Jack Kornfield Quotes

Perchance that I might learn what pity is, That I might laugh at erring men no more.

We all get angry and jealous sometimes, none of us is perfect, but we should not try to be different.

I know I lost my temper, but I tried to be human along the way.

The crux is this: you can't be sincerely empathic towards and angry at someone at the same moment. In other words, you can't walk in someone else's shoes and step on their toes at the same time.

Everything has two handles; the one soft and manageable, the other such as will not endure to be touched. If then your brother do you an injury, do not take it by the hot hard handle, by representing to yourself all the aggravating circumstances of the fact; but look rather on the soft side, and extenuate it as much as is possible, by considering the nearness of the relation, and the long friendship and familiarity between you--obligations to kindness which a single provocation ought not to dissolve. And thus you will take the accident by its manageable handle.

At the same time I know that it’s not really their fault, at least not completely. I did my part too. I did it on a hundred different days and in a thousand different ways, and I know it. But this makes the anger worse, not better.

I can't not put myself in the shoes of every person I pass.

My granny Torrelli says when you are angry with someone, so angry you are thinking hateful things, so angry maybe you want to punch them, then you should think of the good things about them, and the nice things they've said, and why you liked them in the first place.

When thou art offended at any man's fault, forthwith turn to thyself and reflect in what manner thou doest error thyself. For by attending to this thou wilt quickly forget thy anger, if this consideration is also added, that the man is compelled; for what else could he do? or, if thou art able, take away from him the compulsion.

A man of understanding, a man who understands himself and others, always feels compassion. Even if somebody is an enemy you have compassion toward him because a man of understanding can understand the viewpoint of the other also. He knows why the other feels as he feels, he knows why the other is angry, because he knows his own self, and in knowing that, he has known all others.

When you look deeply into your anger, you will see that the person you call your enemy is also suffering. As soon as you see that, the capacity of accepting and having compassion for them is there.

It would be great if people never got angry at someone for doing something they've done themselves.

The hardest heart and the grossest ignorance must disappear before the rising sun of suffering without anger and without malice.

Real maturity is the ability to imagine the humanity of every person as fully as you believe in your own humanity.

We think that we do well to be angry with the rebellious, and so we prove ourselves to be more like Jonah than Jesus.

We should strive to understand the weakness of others.

I'm not someone who feels anger on particular issues.

I don't feel bitterness, I don't feel anger towards anybody. Fighting is never emotional to me.

It's good to have to put yourself in someone else's skin. It's all-consuming.

We must learn to regard people less in light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer.

When you are suffering, you become more understanding about yourself, but also about other people's sufferings too. That's the first step to understand somebody is to understand their sufferings. So then love follows.

Take the high road. No matter how much strife, and consternation, frustration and anger you might be confronted with - don't go to that level.

I learnt pity, sympathy, and what it was like to be at the other end of the stick. Such lessons can't be learnt in lecture halls.

I was once a fairly angry person.

Compassionate listening is to help the other side suffer less. If we realize that other people are the same people as we are, we are no longer angry at them.