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Insight Hour with Joseph Goldstein

Insight Hour with Joseph Goldstein

By: Be Here Now Network
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Joseph Goldstein has been a leading light for the practice of Insight and Loving Kindness meditation since his days in India and Burma where he studied with eminent masters of the tradition. In his podcast, The Insight Hour, Joseph delivers these essential mindfulness teachings in a practical and down to earth way that illuminates the practice through his own personal experience and wonderful story telling.


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Social Sciences Spirituality
Episodes
  • Ep. 247 – Right Speech, Satipatthana Sutta Series Pt. 44
    Jun 26 2025

    Honing in on Right Speech and maintaining harmony, Joseph Goldstein encourages listeners to develop a commitment to telling the truth and refraining from slander.

    The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the 44th part of an in-depth 48-part lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just now jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience!

    This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/insighthour and get on your way to being your best self

    In this episode’s exploration of the Satipatthana Sutta, Joseph Goldstein reviews:

    • Practicing Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood with the same dedication as meditation
    • The influence of our speech on our lives (our relationships, minds, karmic outcomes)
    • Truthfulness as the most basic concept of right speech in Buddhist ethics
    • Investigating the deeper motivations behind what we say and how we say it
    • The harmful ripple effects of lying on trust, connection, and societal cohesion
    • Insights from the Buddha: why truth must be spoken at all times, regardless of a perceived advantage
    • Lies of omission and the subtle ways we distort or avoid truth
    • Cultivating the courage and mindfulness required to speak honestly in daily life
    • Refraining from gossip and slander in order to avoid disharmony
    • Examining the emotional tone of speech—choosing words that are gentle, compassionate, and unifying
    • How harsh language does not serve good communication
    • Transforming the divisive world we live in through right speech
    • How we listen as an equally important component of right speech

    This episode was originally published on Dharmaseed

    Grab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HERE

    "This doesn't mean that there should be a suppression of what we're feeling. It's not a papering over of the truth of our emotions, but rather, it's to be mindful enough that we can communicate what we're feeling in a way that promotes connection rather than promotes divisiveness. This is a practice. Right speech is a practice." – Joseph Goldstein

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    57 mins
  • Ep. 246 – Satipatthana Sutta Series Pt. 43: Compassionate Responsiveness
    Jun 6 2025

    Joseph Goldstein explores how we can make compassionate responsiveness our default state through the clear dichotomy of skillful and unskillful actions.

    The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the 43rd part of an in-depth 48-part weekly lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, CLICK HERE to start at the first episode.

    This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/insighthour and get on your way to being your best self

    In this episode’s exploration of the Satipatthana Sutta, Joseph Goldstein discusses:

    • The mass madness and destruction caused by cruelty—on both global and personal levels
    • How subtle, unnoticed moments of cruelty can live within us without our awareness
    • The spiritual and emotional challenge of keeping our hearts open in the face of immense suffering
    • Transforming consciousness to make compassion and empathy our natural, default response
    • The gift of mindfulness: seeing things as they truly are
    • Empathy as a foundational practice and the essential first step toward compassionate action
    • Releasing anger by opening ourselves to the suffering behind it
    • Two paths of compassion: compassionate action and compassion as a motivation to awaken
    • Planting seeds of compassion for the benefit of all beings
    • Naturally flowing compassion from a heart free of ego and self-reference

    "The more we practice and grow in our wisdom, the wisdom of understanding selflessness, the more compassion manifests spontaneously—compassion is the activity of emptiness." – Joseph Goldstein

    This episode was originally published on Dharmaseed

    Grab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HERE

    “Our practice is really about the transformation of consciousness in such a way that makes compassionate responsiveness the default setting of our lives. Can we really open in such a way and understand things in such a way that it simply becomes the way we are—it becomes our natural response.” – Joseph Goldstein

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    47 mins
  • Ep. 245 – Training the Heart for Lovingkindness, Satipatthana Sutta Series Pt. 42
    May 15 2025

    Joseph Goldstein explores the simplicity of lovingkindness (metta), reminding us that this innate quality within each person requires patience and steady practice to truly cultivate.

    The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the 42nd part of an in-depth 48-part lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just now jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience!

    This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/insighthour and get on your way to being your best self.

    In this week’s exploration of the Satipatthana Sutta, Buddhist teacher Joseph Goldstein discusses:

    • The cultivation of goodwill and lovingkindness as a foundation of mindfulness practice
    • Beings who radiate a powerful field of love, like the Dalai Lama and Dipa Ma
    • Offering unconditional love without expecting anything in return
    • Metta as the gateway to an open and compassionate heart toward self and others
    • Realizing that our emotional state is shaped by our own perceptions
    • Understanding the confusion between genuine love and personal desire
    • Pausing during practice to reconnect with the felt sense of lovingkindness
    • Integrating metta into everyday life by extending kindness to strangers
    • How societal conditioning influences our understanding and expression of love
    • Reconnecting with our natural capacity for altruism and spontaneous kindness
    • Focusing on the good in others as a powerful metta meditation
    • Reflecting on whether we are still holding grudges deep in the heart
    • The patience and resilience required to train the heart and mind over time

    This episode was originally published on Dharmaseed

    Grab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HERE

    “I can simply start doing metta for everyone that I pass, for everybody on the street. May everyone here be happy. May everyone here be peaceful. It's amazing the change that happens in a moment. Instead of walking down the street being disconnected, all of a sudden, our hearts and our minds have expanded and become inclusive. It's like we gather everyone up in our field of goodwill.” – Joseph Goldstein

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    50 mins
All stars
Most relevant  
For me, Joseph is a modern saint. I feel his presence as a trusted guide to some very rugged, but hugely important, terrain. I find the conversational tone far more useful than the very best books on mindfulness (and the nature of consciousness).

Extraordinarily Insightful

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Im neither a buddhist nor a daily meditator, but the life lessons Ive found here will be with me forever.
Goldstein calming voice is priceless.

Amazing wisdom

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Joseph's talks are gifts to humanity of estimable wealth. For me, these talks are causes of true happiness. I have seen enough of this world to know already what's happening and I feel no need whatsoever to listen to "the news you need to know". Happiness is: turning away from all of that and just listening to talks such as these.

TRUE WEALTH

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