Joseph Goldstein – Insight Hour – Ep. 108 – Metta & Generosity w/ Sharon Salzberg

Sharon Salzberg joins Joseph Goldstein to talk about how Metta, or loving-kindness, is an expression of generosity, and to answer questions from the audience at the 2018 Open Your Heart in Paradise Retreat on Maui. 

Sharon Salzberg joins Joseph Goldstein to talk about how Metta (lovingkindness) is an expression of generosity, and to answer questions from the audience at the 2018 Open Your Heart in Paradise Retreat on Maui. 

Don’t miss Joseph and Sharon’s previous conversation about generosity as a practice on Insight Hour Ep. 107
Generosity and Metta

Joseph begins by exploring the understanding that Metta, or lovingkindness, is an expression of generosity, and clarifying the difference in our experience between love and attachment. Sharon elucidates that difference even further with a story about her attachment to only giving dharma talks about lovingkindness early in her teaching career.

“What are we holding onto so fiercely? And what happens when we actually loosen the grip of that notion? We’re there more fully for what’s called for in the moment. And our greatest value is actually connection, which is love.” – Sharon Salzberg

Catch more Sharon Salzberg on her Metta Hour Podcast – only on the Be Here Now Network!
Two Streams of Practice (11:10)

Joseph and Sharon answer questions from the audience at the 2018 Open Your Heart in Paradise Retreat on Maui. Joseph answers a question about the withdrawal of the senses during mindfulness work, talking about how there are two streams of practice that support each other. Sharon answers a question about the concept of “do no harm” when it comes to food.

“Insight practice is not a bliss trip; that’s not it’s purpose or point.” – Joseph Goldstein

Attachment, Fear, Generosity (24:20)

Sharon and Joseph tackle a question about how our attachments change over time. Joseph answers questions about fear and generosity, reflecting on how he changed his own relationship with fear. Sharon brings up a generosity practice about giving a gift to someone we’re angry at.

“But what I didn’t recognize was that in my understanding that fear was there, I was watching it in order for it to go away… It looked like mindfulness, but it wasn’t mindfulness.” – Joseph Goldstein 

Jack Kornfield explores what happens when we open ourselves to generosity on Heart Wisdom Ep. 75