This week on the Insight Hour Podcast, Joseph shares teachings from The Satipatthāna Sutta around clinging to experience which unify the practice and goal of meditation.
Listen to the last part of this series here: Ep. 59 – The Satipatthāna Sutta: Continuous Mindfulness
Show Notes
The Three Cravings (Opening) – And one abides independent, not clinging in the world; These final words appear in the refrain after each of the meditation instructions in The Satipatthāna Sutta. Joseph delves into the significance of this teaching and looks at what The Buddha had to say about the different manifestations of craving in our lives.
“This is a very interesting line because it unifies both the practice and the goal of meditation. We see that in a sense that the practice is the goal. The line says, ‘And one abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world.’ This really encapsulates the entire spiritual path.” – Joseph Goldstein
Making the Shift in any Moment (14:05) – Joseph looks at how it is possible at any moment to see where we are clinging, what our underlying desires are. He shares a personal mantra that helps him make a shift back to mindfulness of his own attachments and thirst.
“One should make an end to suffering without abandoning the underlying tendencies of desire for pleasant feelings, aversion towards unpleasant ones and ignorance towards neutral ones – this is impossible. That one should make an end to suffering by abandoning these tendencies – this is possible.” – The Buddha
The Thirst for Becoming and Unbecoming (29:45) – We explore the relief from craving that has been driving us throughout our incarnations and the thirst for becoming that arises out of the repeated experience of this relief. Joseph examines the opposing experience of the desire to not exist that draws us away from our Dharma.
“The subtly of the thirst for non-existence nourishes and is nourished by the view of self. That there is someone not to be around, not to be reborn – that there is someone who dies. It is all sustaining and nourishing the view of self. It is particularly important to understand these states, that often come as practice deepens, where we feel intensely of the dukkha of conditioned existence.” – Joseph Goldstein
Just As Is (48:00) – Joseph ends the talk with meditation and Buddhist chant.
Image via Oliver.zs