“This world is full of second chances. Always remember, no matter what has happened, we can always begin again.” — Jack Kornfield
Dear friends,
We live in a time when it is easy to become discouraged. We witness war and division, violence and fear, and sometimes it seems as though suffering has the final word. But the Dharma tells a different story. Again and again, it reminds us that this world is full of second chances. Redemption is always possible.
The Buddha begins with a simple invitation: “Oh nobly born, remember who you really are.” Within each of us are the seeds of awakening, the capacity to see with the eyes and heart of a Buddha. We forget this, and then we remember. This remembering is the beginning of redemption.
The great writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said that, “The line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.” This understanding doesn’t excuse harm or ask us to ignore injustice. Rather, it frees us from the illusion that some people are beyond redemption while others are beyond reproach. We all carry fear and love, confusion and wisdom. The practice is to strengthen what is wise and compassionate until it becomes the force that guides our lives.
Again and again, I’ve seen that wisdom and the training of the heart can triumph over temperament and circumstance. I’ve seen mothers forgive the unforgivable. I’ve seen former enemies embrace one another. I’ve seen prisoners become healers, and those who have suffered unimaginable loss choose not to pass on hatred to another generation. We need these stories because they remind us not to give up on one another—or on ourselves.
Our practice asks us to cultivate what one rabbi called a dangerous heart—a heart willing to listen deeply, to bear pain without becoming bitter, and to offer love without first deciding who deserves it. Your heartfelt attention is an amazing thing. It has a mysterious power. It doesn’t always fix what is broken, but it opens the possibility that something new can emerge.
Howard Zinn wrote that to be hopeful in difficult times is not foolishly romantic. It is based on the truth that human history is not only a history of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, and kindness. Which stories we choose to remember matters. They shape the world we believe is possible. So when sadness comes, remember Wade Davis’ words, “Despair is an insult to the imagination.” The earth itself teaches renewal. Seeds become forests. Winter becomes spring. The body replaces itself again and again. Every moment offers the chance to begin anew.
Rumi reminds us:
Come, come, whoever you are.
Though you have broken your vows a hundred times,
Come, come again.
This is the invitation of the Dharma. Become citizens of love. Trust that the light has never left you. Beneath all that has been wounded, beneath all that has been forgotten, there remains an untouchable goodness—a noble heart that can begin again. This world is full of second chances. No matter what has happened, we can always begin again. When you need to, may you do so gracefully.
With blessings,
Jack
