The Inner Art of Meditation

By: Jack Kornfield

Narrated by: Jack Kornfield

Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Now you can transform driving, shopping, or waiting in line into calming experiences of mindfulness. This unique audio course was carefully distilled from Jack Kornfield's most popular retreat, a 5-week workshop on mindful meditation. Kornfield shows listeners how to benefit from the 2,500-year-old system for becoming fully aware of how our actions in each moment create the fabric of our lives. He provides exercises and teachings for starting - and sticking with - a real meditation practice. Kornfield is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and the Spirit Rock Retreat Center.

©1993 Jack Kornfield, All Rights Reserved (P)1993 by Jack Kornfield, All Rights Reserved

Critic reviews

"An effective, practical, and enlightening course by a sensitive guide with a great sense of humor." (Library Journal)

Great Workshop

This is a joy to listen to again and again.The only possible minus is the bad sound quality of the open mike. However there have been times when I have been present myself at workshops like this and I could not make out more of what was being said than I can on this recording.

Excellent!!!

This is the first audiobook that I have ordered as a Premium Listener and I regard it as an excellent one. It consists of five lessons given by Jack Kornfield to a group of people during a course of five weeks. It is very well structured and tailored to the beginner?s needs. It discusses various subjects:
? Why meditate
? How to focus on your breath
? How to focus on your body sensations
? How to deal with feelings
? How to deal with thoughts
? Loving kindness-walking-eating meditation
Highlights include:
? Jack Kornfield?s kindness and wisdom. You will soon be feeling that this teacher is talking directly to you.
? Simple and clear view of buddhist principles and psychology.
? Jack Kornfield deals with many misconceptions about meditation, the most important one to avoid being perfectionist and idealistic about it.
? Jack Kornfield explains clearly why meditation isn?t some mystical way to attain extraordinary powers but the art of being here now!
? This audiobook is full with humorous stories that help to convey the message in the most insightful and entertaining way.
It is really a great audiobook. I hope that audible.com will provide us with other Jack Kornfield?s books and my suggestion is ?After the enlightment the laundry?
? Offer yourself this audiobook, it?s an excellent gift.

Practical hints, but too long!

Practical meditation course; simple to follow. its content could be reduced to a few core messages: a) closely follow your breath b) be completely aware of your feelings/thoughts, but don't get distracted and return your attention to your breath.
really annoying for me personally: jack's high-pitch gnarling voice...
but still a good introduction to meditation practice

Almost as good as being there

I've long wanted to go to a retreat where Jack Kornfield offers his insights into meditation. This is almost as good. I return to it often, especially the fourth week's session. Great introduction to vipassana.

Great book!

I really enjoyed this book. It was very entertaining and full of good insight on how to meditate. Jack is relaxed and often amusing in his narration, i laughed out loud several times. Audio quality is a little poor though, but dont let that put you off! You can actually meditate along with the book too, with instruction from Jack - Great.

Excellent dive into insight meditation practice

this is a live recording of Jack Kornfield's 5 week meditation retreat, including his lectures, guidance, and post-practice q&a with participants. I found it very helpful to hear Jack's explanations and interpretations in a down-to-earth yet inspiring way

The Inner Art of Meditation

This book, with lessons taught by Jack Kornfield, was more "enlightening" in the practice of meditation than any instruction I have ever received . He instructed with humor, gentleness and understanding, making meditation relevant and useful in daily life. I now know how to proceed in my practice with acceptance and loving kindness. I am so grateful I listened to this charming and relevant book!

Simple guide to the practice of meditation

I have found this instrution of meditation so much simpler, and easy to follow than others I have studied. The way the author guides into meditation is relaxing and encouraging. I highly recommend it.

entertaining as well as useful

If you are interested in learning about meditation, this audiobook is great.

It does not matter that the recording is not as good. The "workshop" sessions have substance!


I have already heard it 4 or 5 times.

Brilliant teaching and start to meditation

Thank you! You have answered all my questions! As you learn to meditate you constantly ask, Im I meditating, is this correct, am I doing it, this book provides the answers.