Ep. 244 – Freedom in Letting Go: Satipatthana Sutta Series Pt. 41
Insight Hour with Joseph GoldsteinShow Notes
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 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
More from Insight Hour with Joseph Goldstein
Featuring a Q&A with special guest Sharon Salzberg, Joseph Goldstein shares the beauty of having a wholesome mind rather than a mind that clings. Today's 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 time on Insight Hour, Joseph & Sharon explore: How all practice is in service of non-clinging Attachment to the pleasant and aversion to the unpleasant Types of speech to avoid: gossip and useless talk Speaking in a way that unites people rather than divides them Shifting our focus and delighting in positive outcomes Seeing the beauty of the dharma, the beauty of a wholesome mind Deepening our relationship with ourselves and our emotions About Sharon Salzberg: Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She is one of the first to bring mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture over 45 years ago, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. Sharon is co-founder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and the author of twelve books, including the New York Times bestseller, Real Happiness, now in its second edition, and her seminal work, Lovingkindness. Her podcast, The Metta Hour, has amassed five million downloads and features interviews with thought leaders from the mindfulness movement and beyond. Learn more about Sharon and her books at www.sharonsalzberg.com and check out Insight Meditation Society. This talk was given at the Insight Meditation Society and distributed by Dharma Seed “I made an experiment for a period of time where I wasn’t going to speak to someone about someone else. 95% of my speech was eliminated. It was astounding to me how much of my speech was about that. It’s not to say that’s never appropriate, or that speaking about others in a certain context is always unskillful, but sometimes it is. The Buddha gave a very succinct guideline. He said: ‘Speak in a way that unites people rather than divides people.” – Joseph Goldstein See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Joseph Goldstein holds two meanings of Nibbana in equal reverence: unconditioned, unformed awareness and a transcendent state in which the mind is free from all defilements. Today's 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 time on Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein reveals: The Thai forest tradition of Buddhism Nibbana: Unconditioned awareness or transcendent awareness? The unconditioned mind and the power of zero Enlightenment and a mind that is free of defilements The analogy of ‘seeing the moon’ rather than the finger that points to it Why the experience of Nibbana is so important Seeing the intimate connection between wisdom and compassion The concept of nonself and our lives as constantly changing phenomena The dance between pleasure and suffering Check out this episode’s companion essay, Reflections on Nibbana, by Joseph Goldstein “One meaning of Nibbana is this unconditioned, unborn, unformed reality. The other meaning of Nibbana refers to the mind that has been freed of defilements—the mind that is free of greed, hatred, and delusion. We could describe the state of a fully enlightened being in which these defilements have been uprooted as Nibbana.” –Joseph Goldstein See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Joseph Goldstein reveals how Nibbana differs from blissful meditation states and why true liberation lies beyond every conditioned experience. Today's 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 Goldstein discusses: How Nibbana has made its way into Western culture Expectation and striving versus having a healthy goal Having an aspiration and direction for our practice Using equanimity to differentiate beautiful experiences from true glimpses of Nibbana The Abhidhamma and understanding the factors of mind which color our consciousness The experience of Nibbana as the experience of zero, the stilling of all formations How Nibbana uproots the defilements in stages Check out this episode’s companion essay, Reflections on Nibbana, by Joseph Goldstein “Even exalted states of mind or great powers of mind do not imply purification of mind. That is the particular power of Nibbana.” –Joseph Goldstein See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Touching into the selfless nature of experience, Joseph Goldstein explores uprooting the defilements through the clarity that comes from practice. Today's 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 time on Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein provides his perspective on: Engaging with mindfulness The radical uprooting of self and identification with experience Seeing a glimpse of the deathless in our practice versus the transcendent moment of the unborn Slowly seeing clearly over time with dedicated practice The emptiness within the defilements Taking all things as an invitation to explore rather than to believe A brief guided meditation with Joseph Moving our mental dialogue into a passive voice This episode is the 3rd and final part of a 3-part series. It was originally published on Dharmaseed and recorded at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, a non-profit organization founded by renowned meditation teachers Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg to integrate Buddhist study and practice. To start at the beginning, check out Ep. 261 – Gradual Cultivation in Buddhist Practice. “If you put your hand in fire, do you know that it burns? Do you have any doubt about it? In the genuine experience of things being uprooted, there is that quality of certainty. It is very different than what you were saying about ‘Yeah, it looks to me that the defilements are uprooted.’ The experience that results in the uprooting, which is the experience of the unborn. It has that same immediacy and certainty as putting your hand in fire and knowing it burns.” –Joseph Goldstein See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Joseph Goldstein investigates the not-so-obvious delight of seeing our own arrogance (Māna), and the balance of knowing ultimate truth while living with a functional sense of “I.” Help us celebrate 10 years of Be Here Now Network and support the next chapter of Ram Dass Here and Now. Gifts are matched dollar for dollar through June 30. Learn more and give here: BHNN 10th Birthday Fundraiser Today's 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 Goldstein discusses: Realizing the truth of non-self while still having an underlying feeling of ‘I am” The Buddhist concept of Māna, which can be translated as "pride", "arrogance", or "conceit" Our tendency to project the past into the future Recognizing Māna for what it is and letting the thoughts dissolve How the residue of ‘I’ and ‘self’ can fall away during practice Engaging the self just enough to live in the relative world This episode is the 2nd part of a 3-part series. It was originally published on Dharmaseed and recorded at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, a non-profit organization founded by renowned meditation teachers Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg to integrate Buddhist study and practice. To start at the beginning, check out Ep. 261 – Gradual Cultivation in Buddhist Practice “These days, I am totally delighted when I see Māna arise in my mind…one of the reasons I am delighted is that I would much rather see it than not see it to recognize 'that’s Māna', instead of not recognizing it and being caught up and identified with that pattern. Just the seeing of it is freeing.” –Joseph Goldstein See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.