Unpacking the Buddha’s notions of self and nonself, transience and suffering, Joseph Goldstein leads listeners into the heart of liberation.
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This time on Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein illuminates:
- Why the Buddha paid so much attention to the concept of self
- How a felt sense of self traps us in desire and attachment
- Seeing the term ‘self’ as a designation rather than something that exists in and of itself
- Slight adjustments to our language during practice: ‘the body breathes’ rather than ‘my breath’
- Using the template of The Five Aggregates to describe experience
- Genuine experiences of momentary peace as a peak into Nirvana
- Taking an interest into the landscapes of our own minds
- Transience and the way that things are always becoming otherwise
- The ungovernability of the mind, the body, and all aspects of reality
- How selflessness can lead to both Dukkha and freedom
“As long as we are caught up, identified, and entangled in the view of self, then we spend our lives defending it, gratifying it, grandiosing it, judging it; we have all these responses that come out of this felt sense of the self.” –Joseph Goldstein
This episode was recorded at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies and originally published on Dharmaseed
“It’s because things are ungovernable and not subject to our will that the material form, for example, is going to go through stages of suffering, unpleasantness, decay. This is not a mistake. This is just the nature of physical elements and it’s true for everybody.” –Joseph Goldstein
Photo by photovs
Listen to more from Joseph:
In the search for liberation, we must explore the nature of our existence. Joseph investigates the wisdom of impermanence in Insight Hour Ep. 2.
There are deeper levels of truth about reality. Joseph explores different ways of freeing the mind by understanding the habits of preference and the emptiness of thoughts in Insight Hour Ep. 41.
It’s possible to smile at the antics of one’s own mind. Joseph offers responses to questions about selflessness, shame, cravings, and more in Insight Hour Ep. 111.
Metta practice can penetrate deeply. Joseph explores how love, kindness, gratitude, and friendship can revolutionize our lives in Insight Hour Ep. 117.