Insight Hour with Joseph Goldstein

An investigation of the six sense spheres, known in Buddhism as “The All,” which form the basis for understanding everything we know and how we know it. All further elaborations of the Buddha’s awakening have their basis in this pragmatic and verifiable teaching. As complicated as our lives may seem, everything we experience can be traced to one or more of these fundamental principles. In turning our attention to the senses, we find that these very ordinary aspects of our daily lives contain subtle and profound truths that point us toward liberation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Vedana is the Buddhist term for the pleasant, unpleasant or neutral sensations that arise when our internal sense organs interact with external sense objects and the associated consciousness. Joseph explores this concept, explaining the Buddha’s heavy emphasis on establishing this form of mindfulness to better understand how are lives are unfolding on the path of awakening. In first recognizing, and subsequently investigating the origins of these feeling tones, we begin to decondition our deeply habituated tendency to grasp, avert or tune out to a given stimulus. Through practice, we gain ground on the reactive mind and further align ourselves with our true nature. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Joseph describes the expansive power of Loving Kindness and its unique capacity to embrace each and every being that we encounter. Loving Kindness does not make distinctions and is therefore referred to as one of the boundless states. The cultivation of Metta serves as a crucial reminder that we ourselves are the final arbiters in determining how we feel. This quality can and must inform our mindfulness practice in order to effectively tune our inner environment to that place of genuine purity and peace. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Joseph offers a timeless discussion of the conditioning nature of fear, and possible methods for transforming that constricting energy into genuine freedom. Our fears are often revealed as we progress along the path, stepping out of our personal comfort zones in an effort to expand our spiritual boundaries. In recognizing that these experiences are an inevitable part of life, and are therefore a response to an ultimate truth, we come to understand the value in opening to every aspect of our unfolding lives. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From one perspective it can be said that the entire spiritual path rests on the development and cultivation of a particular mind state known simply as equanimity. When highly developed, equanimity brings about an unshakable quality of mind that allows us to ride the inevitable changes of the human experience with balance and ease. We must be careful to not confuse the neutrality of equanimity with a sense of disconnection or indifference toward ourselves and others. As Joseph explains, this universal mental factor is present in every wholesome state of mind, making it difficult to overestimate its value in cultivating spacious impartiality. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

‘There is no single factor so potent in promoting the good of beings as right view’ - Buddha Joseph describes the wisdom factor of mind that is Right View and the function this understanding serves in illuminating both the causes, and the means for cessation, of suffering. Our actions are often rooted in the unwholesome thoughts that stem from a false view of the Self. Acting in a manner that serves and enhances the right view of non-self is the underlying context for all of our practice. It is the beginning and the end of the path, to understand the truth of Dukkha and abandon all of its causes. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 ‘The mind free of desire is a greater pleasure”   An enlightening discourse on the often confounding subject of renunciation, and the ways in which we might find value in this practice. Joseph draws on initial inquiries from the Buddha in determining the drawbacks of pleasure seeking-behavior in relation to the potential benefits of what he calls the ‘non-addictive’ state. Understanding the roots of our thoughts and desire systems is the first step in bringing greater awareness to our actions and the karma that unfolds therein     See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What is it that we actually learn from being mindful? What wisdom emerges from the practice of awareness that has the power to liberate our hearts and minds from the suffering we experience? Joseph explores this question in depth, highlighting the Buddha’s instruction to abandon that which does not belong to us. The goal becomes clear, but the means for accomplishment are often less obvious. Insights are offered in an effort to help cut though our layers of identity, and to the sense of self to which we have become so attached. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Joseph is joined by long-time friend and fellow MPN ambassador, Raghu Markus, for an in-depth discussion about the value of kindness in our speech. How we say what we are feeling is often as important as what we are saying. Additional topics covered include how we relate to pleasure (distinguishing between love and desire), recognizing our conditioning, and the significance of right view in daily life as we attempt to fully embody the law of Karma, understanding that what we do, moment-to moment, matters See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“When compassion and emptiness are both present, enlightenment is unavoidable” A lucid discourse on the virtues of emptiness, awareness, and compassion, and the fundamental role these qualities play in the unfolding of the spiritual path. The heart-mind of awakening, known as Bodhicitta, is explored on its relative level of compassion, and its more ultimate level relating to the empty and aware nature of the mind itself. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Joseph outlines the life and times of the Great Sage, highlighting the relevance of his path with that of our own. On an archetypal level, the Buddha’s life serves to illuminate the aspirations and struggles that we experience in our modern existence. It is possible to connect the Buddha’s journey with our own, finding the deeper meaning and purpose within the unfolding events of our lives. His questioning of values led him to the analytical process that would eventually bring about his enlightenment. We too carry this potential, to thoughtfully evaluate our predicament and implement the changes necessary to promote a more liberated state. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Joseph discusses some of the more seductive energies highlighted by the Buddha. These energetic fields operate on a broad spectrum, from the subtle identification with consciousness itself to the full on emotional breakdown. Learning to recognize the basic nature and allure of these qualities through practice is crucial in successfully changing our relationship to them. An attitude of genuine interest and exploration promotes both the discovery and understanding of these hindrances. The cultivation of mindfulness brings space and stability to an otherwise volatile dynamic. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“Realized is the unconditioned, achieved is the end of craving” Can we really even imagine a mind that is free of craving, free of desire? We might occasionally glimpse this potential but often view it as something far off in the future, to be discovered only when we have mastered our minds. Joseph discusses both the possibility and the practice for bringing an end to craving in the moment. The process begins with the recognition of our arising desires and their ability to obscure our clarity and natural openness of mind. We can then be aware of the quality of mind in the absence of these desires. By closely and consistently observing this transition we are examining the very nature of its energy, and moving that much closer to the understanding and lessening of its influence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“It’s not difficult to be aware, it’s difficult to remember to be aware.” Joseph explores the quality of mind known in Pali as Viriya, and explains the variety of ways that it can be experienced. In its basic form the term refers to the energy that allows us to engage with the world around us. The art of meditation involves learning how to cultivate this quality in an effort to apply it in useful and appropriate ways. Wisdom comes through a gradual process, requiring a steady flow of energy to be both initiated and sustained. Viriya provides the crucial factor needed for wisdom to continue to grow throughout our lives. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our thoughts and emotions have the unique ability to condition both our suffering and our well-being. A deeper investigation regarding the relative versus ultimate truths of our experience becomes crucial in learning to work more skillfully with these predominant aspects of our lives. A natural balance is necessary in the application of this deeper knowledge; to both prevent attachment to or avoidance of any one modality of thinking. This merging in awareness of our emptiness and our soulful expression is a profound step in the maturation of spiritual practice. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.