Joseph Goldstein

Spiritual Podcasts

Meditate talks

jack

Mindfulness

Dhamma

In this opening session, Roshi Joan Halifax and Stephen Batchelor discuss the meaning of the topic of this program, “After Buddhism.” Roshi Joan introduces a vision of a non-Buddhistic Buddhism, or Dharma beyond sectarianism. She then describes the format of this program as it will unfold over the course of the week. Stephen then elaborates his own approach to a Buddhism outside of the “container of creedal thinking.”

3. After Buddhsim [Batchelor]

1. Intro To After Buddhsim [Halifax]

2. Stephen Batchelor Intro [Batchelor]

Taken from the 2010 Open Your Heart in Paradise retreat, Sharon relates the act of meditation to an alchemical process in which we convert the conceptual into the felt presence of direct experience. The array of what we might encounter in meditation is broad, but we welcome it all. Meditation is a skills training in learning to gather energy. Our attention is brought into focus and we begin to connect the fragments of our lives. When we tap into our ‘inner abundance’, our experience changes and we naturally settle into a more compassionate state of awareness.

Sharon Salzberg – Metta Hour – Ep. 02 – Meditation

For more information visit www.romemu.org

Kavana 7: Transcend the Eye - ויחי: Vay'chi

We often experience ourselves as a fragmented and scattered assimilation of thoughts and emotions. How can we gather this fractured energy and return to our natural state of mindful awareness? In this lecture Sharon provides a thorough breakdown of the parallels and often-subtle distinctions between concentration and mindfulness. We learn to practice mindfulness as a platform for insight into the heart of experience.

Sharon Salzberg - Metta Hour - Episode 12 - Concentration & Insight

Sharon sits down for a Metta Hour meetup with Raghu Markus and Noah Lampert to discuss the all-consuming qualities of anger, and how we can deconstruct its often lingering effects. Mindfulness is the jewel that cuts through, while loving-kindness provides the antidote to the fear and aversion that we feel toward these negative states

Sharon Salzberg - Metta Hour - Episode 14 - Buddhist Personality Type and the Wisdom of Trust

Stephen Batchelor - Four Great Tasks

In Joseph's first podcast for the Be Here Now 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."

Joseph Goldstein - Insight Hour - Ep. 1 - Zero Centre Of Emptiness

“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.

Joseph Goldstein - Insight Hour - Ep. 2 - The Wisdom Of Impermanence

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  


Joseph Goldstein - Insight Hour - Ep. 3 - Merging Awareness And Expression

“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.


Joseph Goldstein - Insight Hour - Ep. 4 - Viriya - Energy, Strength And Courage

“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.

Joseph Goldstien - Insight Hour - Ep. 5 - Achieved Is The End Of Craving

Raghu Markus returns to the Metta Hour to discuss a recent blog from Sharon regarding the role of proximity in understanding the ubiquitous nature of our lives. There is a capacity within us to see ourselves in one another as we begin to explore the intrinsic vulnerability under which we operate. The power of compassion is highlighted as a means for avoiding demonization, and enacting an energetic and compassionate response to the suffering that we encounter. Our ideas about one another are just that, ideas, and the more we are willing to investigate our pretenses through genuine interaction the more we find they are often misleading. The secret to success is found in paying attention.

Sharon Salzberg Metta Hour - Ep. 24 - Proximity (featuring Raghu Markus)

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.

Joseph Goldstein - Insight Hour - Ep. 6 - Working With Doubt And Aversion

In meditation and in our spiritual life there grows a kind of trust in our capacity to open, to change, and to transform no matter the circumstances we face. The shift of identity comes in recognizing that the smaller sense of self is not who we really are. The original nature of the mind is pure knowing, and through this understanding we begin to find the joy of the liberated heart.

Jack Kornfield - Heart Wisdom - Episode 30 - Joys Of The Awakened Heart

The mysterious quality we call Love involves stepping out of the body of fear and allowing something bigger to be born in us, all the while acknowledging and loving that smaller sense of self. Though we understand it to be our true nature, we must also recognize the necessity for practice in sustaining this openhearted awareness.

Once brought to life, we learn to nourish that deeper part of our being, offering the appropriate respect and response to all of humanity


Jack Kornfield - Heart Wisdom - Ep. 31 - Loving Kindness

In practice there is an invitation to shift from the real-time experiences to the spacious and open heart of wisdom, ease, and graciousness. Through dedication to our practice we begin to find the trust necessary to remain present no matter the circumstance. As this presence grows, the factors of enlightenment such as mindfulness, joy, and equanimity slowly emerge. The awakened mind and heart are awaiting you, asking only that you make the effort to acknowledge their presence


Jack Kornfield - Heart Wisdom - Ep. 32 - The Fruits Of Practice

Drawing from Buddhist text, Jack tells the story of the last year of Buddha’s life, and the teachings he imparted to his followers and future seekers on the path. Guidance for practice, and instructions for building and sustaining wise relationships were the focus of these final offerings. The power of mythology is emphasized in appreciating its capacity to speak to the human imagination. When removed from the lens of literality, these stories are brought to life, imbuing the narrative with a depth and timeless relatability from which we can continually find inspiration.

Jack Kornfield - Heart Wisdom - Ep. 40 - Buddha's Last Teachings

Raghu hosts Jim Doty, a brain surgeon with a highly unusual story that makes up his page burner of a book, Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon's Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart.

Jim takes us back to his impoverished early years and his unplanned meeting with an unlikely teacher who's profound wisdom altered the path of the rest of his life - a true glimpse into the reality of karma and grace turning a life around. When the student is ready the teacher appears!

Jim relates amazing facts about the brain and the heart: "Research shows the heart to be an organ of intelligence, with it's own profound influence not only from our brain but on our brain..."

Mindrolling - Ep. 145 - James Doty: Into the Magic Shop

An informative and detailed explanation of commonly used terms, including consciousness, perception, mindfulness, and wisdom, particularly as they apply to our meditation practice. These terms are sometimes lost in translation, from the original Pali language to their Western interpretations. Joseph conveys the true meaning of these words, while offering additional translations that may help bring their essence to light.

Joseph Goldstein - Insight Hour - Ep. 18 - Clarifying Terms

KD contends that any and all repetition of the Name is like planting a seed, no matter when or how it is done. Committing to a designated time for practice is ideal, but we have to work with what we’ve got. He explains that there are many mantras with many different meanings, but more important is the love and attention with which you offer your prayer. From the view of a great being, like Maharaji, everything is going to be alright, it’s just a matter of working through the process necessary to become a better human being.

Krishna Das - Pilgrim Heart - Ep. 34 - Chanting Is Planting, Meaning In Mantra, And Maharaji's View

A succinct reminder of the ever-present possibility to step out from the blinders of our ordinary perception, from the fear and anxiety of modern life, and to instead see with eyes of understanding. Through practice we begin to fully grok the necessity for and value of forgiveness, learning to let go of the expectations that inevitably compromise our capacity for compassion. Beginner’s mind is highlighted as an anchor point for helping us return to the openness, eagerness, and lack of preconception that embody our true nature.

Jack Kornfield - Heart Wisdom - Ep. 41 - Seeing Anew

The Be Here Now Network is dedicated to the gathering and dissemination of spiritual talks, podcasts and writings of master teachers of Spirituality, Mindfulness and Meditation. Our core teachers and thought leaders include Ram Dass, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, Lama Surya Das, Krishna Das, Joseph Goldstein, Danny Goldberg, Chris Grosso and the Mindrolling Podcast.

At BHNN we strive to produce quality podcasts, talks and lectures as well as text and films generated by a network of spiritual teachers and thought leaders on topics like mindfulness, service, social action, compassion, devotion and meditation.