Joseph Goldstein – Insight Hour – Ep. 199 – Self And Selfless

Joseph Goldstein meets us at the constellation of self, the duality of self, and the need for mindfulness.

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“The most fundamental split, the most fundamental duality that we create, is that of subject and object, of self and other, of inside and outside.” – Joseph Goldstein

This time on Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein gets into: 
  • Duality and how it relates to our meditation practice
  • The fundamental split of object and subject
  • Limitations from perceiving ourselves as separate
  • Persona and the identification we have with the world
  • The progression from fullness/oneness to constriction
  • Having compassion for the shadow side
  • How fear desire, and attachment, make us more attached to our sense of self
  • Being imprisoned and conditioned by dualistic perception
  • The integration of mind and body and love for all experience as the connector
  • From the ego center to the zero center
  • Being totally honest with what is happening
  • Mindfulness as the tool to stop identification
  • The power of renunciation and restraint

“As long as we are identified with that sense of self in the mind, that identification creates fear, attachment, separation, comparing. If there’s an “I”, if there’s a self, then we have to defend it, we have to protect it, we have to gratify it, and our whole lives revolve around this particular identification.” – Joseph Goldstein

This 2005 dharma talk was originally published by Dharmaseed
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.