Born in 1945, Jack Kornfield is an American psychologist, author, and prominent teacher within the Vipassana movement of American Theravada Buddhism. His extensive training includes time as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, Burma, and India, studying under masters such as Ajahn Chah and Mahasi Sayadaw. Since 1974, he has been teaching mindfulness meditation globally. Kornfield played a key role in establishing influential meditation centers, co-founding the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts in 1975 and Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California in 1987. He has also engaged in peacemaking and activism, organized teacher training programs, and facilitated international gatherings of Buddhist leaders, including the Dalai Lama. Kornfield holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and frequently explores the intersection of Eastern and Western psychological perspectives in his writings.

Kornfield's journey into Buddhist practice began after graduating from Dartmouth College in 1967, when he joined the Peace Corps and was stationed in Thailand. During his time there, he encountered and trained under the renowned forest master Ajahn Chah, later continuing his studies with Mahasi Sayadaw in Burma. Upon returning to the United States in 1972, he participated in the founding session of Naropa University. These formative experiences led to the establishment of the Insight Meditation Society in 1975, co-founded with Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein, and subsequently the Spirit Rock Meditation Center in 1987. Kornfield has been instrumental in training numerous Vipassana teachers across America and has hosted significant international Buddhist teacher assemblies.

With a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Saybrook Institute, Jack Kornfield has dedicated much of his work to integrating Buddhist teachings with contemporary Western psychological understanding. He aims to make Buddhist principles accessible to a Western audience, often emphasizing the combination of mindfulness with practices of loving-kindness and self-compassion. His writings frequently address the practical application of spiritual wisdom in everyday life, acknowledging the inherent struggles and complexities that accompany spiritual development. Kornfield's work suggests that profound wisdom and freedom often coexist with periods of confusion and personal challenges, a perspective he has shared through his extensive publications and teachings.

“amid all the Western masters and teachers I know, some idealistic perfection is not apparent. Times of great wisdom, deep compassion, and a real knowing of freedom alternate with periods of fear, confusion, neurosis, and struggle. Most teachers will readily admit this.”