Jack Kornfield is a leading teacher of Buddhism and mindfulness. Born in 1945 on a Marine base in North Carolina, Kornfield attributed his early interest in healing and medicine to his scientist father — in part as a way to diverge from his father’s tumultuous nature. After initially studying pre-med at Dartmouth College, Kornfield was introduced to the teachings of Lao-tzu, the Buddha, and Confucius through a transformative course on Asian philosophy. He changed his major to Asian studies, and after graduating in 1967, did a stint with the Peace Corps in Asia’s Mekong River valley. During his time there, he trained in a monastery and was eventually ordained as a Buddhist monk.

Kornfield returned to the U.S. and co-founded both the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts and Spirit Rock Center in California. With a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, Kornfield’s blend of Eastern philosophy and Western psychology have made his teachings — found in his many bestselling books including A Path with Heart (1993) and No Time Like the Present (2017) — accessible to millions seeking inner peace, transformation, and contentment.