25 Jack Kornfield Quotes From the Buddhist Teacher

By Stephanie Kirby | Published August 15, 2023

Check out these Jack Kornfield quotes about life, mindfulness, and peace.

Jack Kornfield is a well-known American Theravada Buddhism writer and teacher.

He was born in the United States in 1945 and trained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, India, and Burma.

After college graduation, Kornfield joined the Peace Corps and went to Thailand, where he became a monk.

Kornfield started teaching meditation internationally in 1974 and has become one of the most influential teachers in Buddhist mindfulness practices in the West.

He has written many books on Buddhism and has sold more than a million copies of his books worldwide.

Kornfield is married to Trudy Goodman, who is also a respected meditation teacher, and his daughter Carline is a lawyer.

Take a look at these Jack Kornfield quotes to learn more about the renowned teacher.

Popular Jack Kornfield Quotes

Here are some popular quotes by the teacher and author.

1. “This life is a test—it is only a test.” — Jack Kornfield

2. “The trouble is, you think you have time.” — Jack Kornfield

3. “Every individual has a unique contribution.” — Jack Kornfield

4. “Let go of the battle. Breathe quietly and let it be.” — Jack Kornfield

5. “Forgiveness is giving up all hope of a better past.” — Jack Kornfield

6. “Peace requires us to surrender our illusions of control.” — Jack Kornfield

7. “As surely as there is a voyage away, there is a journey home.” — Jack Kornfield

8. “If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.” — Jack Kornfield

9. “Be mindful of intention. Intention is the seed that creates our future.” — Jack Kornfield

10. “The heart is like a garden. It can grow compassion or fear, resentment or love.” — Jack Kornfield

Jack Kornfield Quotes About the Past, Letting Go, and Moving On

These quotes share Kornfield’s perspective of moving forward in life.

11. “Everything that has a beginning has an end. Make your peace with that, and all will be well.” — Jack Kornfield

12. “To let go means to let be. When we let be with compassion, things come and go on their own.” — Jack Kornfield

13. “When we let go of our battles and open our heart to things as they are, then we come to rest in the present moment.” — Jack Kornfield

14. “In the end, just three things matter: How well we have lived, how well we have loved, how well we have learned to let go.” — Jack Kornfield

15. “When there is no judgment and no blame, we seek not to perfect the world but to perfect our love for what is on this earth.” — Jack Kornfield

16. “To let go is to release the images and emotions, the grudges and fears, the clingings and disappointments of the past that bind our spirit.” — Jack Kornfield

17. “Take as much time as you need to picture each memory that still burdens your heart. And then as each person comes to mind, gently say: I ask for your forgiveness, I ask for your forgiveness.” — Jack Kornfield

Jack Kornfield Quotes About Life and Connection

Learn more about what Kornfield believes about life and relationships with others.

18. “Peace comes when our hearts are open like the sky, vast as the ocean.” — Jack Kornfield

19. “Wisdom says we are nothing. Love says we are everything. Between these two, our life flows.” — Jack Kornfield

20. “We can love and care for others, but we cannot possess our children, lovers, family, or friends.” — Jack Kornfield

21. “When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another—and ourselves.” — Jack Kornfield

22. “In fact, the two things that you are always free to do—despite your circumstances—are to be present and to be willing to love.” — Jack Kornfield

23. “Our individual life is an expression of the whole mystery, and in it we can rest in the center of the movement, the center of all worlds.” — Jack Kornfield

24. “Only in the reality of the present can we love, can we awaken, can we find peace and understanding and connection with ourselves and the world.” — Jack Kornfield

25. “What’s called for on the Earth at this time is really a change of heart… the question is really not the future of humanity, but the presence of eternity.” — Jack Kornfield