Joseph Goldstein – Insight Hour – Ep. 77 – Turning the Wheel of the Dharma: The End of Craving

end of craving

Joseph focuses on the freedom that comes with the Third Noble Truth, the cessation of dukkha, and how different methods of practice can help bring about the end of craving.

Listen to previous episode of this series – Turning the Wheel of the Dharma: The Nature of Craving
Short Moments, Many Times

Joseph reflects the nature of dukkha and the practice of recognizing the moments when our minds are free of craving. He talks about the liberation of non-clinging, and developing a wise attention to the ways we dream ourselves into existence.

“We recognize this mind free of desire, free of craving. We recognize it for short moments, but many times. And as we do this, we start rewiring our brains and our minds.” – Joseph Goldstein

Micro and Macro (26:58)

Joseph looks at the ways we experience disenchantment on both a micro and macro level. He examines how shifting our perspectives on impermanence allows us to come to a place of greater equanimity, but we have to be careful not to identify with consciousness itself.

“We want to be careful not to make a thing out of consciousness, out of awareness, because that’s how we get caught in identification with it. But if we really see that consciousness itself is a process, then we stay free of that attachment.” – Joseph Goldstein

The Unconditioned (43:37)

As we refine our equanimity, our mind opens to what is unconditioned or unborn, what the Buddha called the destruction of lust, greed, hatred, and delusion. Joseph looks at how different traditions described this experience in different ways. He ends with a reminder that as long as there is identification with anything, then we’re still bound up by the conditioned mind.

“With this deeper freedom, the freedom of the Third Noble Truth, the end of craving comes about through a profound inner shift of understanding.” – Joseph Goldstein

 

       

Image via Oliver.zs