Insight Hour with Joseph Goldstein

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 178 – The Wisdom Of "No" Aug 23, 2023

Show notes

Joseph Goldstein explores the nexus between thought patterns, sense pleasures, renunciation, addiction, and the wisdom of "No".

This dharma talk from October 24, 2012, was recorded at the Insight Meditation Society and originally published on Dharma Seed.

In this lecture, Joseph:

Encourages us to examine the content and nature of our own thoughts
Maintains that our actions are conditioned by how we think about ourselves and how we think about the world
Advocates for cultivating wholesome thoughts and letting go of unwholesome ones.
Considers the rewards of renunciation
Emphasizes the importance of saying “no” on the spiritual path

“So often in spiritual practice and in our path and in spiritual scenes, we emphasize the yes. It’s the yes of acceptance, the yes of openness, the yes of receptivity, the yes of fullness of experience. So this is all an essential part of our practice. This yes is often the antidote to self judgment, self criticism, to contraction, to limitation. It’s like we’re learning to open, we’re saying yes to experience yes to the world.

But there is also a wisdom in ‘no,’ recognizing that some things are not skillful, are not helpful, they’re not leading to happiness or to our well being. And in these times, we can practice saying, ‘no thanks,’ I’ll pass on this one.” – Joseph Goldstein

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Ep. 177 – Understanding Equanimity Aug 15, 2023

Show notes

This time on the Insight Hour podcast, Joseph Goldstein helps us understand equanimity as a fundamental state of mind and the role it plays on the spiritual path.

This dharma talk from July 22, 2023, was recorded at the Insight Meditation Society and originally published on Dharma Seed.

This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour

In this lecture, Joseph explores:

The literal meaning of the word “equanimity” in Pali and the difficulty of translation
The Great 8 Vicissitudes, or the endlessly changing conditions of gain and loss that affect each of us
Using equanimity to foster steadiness in the face of changing conditions
Maintaining a sense of humor and lightness on the spiritual path
The difference between reactivity of mind and responsiveness of mind
The transmittable quality of equanimity

“Equanimity means understanding the difference between reactivity of mind and responsiveness. So this is a really important distinction because these two words reflect very different mindsets. Reactivity creates agitation. Responsiveness really is the basis for a balanced and compassionate engagement.” – Joseph Goldstein

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Ep. 176 – Questions About The Path to Awakening Aug 09, 2023

Show notes

Joseph Goldstein leans on his decades of study and practice of the Dharma to answer a diverse range of spiritual and existential questions from his students and online retreat attendees.

This dharma talk from May 14, 2023, was recorded at the Insight Meditation Society and originally published on Dharma Seed.

In this Q&A style talk, Joseph answers an assortment of questions concerning:

The stages of enlightenment
Being mindful of positive and wholesome mind states
Realizing selflessness
Concepts, the nature of consciousness, and reality
Practicing mindfulness in modernity
Karma and reincarnation

"We think our lives are so complicated and so confused in the modern world, in the ancient world and - at any point in time, there are only these six things happening. It's a sight, its a sound, it's a taste, it's a sensation, it's something going on in our minds. So, I like to think of all life, and the unfolding of our lives, as a six piece chamber orchestra. It's just playing the music." - Joseph Goldstein

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Ep. 175 – Instructions on Working with Thoughts Aug 02, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of the Insight Hour podcast, Joseph Goldstein delves into the nature of thought and provides valuable insights on cultivating mindfulness.

This dharma talk from May 13, 2023, was recorded at the Insight Meditation Society and originally published on Dharma Seed.

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In this talk, Joseph:

Encourages us to notice when we become aware of our own thinking
Highlights the importance of recognizing the themes of our thoughts
Emphasizes that the past and the future are conceptual models
Examines the very nature of thought itself

“When we’re unaware of thoughts, unmindful, they have so much power in our lives, they;re really directing our lives. And yet when we are mindful of them, as I say, it is a little more than nothing.”

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Ep. 174 – Liberation Teachings for Daily Life Jul 26, 2023

Show notes

Joseph Goldstein discusses the challenges of practicing liberation, awakening, and enlightenment in the context of a lay person’s life.

“The Buddha said, ‘I have shown you the path to liberation. Now, liberation depends on you.’ This is really true. If you don’t take your life into your own hands, not even the Buddhas can make a difference. It’s up to you.” – Joseph Goldstein

In this talk, Joseph Goldstein offers insights into:

Finding a balance between monastic renunciation and worldly pleasures
Impermanence and the inherent instability of existence
The Four Noble Truths as they relate to the concept of Duḥkha
The understanding of selflessness
Taking your path into your own hands

This dharma talk from May 12, 2023, was recorded at the Insight Meditation Society and originally published on Dharma Seed.

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Ep. 173 – Understanding Karma & Samsara Jul 19, 2023

Show notes

Joseph Goldstein explores how karma and Samsara shape our lives and shares wisdom on integrating Dharma practice into our lives.

Today's dharma talk from May 16, 2023, was recorded at the Insight Meditation Society and originally published on Dharma Seed

This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour

In this talk, Joesph shares his wisdom on:

Applying Buddhist practice and wisdom to our daily lives
Better understanding the interworkings of the mind and how our lives unfold
How Karma and Samsara feed into one another
The importance that our motivations play in Karma and Samsara

“The challenge in our practice is integrating this understanding of karma with our growing insight into emptiness, selflessness, and the selfless insubstantial nature of phenomena. Can we hold both?” – Joseph Goldstein

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Ep. 172 – Consciousness: The Power of Mind Jul 12, 2023

Show notes

Taking a journey into the vastness of the mind, Joseph Goldstein explores the creative power of consciousness.

In this episode, Joseph Goldstein elucidates:

Consciousness as the creator of our inner and outer worlds.
The suffering that can come from an uncultivated mind
Mental illness, obsessions, addictions and thought-loops
Being a prisoner of our own untrained mind
Impermanence, empowerment, and the potential of the inner Buddha
The Mahamudra and taming the mind
Staying mindful during defilement

“The Buddha talked of how this mind, this force or power of consciousness, can be our worst enemy or the most benevolent friend.” – Joseph Goldstein

About Joseph Goldstein:

Joseph Goldstein has been leading insight and loving-kindness meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. He is a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, where he is one of the organization’s guiding teachers. In 1989, together with several other teachers and students of insight meditation, he helped establish the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies.

“What’s most helpful to remember, in this part of the process where we become so aware of these defilements of the mind, is that they are visitors. They are not the nature of the mind itself. And because they are visitors we don’t have to judge ourselves, and we don’t have to judge them.” – Joseph Goldstein

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Ep. 171 – Fulfillments of Understanding Jul 05, 2023

Show notes

Joseph Goldstein explores the five Iddhis, or fulfillments of understanding, spoken of by the Buddha, and offers four different paths which can lead one to the completion of the fulfillments.

“The Buddha spoke of five Iddhis, or five fulfillments of understanding. The first of them is the Iddhi of special knowledge, which means the knowledge or the understanding of things which go beyond the conventional realm of concepts.” – Joseph Goldstein

In this episode, Joseph examines the following:

The term Iddhi, which is best translated as fulfillment of understanding
The five Iddhis that the Buddha placed the most emphasis on: understanding all the constituent elements of what we call self; opening to the truth of suffering; abandoning the causes of suffering; realizing the end of suffering; developing a path to the end
The four different paths which can lead one to the completion of the five Iddhis

“These are the fulfillments that the Buddha talked about, the true miracle for us, the true development of understanding. In many of the texts, one of the ways in which somebody who got enlightened would celebrate the event, one of the common refrains, which has always been very inspiring to me, they would often say, ‘Done is what had to be done.’ Wouldn’t that be nice? Done is what had to be done. Finished. Come to completion. Come to fulfillment. We have actually done what needs to be done. What needs to be done is the realization or the development of these five Iddhis.” – Joseph Goldstein

This dharma talk from November 26, 1988 was originally published on Dharma Seed.

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Ep. 170 – Samsara Jun 28, 2023

Show notes

Joseph Goldstein explores the nature of Samsara, or endless wandering, and the three interdependent cycles of defilements, actions, and results that keep the wheel of Samsara rolling.

“These three Kleshas in the mind – ignorance, craving, and grasping – they keep us moving around and around in this cycle of Samsara. There’s no balance in our lives, there’s no rest in our lives, as long as this cycle of Klesha is revolving.” – Joseph Goldstein

In this episode, Joseph explores:

The nature of Samsara and the profound questions it raises for us
The first interdependent cycle that keeps the wheel of Samsara rolling, the cycle of defilements, or Kleshas
The three root defilements that keep the cycle of defilements turning – ignorance, craving, and grasping
The second interdependent cycle, the cycle of actions and karma
The third interdependent cycle, the cycle of results
How mindfulness can help us escape the wheel of Samsara

This dharma talk from October 23, 1988, was originally published on Dharma Seed.

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Ep. 169 – The Heart of Wisdom Jun 22, 2023

Show notes

Joseph Goldstein guides us through the steps of integrating the science of meditation with the art of meditation as a way of awakening within us the heart of wisdom.

This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour

“Through this integration, the art and the science, we really awaken in us this heart of wisdom. And the heart of wisdom means seeing the true nature of phenomena. Seeing the true nature very deeply and very profoundly. It means going from the level of concept, from the level of our ideas and opinions about things, to the nature of the reality of it.” – Joseph Goldstein

In this episode, Joseph explores:

How our practice is about awakening the heart of wisdom within us by integrating the science of meditation with the art of meditation
The steps to integrate the science and art of meditation, including opening ourselves to all aspects of experience and refining the quality of our relationship to experience
How we can drop from the level of concept to the level of what’s really happening, the true nature of experience
How we can further develop concentration and mindfulness

This dharma talk from September 24, 1988, 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.

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