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 talkSpeaking in a way that unites people rather than divides themShifting our focus and delighting in positive outcomes Seeing the beauty of the dharma, the beauty of a wholesome mindDeepening 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 GoldsteinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Renowned meditation teacher, Joseph Goldstein, shares timeless insights on the mind, suffering, and the heart of why we meditate.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 selfIn this episode, Joseph Goldstein offers his perspective on:The many reasons why we meditateHow 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 mindsStrengthening mental stability and inner resilience through practiceCultivating present-moment awareness instead of being swept away by emotionsConsidering what qualities of heart and mind are being cultivated in all that we doA powerful reminder: Don’t waste your suffering—transform pain into wisdomDeepening insight into the impermanent nature of all experiencesThe difference between attachment and commitment The Buddhist concept of nonself and freeing our minds from identificationThis 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 GoldsteinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 selfIn this episode’s exploration of the Satipatthana Sutta, Joseph Goldstein discusses:Navigating cultural changes with mindfulness, integrity, and personal responsibilityRight Action: cultivating clarity and strength of mind to abstain from actions that cause harm to self or othersThe Buddha’s teachings on non-harming, non-killing, and cultivating a deep sense of kinship with all living beingsDesiring 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 actionsUnderstanding karma and consequences as directly linked to the intensity of our defilementsHow non-stealing and generosity foster trust, harmony, and a universal sense of safetyLiving mindfully by not consuming or taking more than we truly need, contributing to global economic and ecological balanceBecoming mindful of the power of sexual energy, refraining from sexual misconduct, and keeping the sangha beautifulSeeing Right Livelihood as a crucial aspect of the path, given how much of life is devoted to workApplying right livelihood into any profession by infusing our role with service, ethics, and awarenessUnderstanding wealth as a blessing when rightfully earned and used for the benefit of many beingsThis 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 GoldsteinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 selfIn this episode’s exploration of the Satipatthana Sutta, Joseph Goldstein discusses:The mass madness and destruction caused by cruelty—on both global and personal levelsHow subtle, unnoticed moments of cruelty can live within us without our awarenessThe spiritual and emotional challenge of keeping our hearts open in the face of immense sufferingTransforming consciousness to make compassion and empathy our natural, default responseThe gift of mindfulness: seeing things as they truly areEmpathy as a foundational practice and the essential first step toward compassionate actionReleasing anger by opening ourselves to the suffering behind itTwo paths of compassion: compassionate action and compassion as a motivation to awakenPlanting 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 GoldsteinThis episode was originally published on DharmaseedGrab 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 GoldsteinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 goodHow desire is more difficult to uproot than ill will and aversion The dangerous disguise of sense-desires as pleasurable and seductiveHow to practice the “wisdom of no” Renunciation as mental freedom, not repressionHow right thought conditions right actionThe Buddha’s own practice as a model for ourselvesAccepting that desire is addictive because it momentarily feels goodRenunciation as freedom from addiction, not deprivationHow 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 wantingHow mindfulness reveals freedom in transition momentsThe progressive act of letting goThis episode was originally published on DharmaseedGrab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HEREJoin 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 GoldsteinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 nextThe critical importance of right view as the precursor to all other teachingsWhat 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 DharmaseedGrab 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 GoldsteinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.