Insight Hour with Joseph Goldstein

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

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“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.

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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.

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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.

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“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.

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“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.

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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.

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“Everything changes.” - Suzuki Roshi Our awareness alone is not sufficient in the search for liberation. We must learn to become present in order to question and further explore the nature of our existence. Investigation becomes a crucial factor in both the cultivation and application of true wisdom. One of the most accessible methods for the development of this wisdom is to practice an increasingly refined awareness of impermanence. This assimilation must move beyond the conceptual knowledge into a realm of direct and immediate experience. The closer we are to the experience of change the more the mind is able to let go.

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In Joseph's first podcast for the Mindpod Network he clearly brings to light the sometimes very difficult convoluted notion of emptiness. As the high Lama Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche says,"When you recognize the empty selfless nature of phenomena the energy to bring about the good of others dawns uncontrived and effortless."

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