Joseph Goldstein joins Raghu and Noah for a discussion on moving from the polarization of reactivity to the wise responsiveness of compassion.
In another father-son episode of Mindrolling, Noah joins Raghu in conversation with Buddhist and mindfulness teacher, Joseph Goldstein, to explore how we can move from rampant polarization and reactivity to compassionate spaciousness and wise responsiveness. Through this lens, they dive into overwhelm and hopelessness, mindfulness and equanimity, harmful speech and Right Listening, as well as moving from the shadow of mental concepts to the light of direct experience. Stay tuned to the end for a potent guided meditation from Joseph, along with another special treat from him – a haiku!
Polarization & Reactivity // Wise Responsiveness & Compassion
Welcoming his son, Noah Markus, and longtime friend, Joseph Goldstein; Raghu opens by shedding light on the vast polarities we find ourselves caught within in this modern world. Joseph shares how polarization stems from reactivity, and explains how we can transmute it into ‘wise responsiveness’ by cultivating compassion as well as becoming mindful of the patterning of identification with thought or emotion which the reactivity roots from.
“We’re all our own best laboratory for understanding what’s going on.” – Joseph Goldstein
Jospeh Goldstein explores the responsive nature of selflessness, on Ep. 45 of the Insight Hour
Overwhelm & Hopelessness // Mindfulness & Equanimity // Harmful Speech & Right Listening (15:55)
Speaking to politics, climate change, and the overwhelming “big picture,” Noah steers the conversation into how we can deal with the feeling of hopelessness without giving into it or completely shutting down. Joseph offers salvation in the form of trust, intuition, offering service, and compassion meditation. From here, Noah inquires with Joseph about Buddha’s ‘Right Listening’ in terms of polarization. This prompts Raghu to shamelessly plug Joseph’s transformative book, entitled, Mindfulness.
“If we’re not buying into our own reaction, it’s not hard to see the suffering that people are in.” – Joseph Goldstein
Spring Washam offers Buddhist perspective on listening with the heart, on Ep. 26 of the Guest Podcast
Practice Life-Hack // Mental Concepts & Direct Experience // Guided Practice & Haiku (38:01)
Describing how the hardest part of getting ourselves to practice is actually disengaging with our normal habits, Joseph shares the spiritual life-hack that if you make a daily commitment to simply sit in meditative posture, the rest will work itself out with relative ease. From here, they illuminate how to live in the light of direct experience, rather than the shadow of mental constructs/concepts. Closing, Joseph shares a guided meditation practice and haiku poem.
Bird song
in the empty sky
of my mind
– A haiku by Joseph Goldstein