Renowned meditation teacher, Joseph Goldstein, shares timeless insights on the mind, suffering, and the heart of why we meditate.

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In this episode, Joseph Goldstein offers his perspective on:

• The many reasons why we meditate
• How we all filter our experiences through our own particular conditioning and background 
• Unpacking the Dhammapada’s teaching: “Mind is the forerunner of all actions”
• Using meditation to understand the patterns and nature of our own minds
• Strengthening mental stability and inner resilience through practice
• Cultivating present-moment awareness instead of being swept away by emotions
• Considering what qualities of heart and mind are being cultivated in all that we do
• A powerful reminder: Don’t waste your suffering—transform pain into wisdom
• Deepening insight into the impermanent nature of all experiences
• The difference between attachment and commitment 
• The Buddhist concept of nonself and freeing our minds from identification

This recording from Spirit Rock’s April 2025 Insight Meditation retreat was originally published on Dharmaseed.

“We meditate to come out of confusion, to come out of all our habitual reactions into a space of greater wisdom, of greater clarity. We begin to see much more clearly what actually is going on in our experience rather than being lost in it. We begin to see what it is that’s shaping our lives.” – Joseph Goldstein

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Looking into the samadhi section of the Eight-Fold Path, Joseph Goldstein clarifies how we can free the mind with right effort, mindfulness, and concentration.

The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the FINAL part of an in-depth lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just now jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience!

In this episode’s exploration of the Satipatthana Sutta, Joseph Goldstein explores:

• The clearest, most practical definition of Nirvana: freedom from greed, hatred, and delusion
• Cultivating spiritual urgency as a wholesome motivator on the path to awakening
• Uprooting latent defilements that are buried in the mind
• Five methods for dispelling unwholesome thoughts and mindsets, according to the Buddha
• How restraint and delayed gratification support inner discipline and lasting success
• Right mindfulness as the key to all other factors of enlightenment 
• Suspending all judgments and interpretations; simply noticing events as they occur
• Stabilizing our attention on a single object or mindfully watching as objects change
• The three characteristics of impermanence, unreliability, and selflessness 
• Different concentration practices, such as reflecting on the Buddha-Dharma-Sangha or on peace
• Exploring the nature of all phenomena once we have achieved a clear mind

This episode was originally published on Dharmaseed.

Grab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HERE and check out the other mentioned book from this episode, Kinship with All Life

“It's not so much a question of doing, it's a question of undoing all the habit patterns of proliferation, judgement, evaluation, interpretation, can we undo that, and simply come back in the most simple way to be aware of whatever it is that’s arising? It's only six things, whichever arise - sight, sound, smell, taste, sensation or an object of mind. It's like we’re listening to a six-piece chamber orchestra.” – Joseph Goldstein

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Rearticulating the moral foundation that makes happiness possible and honors our kinship with all living beings, Joseph Goldstein explores Right Action and Right Livelihood.

The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the 45th part of an in-depth 46-part lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just now jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience!

This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/insighthour and get on your way to being your best self

In this episode’s exploration of the Satipatthana Sutta, Joseph Goldstein discusses:

• Navigating cultural changes with mindfulness, integrity, and personal responsibility
• Right Action: cultivating clarity and strength of mind to abstain from actions that cause harm to self or others
• The Buddha’s teachings on non-harming, non-killing, and cultivating a deep sense of kinship with all living beings
• Desiring the welfare of all sentient beings– even something as small as a mosquito or an ant  
• Facing ethical dilemmas with awareness, avoiding the trap of rationalizing harmful or selfish actions
• Understanding karma and consequences as directly linked to the intensity of our defilements
• How non-stealing and generosity foster trust, harmony, and a universal sense of safety
• Living mindfully by not consuming or taking more than we truly need, contributing to global economic and ecological balance
• Becoming mindful of the power of sexual energy, refraining from sexual misconduct, and keeping the sangha beautiful
• Seeing Right Livelihood as a crucial aspect of the path, given how much of life is devoted to work
• Applying right livelihood into any profession by infusing our role with service, ethics, and awareness
• Understanding wealth as a blessing when rightfully earned and used for the benefit of many beings

This episode was originally published on Dharmaseed.

Grab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HERE and check out the other mentioned book from this episode, Kinship with All Life

"It’s possible to develop an attitude of service in whatever work we do. Are we simply doing a job to support ourselves, or, are we watching the attitudes in our mind as we do our work? Do we work with care, attentiveness, and a genuine desire to be helpful? It’s not only what we do, but how we do it.” – Joseph Goldstein

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Honing in on Right Speech and maintaining harmony, Joseph Goldstein encourages listeners to develop a commitment to telling the truth and refraining from slander.

The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the 44th part of an in-depth 46-part lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just now jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience!

This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/insighthour and get on your way to being your best self

In this episode’s exploration of the Satipatthana Sutta, Joseph Goldstein reviews:

• Practicing Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood with the same dedication as meditation
• The influence of our speech on our lives (our relationships, minds, karmic outcomes)
• Truthfulness as the most basic concept of right speech in Buddhist ethics
• Investigating the deeper motivations behind what we say and how we say it
• The harmful ripple effects of lying on trust, connection, and societal cohesion
• Insights from the Buddha: why truth must be spoken at all times, regardless of a perceived advantage
• Lies of omission and the subtle ways we distort or avoid truth
• Cultivating the courage and mindfulness required to speak honestly in daily life
• Refraining from gossip and slander in order to avoid disharmony 
• Examining the emotional tone of speech—choosing words that are gentle, compassionate, and unifying
• How harsh language does not serve good communication 
• Transforming the divisive world we live in through right speech 
• How we listen as an equally important component of right speech

This episode was originally published on Dharmaseed

Grab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HERE

"This doesn't mean that there should be a suppression of what we're feeling. It's not a papering over of the truth of our emotions, but rather, it's to be mindful enough that we can communicate what we're feeling in a way that promotes connection rather than promotes divisiveness. This is a practice. Right speech is a practice." – Joseph Goldstein

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Joseph Goldstein explores how we can make compassionate responsiveness our default state through the clear dichotomy of skillful and unskillful actions. 

The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the 43rd part of an in-depth 46-part lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just now jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience!

This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/insighthour and get on your way to being your best self

In this episode’s exploration of the Satipatthana Sutta, Joseph Goldstein discusses:

• The mass madness and destruction caused by cruelty—on both global and personal levels
• How subtle, unnoticed moments of cruelty can live within us without our awareness
• The spiritual and emotional challenge of keeping our hearts open in the face of immense suffering
• Transforming consciousness to make compassion and empathy our natural, default response
• The gift of mindfulness: seeing things as they truly are
• Empathy as a foundational practice and the essential first step toward compassionate action
• Releasing anger by opening ourselves to the suffering behind it
• Two paths of compassion: compassionate action and compassion as a motivation to awaken
• Planting seeds of compassion for the benefit of all beings 
• Naturally flowing compassion from a heart free of ego and self-reference

"The more we practice and grow in our wisdom, the wisdom of understanding selflessness, the more compassion manifests spontaneously—compassion is the activity of emptiness." – Joseph Goldstein

This episode was originally published on Dharmaseed

Grab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HERE

“Our practice is really about the transformation of consciousness in such a way that makes compassionate responsiveness the default setting of our lives. Can we really open in such a way and understand things in such a way that it simply becomes the way we are—it becomes our natural response.” – Joseph Goldstein

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Joseph Goldstein explores the simplicity of lovingkindness (metta), reminding us that this innate quality within each person requires patience and steady practice to truly cultivate.

The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the 42nd part of an in-depth 48-part lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just now jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience!

This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/insighthour and get on your way to being your best self.

In this week’s exploration of the Satipatthana Sutta, Buddhist teacher Joseph Goldstein discusses:

• The cultivation of goodwill and lovingkindness as a foundation of mindfulness practice
• Beings who radiate a powerful field of love, like the Dalai Lama and Dipa Ma
• Offering unconditional love without expecting anything in return
• Metta as the gateway to an open and compassionate heart toward self and others
• Realizing that our emotional state is shaped by our own perceptions
• Understanding the confusion between genuine love and personal desire
• Pausing during practice to reconnect with the felt sense of lovingkindness
• Integrating metta into everyday life by extending kindness to strangers
• How societal conditioning influences our understanding and expression of love
• Reconnecting with our natural capacity for altruism and spontaneous kindness
• Focusing on the good in others as a powerful metta meditation
• Reflecting on whether we are still holding grudges deep in the heart
• The patience and resilience required to train the heart and mind over time

This episode was originally published on Dharmaseed

Grab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HERE

“I can simply start doing metta for everyone that I pass, for everybody on the street. May everyone here be happy. May everyone here be peaceful. It's amazing the change that happens in a moment. Instead of walking down the street being disconnected, all of a sudden, our hearts and our minds have expanded and become inclusive. It's like we gather everyone up in our field of goodwill.” – Joseph Goldstein

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Joseph Goldstein explores the Buddha’s teachings on renunciation from the Satipatthāna Sutta, showing how the practice of letting go of craving, ill will, and cruelty leads to deep inner freedom, clarity, and lasting peace.

The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the 41st part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just now jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience!

This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/insighthour and get on your way to being your best self.

In this lecture from Buddhist teacher Joseph Goldstein:

• Consciously reflecting on if our thoughts are for harm or for good
• How desire is more difficult to uproot than ill will and aversion 
• The dangerous disguise of sense-desires as pleasurable and seductive
• How to practice the “wisdom of no” 
• Renunciation as mental freedom, not repression
• How right thought conditions right action
• The Buddha’s own practice as a model for ourselves
• Accepting that desire is addictive because it momentarily feels good
• Renunciation as freedom from addiction, not deprivation
• How the joy of letting go must be experienced, not just believed    
• The power of both small and large acts of renunciation 
• The mental habit of our addiction to wanting
• How mindfulness reveals freedom in transition moments
• The progressive act of letting go

This episode was originally published on Dharmaseed

Grab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HERE

Join Buddhist Teacher David Nichtern and Duncan Trussell for a conversation about finding our own voice, our own expression, and our own way of connecting with people. Learn more about this FREE online gathering - AUTHENTIC PRESENCE: FINDING YOUR OWN VOICE

“Renunciation is not about deprivation. It’s about non-addiction. It’s about freedom.” - Joseph Goldstein

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Joseph Goldstein explores the importance of Right View and how it illuminates our lives through an openness to wisdom from many unexpected sources.

The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the 40th part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just now jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience!

This time on Insight Hour, Joseph discusses:

• Not being attached to blind belief or blind disbelief 
• Realizing the truth through direct experience 
• Remaining open to wisdom from unexpected sources 
• The possibility of a full awakening and we can develop our wisdom over time
• Recognizing that there truly are many awakened beings in the world
• The aspects of Right View that may not be immediately apparent
• Considering what wisdom can discover when it illuminates our experience
• Promoting the good of living beings through right view 
• How Right View is both the beginning and the ending 
• Wrong view as the most blame-worthy of all things, according to the Buddha
• How Wrong View makes us obsess over the self (gratifying it, defending it, etc.)
• The great power of delusion in our minds 
• Refining our awareness of the impermanent changing nature of the 5 aggregates (everything we experience) 

This episode was originally published on Dharmaseed

Grab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HERE

"We could see Right View as both the beginning and end of the path. We start with Right View—it sets the direction for us. Our practice is leading us in the right direction and then the whole path culminates in these understandings."  – Joseph Goldstein

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Through the Buddha’s teachings, Joseph Goldstein explains how developing right view allows one to become the artist of one's own life. 

The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the 39th part of an in-depth 46-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just now jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience!

In this episode, Joseph dives into:

• The way of practice that leads to the cessation of suffering 
• The elements of the eightfold path (right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration)
• How each step on the eightfold path leads to the next
• The critical importance of right view as the precursor to all other teachings
• What is given, what is offered, and what is sacrificed 
• How all of our volitional actions produce a result 
• Examining our minds and motivations 
• The practice of acting on moments of generous impulse 
• Becoming the artist and creator of our own lives 
• The ways we can be attached to both our beliefs and disbeliefs 
• Acknowledging our karmic debt for this great gift of human life  

This episode was originally published on Dharmaseed

Grab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HERE

“Right view is an important and essential first step on the path because it sets the direction. If we're on a journey, no matter how long or difficult the journey might be - if we're heading in the right direction and we keep on going, we will inevitably reach our destination.” – Joseph Goldstein

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Shepherding us towards the possibility of ending the suffering of dukkha, Joseph Goldstein offers practical guidance on how to weaken the bonds of compulsive craving and attachment by understanding their root cause.

The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the thirty-eighth part of an in-depth 46-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just now jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience!

This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/insighthour and get on your way to being your best self.

This week on Insight Hour, Joseph explores:

• The noble truth of the cessation of dukkha
• Letting go of everything despite our conditioned habits to cling
• Growing and refining our understanding of the three characteristics 
• Taking in the impermanence of all things beyond the conceptual level
• Weakening the force of compulsive craving and desire 
• Reaching a place of equanimity through mindfulness of the rapidity of change
• Finding satisfaction in neutrality versus pleasant feelings 
• The destruction of lust, hatred, and delusion
• Nirvana as an unconditioned awareness 
• Having a consciousness which is unsupported, unconstructed, not manifest
• The Buddha’s own description of his process of awakening 
• The arising force of latent defilements throughout the day 
• Deconstructing the sense of self until we reach a pure mind 
• The practice of looking for the mind and finding that there is nothing to find

This episode was originally published on Dharmaseed

Grab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HERE

“In the strengthening of mindfulness and concentration, we do come to experience the flow of change very, very rapidly. This is one of the meditative insights that opens to us. When we first begin to experience the rapid changing of everything that’s arising, it’s exhilarating…but as we continue to watch the rapidity of change, we then go through phases of fear and despair because we’re seeing the constant disillusion of things.” – Joseph Goldstein

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.