After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path

So what happens after you've had a powerful spiritual opening? Are you forever free of the constraints of human life? Are you happy forever after? Do you no longer have to struggle with relationships or family dynamics?Jack's latest book examines the lifecycle of individual spiritual growth through the eyes and words of modern spiritual masters in a variety of wisdom traditions. His book is peppered with interviews with some of the most important teachers of Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Sufi and Jewish traditions. Most interesting, and the central theme of this book, is his assertion that all of us human beings, even 'enlightened' masters must deal with the mundane and difficult aspects of life, including relationships with family, jobs, and yes - laundry. Not only must everyone deal with these, but Jack believes that one's spiritual path/person growth is deeply grounded in an subsists on these everyday matters. His interviews with modern masters is especially moving in the sections where he describes how these ordinary folks were drawn into a spiritual path, and the multitude of ways in which this occurs. For anyone who has read his previous book "A Path With Heart", this is a natural and well-done follow-on. Although he is a Buddhist, in this book (and his others as well) Jack is inclusive: he extracts the common and most fundamental elements of many wisdom traditions and offers them in their simplicity for us to consider. Like a fine wine, for the 'ultimate' experience this book should be consumed slowly, with plenty of time between sips.

Jack Kornfield is one of the few thinkers who writes about the intersection of traditional, academic thought and personal, faith-based spirituality. The result is an astonishingly successful blend of philosophy, memoir, and literary commentary. While Kornfield's spiritual background is Buddhist, he is aware of and receptive to the theories of enlightenments in all major religions and even the more secular Emersonian beliefs that have helped shape American spirituality.The book is not tightly organized, but is written in a series of short sections, which variously touch on Kornfield's personal history, his current belief system, and his favorite authors, blending them into a coherent whole. I found the sections on T.S. Eliot and Walt Whitman to be among the most insightful commentaries on their work available to the lay reader.At the same time that Kornfield is astonishingly well-read and deeply wise, he is never scolding or pedantic. As his title suggests, he is well aware of our human foibles and failings, and he displays a deep understanding and tolerance of the ways in which most of his readers will fall short of the example he sets.This is Kornfield's finest work, and a book that be read for decades to come by those interested in exploring their spirituality.

Kornfield begins his new book with the observation: "Enlightenment does exist. It is possible to awaken" (p. xiii). Such times of "great wisdom, deep compassion and a real knowing of freedom," however, alternate with life's dirty laundry, "periods of fear, confusion, neurosis, and struggle" (p. xix). The good news, we discover in this book, is that "the dirty laundry of spiritual practice can best be seen as an invitation to truth" (p. 157).Kornfield weaves the personal, spiritual accounts of priests, nuns, rabbis, zen masters, teachers, and lamas, and the poetry of Rumi, Mary Oliver, Sharon Olds, Rilke, T. S. Eliot, and Whitman, together with the writings of Emerson, Pema Chodron, Joanna Macy, and Merton, into an inspiring tapestry, which illustrates the real point of his book: authentic, spiritual life "must be fulfilled here and now, in the place where we live" (p. xxi), dirty laundry and all.Although written from a Buddhist perspective, this book contains enough wisdom to assist everyone in finding their way through these chaotic, distracting, and demanding times. For me, Kornfield's progression, "Practicing with Mountains and Rivers," to "Seeing with the Animals, Listening with the Rivers," to "Grasses and Trees as Teachers" to "Acting on Behalf of all Beings," to "Appropriate Action, Appropriate Stillness" (pp. 260-73) was worth the price of the book alone. This is an excellent book that I will be recommending to all my friends, Buddhist or not, with enthusiasm!G. Merritt

Jack Kornfield, the man, gives me hope that we can transform our lives a little bit at a time with some rushing moments of grace. And, we can help to change the world around us. He makes me want to try."A Path With Heart" (1993) helped me to commit to a spiritual practice. "After the Ectasy, the Laundry" reminded me that my practice is at the core of my life and that so many others are aspiring for wholeness, and yes, enlightenment (there is actually such a thing).I recommend it highly.

This is a book primarily about the experience of persons who have traveled the spiritual adventure. They are presented as very human and not like gods at all. This gives hope and encouragement to the rest of us who often after a weekend seminar or month long retreat on returning to the frustrations of the "real" world pause to wonder whether or not the time spent silently studying, listening,visualizing or meditating really produced any meaningful change. I found the book did not put mystics, spiritual masters and the like on a pedestal, rather it showed us that these people have similar reactions to the day to day events of everyday life like the rest of us with perhaps more understanding and tolerance. The many quotations and poetry from esteemed persons such as Rumi,Ryokan and others are worth the price of the book itself. Although dealing with a very serious topic Kornfield weaves a sense of humor throughout the book and gives us a sense of what it is like to seriously undertake a spiritual journey. Go and buy this book.