About this IMS Online On-Demand Program

This program was recorded live on February 21, 2024

Several years ago I sat on a stage with one of my colleagues, Sylvia Boorstein, to have a conversation. Some of the topics we had decided beforehand, many were spontaneous. Even though we were on a stage in front of a crowd, we wanted the atmosphere to be intimate, as though someone was listening in as we were chatting over lunch. The first question Sylvia asked me, totally unexpected, was “What do you think of as the most important thing a teacher has ever said to you?” Because I hadn’t expected it, my unprepared response emerged from deep within, “I’d say it was when my teacher Dipa Ma told me to teach meditation. It formed the foundation of the rest of my life.”

Kicking off the series with a conversation with our dear dharma friend, Jack Kornfield, I wanted to bring alive the feeling we got to create on that stage … inviting Jack--and more friends in the future--to  look at our dharma influences, our meditation experiences, issues of contemporary life, and how we deal with them.  -  Sharon Salzberg


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Meet Your Teachers

Sharon Salzberg

Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She is among the first to bring mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture 50 years ago, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. Sharon is co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and the author of thirteen books, including the New York Times bestseller Real Happiness, now in its second edition, and her seminal work, Lovingkindness. Sharon’s podcast, The Metta Hour, has amassed six million downloads and features interviews with thought leaders from the mindfulness movement and beyond. www.sharonsalzberg.com

Jack Kornfield

Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India and Burma. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. After graduating from Dartmouth College in Asian Studies in 1967 he joined the Peace Corps and worked on tropical medicine teams in the Mekong River valley. He met and studied as a monk under the Buddhist master Ven. Ajahn Chah, as well as the Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw of Burma. Returning to the United States, Jack co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with fellow meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein and the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. Over the years, Jack has taught in centers and universities worldwide, led International Buddhist Teacher meetings, and worked with many of the great teachers of our time. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is a father, husband and activist.

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    As one part of our ongoing effort to expand access to the teachings of the Buddha, all IMS Online programs feature equity-based registration fees, including the opportunity to self-select a low-cost scholarship rate. No-fee enrollment is available for those who request a fee-waiver at [email protected], no questions asked. Our system supports the cultivation of a dynamic and inclusive community and is made possible by our generous donors and those who choose to support other students by contributing at the “Benefactor” level.

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