Why Spiritual Practice Matters During Times of Political Change
Jack Kornfield opens this talk recognizing a moment of profound transition and turbulence in the world. Having just returned from a trip to Asia, he lands in Los Angeles and finds himself, and others, dealing with significant anxiety about the state of society, institutions, and the future. Rather than dismiss this anxiety or pretend it away, Kornfield acknowledges it as real and then reframes the spiritual task: "It's a time to get quiet and remember that you're here for a beautiful purpose, oh Bodhisattvas." This isn't escapism—it's remembrance of a deeper orientation that can sustain us.
The core insight is that spiritual practice provides what Kornfield calls a "wise rudder" through turbulent waters. In the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, a Bodhisattva is one who has awakened to their interconnection with all beings and dedicates themselves to alleviating suffering. This role is not reserved for monastics or masters—it is available to anyone willing to undertake it. When Kornfield asks, "What better thing to do with your life?" he's inviting practitioners to recognize that their spiritual commitment has immediate relevance to how they show up in the world during crisis.
Understanding Samsara and the Nature of Uncertainty
A foundational Buddhist concept Kornfield likely explores here is samsara—the cycle of birth, death, and change that characterizes conditioned existence. Rather than viewing samsara as purely negative, contemporary Buddhist teachers often present it as the natural fabric of existence: things arise, persist briefly, and pass away. This cycle includes political systems, cultural institutions, and even our personal anxieties.
The invitation is not to resign from engagement but to hold our involvement with spaciousness. When we understand that all conditioned things are impermanent, we can still act with full commitment while not clinging desperately to specific outcomes. This is what Kornfield means by "taking the long view." The long view acknowledges that individual political cycles, while important, are small movements within much larger patterns of human development, ethical awakening, and spiritual maturation across generations.
Uncertainty, then, becomes less a source of paralysis and more a field in which intention matters enormously. If outcomes are not fully under our control, what we can control is the quality of heart and mind we bring to our actions. Kornfield's teaching suggests that "deep intention of wisdom creates what's possible for a wise society. It becomes a rudder through difficult times."
Moving Beyond Liberal Versus Conservative Frameworks
One of the most provocative applications of dharma in this talk is Kornfield's willingness to move past the liberal versus conservative binary that typically dominates political discourse. Rather than endorsing one side or another, he invites practitioners to ask deeper questions rooted in Buddhist ethics: Which approaches actually reduce suffering? Which honor the dignity and vulnerability of others? Which tend toward wisdom and compassion?
This reframing doesn't mean political choices don't matter—it means they matter for reasons deeper than party affiliation. The Mahāparinibbāna Sutta, a classical Buddhist text, offers guidance: "When a society treats its members with respect, cares for the weak and vulnerable among them and tends the natural world around… it can be expected to prosper and not decline." This becomes the measure, not left-right ideology, but whether a society's actual practices protect the vulnerable and honor interdependence.
By grounding political engagement in this ethical framework, practitioners can hold strong convictions while remaining open to wisdom from unexpected sources. A conservative might champion family integrity and stewardship; a liberal might emphasize collective care and justice. The question becomes: how do we integrate these genuine values in service of a compassionate society?
The Bodhisattva Path in Action: Supporting What's Good
Kornfield's vision of engaged spirituality centers on the Bodhisattva's commitment: not withdrawing from the world but entering it with clear values and steady heart. Living like a Bodhisattva means offering support, compassion, and loving-kindness (metta) in concrete ways. This includes helping the vulnerable in direct, immediate ways—offering food, shelter, education, dignity—and also working to build systems and institutions that protect the weak rather than exploit them.
The practice of metta becomes essential here. Metta is often translated as loving-kindness, but it's more precise to understand it as a steady, unconditional goodwill that doesn't depend on whether someone agrees with us politically or shares our values. Kornfield invites practitioners to develop metta for all beings, including those they fundamentally disagree with. This isn't naivety about harm or injustice; rather, it's the recognition that even those caught in harmful ideologies are themselves suffering and caught in confusion. Compassion toward them doesn't mean accepting their actions—it means holding the possibility of their awakening while firmly opposing harmful policies.
Grounding Yourself: The Practice of Steadiness
A recurring theme in dharma teaching during turbulent times is the importance of personal grounding practices. Kornfield emphasizes "grounding yourself, steadying your heart, and remaining hopeful." This isn't optimism—the naive belief that everything will work out—but rather a practice-based steadiness rooted in direct experience.
Meditation practice serves several functions here. It creates moments of internal stability where you can directly experience that your well-being is not entirely dependent on external political outcomes. It builds the capacity to observe your own anxiety and reactivity without being completely overwhelmed by them. And it strengthens your connection to values—when you sit quietly and ask yourself what truly matters, partisan noise recedes and deeper commitments emerge.
Kornfield also references Alison Luterman's poem "Praise the Broken Promise of America," which suggests that even disappointment and broken ideals can become teachers if we engage them with open hearts. The broken promise is not cause for despair but for deeper understanding of what a just society requires and renewed commitment to the ongoing work.
Trading Anxiety for Imagination and Hope
Rather than simply asking practitioners to "stay positive," Kornfield suggests a specific exchange: trade anxiety for imagination and hope. Anxiety is often future-focused and narrow—it loops endlessly on worst-case scenarios with no way forward. Imagination and hope are also future-focused but expansive—they envision possibilities and paths that don't currently exist.
This is where community becomes crucial. Kornfield invites people to "join together with your community to stand up for compassion." Working collectively toward shared values—whether that's caring for elders, protecting refugees, stewarding land, or building equitable institutions—generates hope through tangible action. You see that change is possible because you're participating in it. Others' commitment strengthens yours. The isolation that anxiety thrives on dissolves when you're part of a sangha (community) oriented toward compassion.
Creating a Wise Society Based on Mutual Care
Ultimately, Kornfield's teaching points toward a vision of a wise society—one based not on domination or extraction but on mutual care and respect. This draws on the Buddhist concept of interdependence: all beings arise in relation to all other beings. A society that recognizes this interdependence will naturally develop institutions and practices that honor it: healthcare systems that treat all members with dignity, economic structures that don't concentrate power and resources, educational systems that develop wisdom alongside skills, and approaches to the natural world based on reverence rather than exploitation.
The creation of such a society doesn't depend primarily on external victories or defeats in the political arena, though those matter. It depends on the gradual, steady shift in consciousness that occurs when practitioners in communities actively practice compassion, integrity, and wisdom. Each person who chooses to act from their best values rather than their fear contributes to a field that makes wise society possible. Kornfield suggests this is not naive—it's the deepest pragmatism available to us.
Where to Go From Here
If you've been activated by the turbulence in politics and culture, Kornfield's framework offers several concrete next steps. First, establish or deepen a personal meditation practice to ground yourself and clarify your values. Second, identify one specific area where you can serve the vulnerable—whether that's immigration justice, elder care, environmental protection, or economic fairness—and commit consistent energy there. Third, find or create a community of practice oriented toward compassion and wisdom, where you can practice metta together and support one another's engagement. Fourth, study the dharma—particularly teachings on interdependence, ethics, and the Bodhisattva path—so your activism is rooted in understanding rather than reaction. Finally, remember to take the long view: you are participating in cycles of change across generations. Your integrity, your heart, and your commitment matter not because they guarantee specific outcomes but because they express what's deepest and most true in you.
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