our imperfect lives. We are faced with the laundry.
The author's personal stories, vivid traditional tales, and the voices of many others who have traveled this path become our companions on the way. We learn to recognize the first stirrings of sacred longing, the gates that lead to spiritual opening, the immediacy of satori or grace. We also learn how the enlightened heart navigates the real world of difficult family or community relationships, emotional pain, struggles with earning a living, sickness, betrayal by those we have trusted-even death.
Filled with "the laughter of the wise," alive with compassion, After the Ecstasy, the Laundry is a gift to anyone who is seeking peace, wholeness, and inner happiness. It is sure to take its place next to A Path with Heart as a spiritual classic for our time.
 A Path With Heart : A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life by Jack Kornfield In undertaking a spiritual life, we must make certain that our path is connected with our heart, according to author and Buddhist monk Jack Kornfield. Since 1974 (long before it gained popularity in the 1990s), Kornfield has been teaching westerners how to integrate Eastern teaching into their daily lives. Through generous storytelling and unmitigated warmth, Kornfield offers this excellent guidebook on living with attentiveness, meditation, and full-tilt compassion. Part of what makes this book so accessible is Kornfield's use of everyday metaphors to describe the elusive lessons of spiritual transformation. For example, he opens with "the one seat" lesson taught to him by his esteemed teacher. Literally it means sitting in the center of a room and not being swayed or moved by all the people and dramas happening around you. On a spiritual level it means sticking "with one practice and teacher among all of the possibilities," writes Kornfield; "inwardly it means having the determination to stick with that practice through whatever difficulties and doubts arise until you have come to true clarity and understanding." The same could be said for this "one book." Among all the spiritual self-help books, this is a classic worth sticking with and returning to--a highly approachable teacher that can only lead to greater clarity and understanding. --Gail Hudson |