Insight Hour with Joseph Goldstein show

Insight Hour with Joseph Goldstein

Summary: Joseph Goldstein has been a leading light for the practice of Insight and Loving Kindness meditation since his days in India and Burma where he studied with eminent masters of the tradition. In his podcast, The Insight Hour, Joseph delivers these essential mindfulness teachings in a practical and down to earth way that illuminates the practice through his own personal experience and wonderful story telling.

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Podcasts:

 Ep. 165 – The Relationship of Practice and World Peace | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:45:26

Joseph Goldstein explores the relationship of our meditation practice to the establishment of world peace by helping us understand the tendencies of the mind obstructing that peace. This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour “There is a very powerful effect; it’s not just for ourselves that we practice, it is for ourselves and it is for everyone else, as well. Because as we free our minds from craving and wrong view and conceit, when we reduce this tendency, this attitude of mind to expand and grab and take and exploit, when we can purify our own minds of these tendencies, we establish peace in ourselves, and it becomes a force of peace in the world.” – Joseph Goldstein In this episode, Joseph explores:The relationship of our meditation practice to the establishment of world peace How we can better understand the three tendencies of the mind that are the root causes of the conditions that obstruct peace: craving, wrong view, and conceit How the practice of mindfulness can help us uproot those three tendencies of the mind by deepening our insight into impermanence, suffering, and the selflessness of phenomena This dharma talk from October 18, 1985, was originally published on Dharma Seed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 Ep. 164 – Dependent Origination | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:55:48

Joseph Goldstein explores the concept of dependent origination – the law of causality and conditioning – so we can understand the process that keeps us bound to the Wheel of Samsara. “In every moment of noticing, in every moment of being mindful, when there is no ignorance, when there is no delusion, when we are seeing things actually as they are, in that moment, the mind is purified; we are breaking this chain of dependent origination, we are breaking the link of it.” – Joseph Goldstein In this episode, Joseph explores:The Wheel of Life, also known as the Wheel of SamsaraWhy the law of dependent origination, or the law of causality and conditioning, keeps us bound to the Wheel of SamsaraEach link along the chain of dependent originationHow cycles within the 12 links in the law of dependent origination keep the wheel forever spinningHow Vipassana practice can help us cut into those cycles and break the chain of dependent origination This dharma talk from October 29, 1985, was originally published on Dharma Seed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 Ep. 163 – The Tao and the Rhythm of Experience | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:50:31

Joseph Goldstein explores wisdom from the Tao and talks about how we can learn to settle back into each moment and establish ourselves in the rhythm of experience. This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour “When we can settle back and allow the change, allow the process of change to unfold without interfering, without pushing the river, then we establish ourselves in the rhythm of experience. And the rhythm carries us, just as in any activity, in music, in sport, in nature; the rhythm carries the experience when it’s not interfered with. And in that, there’s a grace, there’s a harmony, there’s a balance.” – Joseph Goldstein In this episode, Joseph explores:Learning to settle back and become one with each moment of experienceHow the appreciation of rhythm has to do with the full awareness of change and how we can establish ourselves in the rhythm of experienceThe difference between non-action and inactionHow the simplicity of the Buddha’s teachings leads to great spaciousnessSome of the wisdom from the Tao Te ChingThe obstacles in the way of the simple practice of settling back into each moment, including our sense of self  This dharma talk from December 7, 1986, was originally published on Dharma Seed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 Ep. 162 – Happiness: The Progress of Insight | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:53:30

Joseph Goldstein examines what happiness is and how we get it, plus he outlines the very ordered stages of progress that occur on the path of insight and wisdom.  “There’s another kind of happiness, which is higher even than the happiness of concentration, and that’s the happiness of insight, the happiness of wisdom, when we really come to a deep and profound understanding of who we are, of what this life is about.” – Joseph Goldstein In this episode, Joseph explores:The happiness born from sense pleasures, not only in this realm but in the higher realmsHow purity of conduct, through both generosity and understanding virtue, can bring sense pleasuresThe happiness that comes from concentrationThe happiness that comes from insight and wisdomThe very ordered way that the progress of insight unfolds: psychological insights, purity of view, vipassana happiness, fear of the process of existence, the urge for deliverance, the stage of equanimity, and finally, opening to the unconditioned, that which is beyond the mind  This dharma talk from October 14, 1982, was originally published on Dharma Seed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 Ep. 161 – Equanimity Practice | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:19:20

In this episode, Joseph Goldstein leads a powerful practice around cultivating equanimity and talks about why it’s important not to confuse equanimity with its near enemy, indifference. This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour “Equanimity is the mind state of impartially, not indifference. So it’s like space which contains everything impartially. And one way of coming to this space of impartiality is understanding that things, in this world, are happening lawfully. They’re not happening by accident. And so the equanimity phrase, and the development of equanimity, is closely tied in with wisdom.” – Joseph Goldstein In this episode:Joseph talks about the concept of equanimity, explaining why it’s important not to confuse equanimity with its near enemy, indifferenceJoseph explores the wisdom aspect of equanimityJoseph leads a powerful equanimity practice focused around offering phrases to a neutral person, a benefactor, a good friend, and a difficult person “All beings are the heirs of their own karma. Our happiness or unhappiness depends on our actions, not upon our wishes.”  This dharma talk from December 7, 2004, was originally published on Dharma Seed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 Ep. 160 – The Five Iddhis | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:56:04

Joseph Goldstein explores the Buddha’s concept of the Five Iddhis, which are the five elements of the teachings we need to bring to completion in order to truly awaken our hearts and minds. “This Iddhi of psychic power is inferior to the Iddhi of understanding. When the Buddha was asked what the true miracle was, he said the real miracle is the awakening of people’s minds, it’s not the flying through the air or the diving in the earth, it’s the awakening of the mind, the awakening of the heart.” – Joseph Goldstein In this episode, Joseph shares his insight into:The Sanskrit term, Iddhi, which refers to the particular power of something, bringing to completion a particular situationThe difference between psychic Iddhis and Iddhis of understanding and insightThe Buddha’s concept of the Five Iddhis, which are five elements of the teachings we need to fulfill to truly awaken our hearts and minds: fulfillment of special knowledge of the Dhamma; coming to a full understanding of the truth of suffering; bringing to completion the abandoning of the causes of suffering; the fulfillment of coming to the end of suffering; and the development of the path of practiceThe Buddha’s concept of the four Iddhipadas, which are characteristics that are the road to success in our practice: zeal, effort, love of the Dhamma, and inquiry. This dharma talk from October 9, 1989, was originally published on Dharma Seed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 Ep. 159 – Tides of Conception | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:03:23

Joseph Goldstein talks about how the tides of conceiving continually condition our lives and explores the ways we can directly experience the reality of Nibanna, the unconditioned. This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour “Do we buy in? Do we buy into the content? Do we get lost in this mind-created world of ‘future,’ or can we see it as being as light as a momentary thought, a momentary image? Just like a sound arises. But it takes a great deal of vigilance because these thoughts, these tides of conceiving, are tremendously seductive. You know, we’ve been doing this for years, and perhaps lifetimes. But awareness is very powerful, we can actually free ourselves from this prison.” – Joseph Goldstein In this episode, Joseph talks about:How the tides of conceiving continuously arise in our mind and condition our experienceThe different concepts that we solidify and make real, including our bodies, time, and the mental construct of the selfWhy the concept of the self is so deeply held and why we’re so attached to itThe four realities that can be experienced directly, including that of Nibbana, which is also known as the unconditionedThe wide range of expressions of the experience of the unconditioned that is available in different Buddhist traditions  This dharma talk from December 5, 1995, was originally published on Dharma Seed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 Ep. 158 – Generosity of the Heart | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:56:54

Joseph Goldstein covers the basics of metta, which he calls the generosity of the heart, and shares ways we can cultivate deeper feelings of loving-kindness in our practice. “Metta, as most of you are familiar, is a word from the Pali language, the language of the Buddha’s time, and it means loving-kindness or friendliness. And it refers to that basic quality or that basic feeling of generosity of the heart. It’s an expression of the generous heart that is simply wishing well, simply wishing or expressing goodwill to ourselves and others.” – Joseph Goldstein In this episode, Joseph shares his insight on:The basics of metta, or loving-kindness, and how it refers to the feeling of the generosity of the heartHow metta can become the ground for wisdom to growThe difference between metta and desire, and why those two feelings are often confused for one anotherDifferent ways we can nurture our practice and cultivate deeper feelings of metta, including reflecting on forgiveness and gratitude  This dharma talk from February 6, 1999, was originally published on Dharma Seed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 Ep. 157 – Relative And Absolute Bodhicitta | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:55:35

In this deep exploration of the union between compassion and emptiness, Joseph Goldstein breaks down the relative and absolute levels of Bodhicitta, the heart-mind of awakening. This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour “The ultimate nature of Bodhicitta – the relative level is compassion – the ultimate level of Bodhicitta, is the empty, aware nature of the mind itself. And as one Tibetan teacher said, ‘When compassion and emptiness are both present, enlightenment is unavoidable.’ So this is what we practice. This what we come to realize, to cultivate: the relative Bodhicitta of compassion, the ultimate Bodhicitta of emptiness.” – Joseph Goldstein In this episode, Joseph explores:Relative Bodhicitta, absolute Bodhicitta, and how these two levels are expressions of each other, not polaritiesThe different ways in which we can understand emptiness, including dropping into the effortless flow of experience, being reminded by our teachers, seeing the insubstantial nature of the self, and seeing that things are not amenable to our willThe nature of the mind, which is empty like space, has an innate wakefulness, and it is inherently pureHow the activity of emptiness is compassion  This dharma talk from July 9, 2003, was originally published on Dharma Seed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 Ep. 156 – Doorway to Freedom | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:01:34

Joseph Goldstein talks about how wisdom arises from an understanding of the true nature of impermanence, and how experiencing the truth of change can be our doorway to freedom. In this episode, Joseph explores:The nature of impermanence and why going from an intellectual understanding of it to a direct experience of it can be our doorway to freedomThe different ways we can gain liberating insights into the truth of impermanence, including reflecting on death and relationshipsHow, when we begin to see the true nature of change, we start to cultivate Bodhicitta The two levels of Bodhicitta – the relative level and the ultimate level – and how Bodhicitta manifests as responsive compassion “So this is really important because in talking about the impermanent nature of all this and how ultimately unsatisfying it all is, the implication is not that we pull back from experience, as some people might assume. Rather, it’s learning to not hold on. That is the implication, and that is the doorway to freedom.” – Joseph Goldstein This dharma talk from March 25, 2004, was originally published on Dharma Seed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 Ep. 155 – Embodied Presence: Free from Desire and Discontent | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:02:16

Joseph Goldstein helps us understand the quality of samadhi, which he describes as embodied presence, and talks about the different methods we have available for cultivating it.  This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour “We settle back into the body, into the awareness of the body, and we allow the tensions and the knots, we allow them to unfold. We create the space, we create the space of awareness in which they will unwind. And this becomes a great healing process.” – Joseph Goldstein In this episode, Joseph talks about:Understanding the meaning of the quality of samadhi, which is also known as concentrationHow the development of samadhi is the cultivation of embodied presenceHow ethical conduct is the foundation of samadhiDifferent ways to cultivate and deepen the quality of samadhi, including through direct awareness of a single object and through an open, choiceless awarenessThe many methods he has used in his own practice to develop samadhi, including slowing down and being mindful of your body movementWays we can contemplate the body both internally and externally, which can help us understand how our practice is for the benefit and welfare of all beings This dharma talk from October 6, 2004, was originally published on Dharma Seed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 Ep. 154 – Compassion and Social Responsibility | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:54:48

In this episode of Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein explores what compassion is, the wisdom that gives rise to it, and how we can manifest it in the world. This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour “When compassion and wisdom are both present in our lives, even to a small extent, there’s really a remarkable transformation, because they bring a creative power to the way we live, the way we act, the way we relate. When wisdom and compassion are both there, they help us go beyond the conventional response.” – Joseph Goldstein In this episode, Joseph talks about:How wisdom and compassion work togetherWhat compassion is and the wisdom that gives rise to itThe four insights that can help us keep our hearts open in the midst of the great suffering in the worldHow compassion grows and deepens within usThe different ways compassionate action manifests in the worldThe Bodhisattva Vows and the act of dedicating one’s life and practice to the benefit of all beings This dharma talk from July 23, 2004, was originally published on Dharma Seed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 Ep. 153 – Ardor and the Path to Freedom | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:54:22

Joseph Goldstein explores the path to freedom that the Buddha laid out for all of us and talks about the importance of developing and sustaining the quality of ardor in our practice.  This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour “What is ardency? I think we all have some sense of it in our very worldly lives. Just think of the feeling of ardor in the great love of your life, or in the first days of the great love of your life. What is that feeling of ardor like? There’s this powerful and sustained energy that is just so full in us. And it’s characterized by tremendous warmth of feeling and passion and enthusiasm and interest. That’s what ardor means. So can we cultivate that kind of ardor in our love of the Dhamma? In our love of the truth? That’s the quality that the Buddha is saying we need that, we need that passionate interest, that passionate energy to explore and discover.” – Joseph Goldstein In this episode, Joseph talks about:The path to freedom that lies in Vipassana practices and how these practices are rooted in the Buddha’s discourse, the Satipatṭhāna SuttaThe deeper meaning of some of the Pali words used in that discourse and why the Buddha frequently repeats some phrasesThe importance of developing and sustaining the quality of ardor in our practiceHow reflecting on the preciousness of human birth and understanding impermanence can help cultivate ardorHow Metta practice works together with Vipassana practiceHow we begin to see that practice is not just for ourselves, but for the benefit of the whole world This dharma talk from September 27, 2004, was originally published on Dharma Seed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 Ep. 152 – The Early Life of Sharon Salzberg & Joseph Goldstein | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:08:23

Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg recall their early lives and initial years of mindfulness practice and share what drew them to meditation in the late sixties and early seventies. This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour This podcast is being released in tandem with Sharon Salzberg’s Metta Hour Hour Podcast. Sharon is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She and Joseph are co-founders of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA. Sharon is the author of numerous books, including the New York Times bestseller, Real Happiness, and her seminal work, Lovingkindness. “This lasted for two years, and they were the worst two years of my practice, the most difficult. And it took me that long to realize that it wasn’t about getting something, it was about opening to what was there. But I was so attached to that wonderful experience that it was really subverting the deeper understanding of what meditation really is. So it took me such a long time, but finally, after two years of struggle, something released, let go, and I just settled back and opened to whatever was presenting itself.” – Joseph Goldstein In this conversation, Joseph shares about:Growing up in the Catskills and his early encounters with death and loss • Studying philosophy at Columbia University and living in New York City during his college years • Joining the Peace Corps and living in Thailand • His first encounters with Buddhist monks and the resonance of finding the spiritual path • The ups and downs of his initial years of practice and finding his teacher, Munindra • Meeting Sharon at her first retreat with S.N. Goenka • The community that emerged out of the Goenka retreats • The parallels of the evolution of his and Sharon’s pathSharon shares about:The difficulty of her childhood • Her first encounter with Buddhist Philosophy in college and creating a study abroad program to take her to India • Receiving Chögyam Trungpa’s advice on where to learn meditation • Searching for meditation instruction across India as a young woman • The scene at her first retreat led S.N. Goenka • Learning how to navigate her inner life • Meeting Joseph for the first time • Her and Joseph’s different practice needs in their early years • Crafting a spiritual path before there was a model for that life in the WestThis episode is part of a continuing series of interviews between Sharon Salzberg & Joseph Goldstein about their lives and contributions to Buddhism. For more like this, subscribe to Sharon's Metta Hour Podcast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 Ep. 151 – No Self, No Problem w/ Ram Dass | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:02:12

In this unique offering from the Love Serve Remember Foundation archives, Joseph Goldstein joins Ram Dass for a conversation around love, emptiness, soul, the notion of self, and much more. NEW Meditation Series: Pause, Breathe, Be Here Now with Ram Dass, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, John Lockley, Ram Dev, Trudy Goodman, Lama Tsultrim Allione—FREE January 16 to 25. Sit in true peace, love, and tranquility. Join thousands of people around the world for this collective meditation experience: onecommmune.com/ramdass “And let’s not forget joy. In you is joy. In you is compassion. Peace. Emptiness. And love. Those are all in you. In you. Now, manifest them in your behaviors. And your thoughts.” – Ram Dass In this episode:Joseph and Ram Dass reminisce about the early days of their friendship and how their relationship has evolved over the yearsThey respond to a question about whether there’s a relationship between love and Tao, exploring the concepts of self (and no self), emptiness, and soulRam Dass asks Joseph about the concept of dharma and they discuss the way of natureThe conversation veers into karma, free will, and whether or not everything is predeterminedThey touch the mysterious forces at work in the universe and the power of imaginationJoseph and Ram Dass respond to a question about developing compassion amidst intense polarizationRam Dass ends with a brief guided meditation See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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