Next Monday April twelfth we are launching a two week series about hope, as we had deeper into sprang in vaccines go into our arms. We, on the show organ argue that hope is actually a skill one you can get better at and not only will we be exploring hope on. The pod gas will also have bespoke meditations from our podcast guests, dropping in the ten percent happier app so that you can actually practice hope as a skill. If you don't already have the app you can get it now, just download it for free wherever you get your apps and get started. from ABC this. Is the ten percent have your past, I'm Dyin Harris. To reject a little sunshine and perspective and some wisdom without it might make sense to repost one of our favorite conversations of the last year, this straight up,

meat, potatoes, meditation talk from the one and only Joseph Goldstein. In this chat we explore three profoundly useful meditation strategies, including my fullness of thinking. awareness of rushing a deeply ingrained habit for many of us, including your host and the genuine insight that can emerge from everyday activities for, The uninitiated Joseph is one of the founding teachers on the ten percent happier app he's a co founder of the insight, meditation society, and he is the author of box, including the recently reissued, the experience of insight, a simple indirect guy to buddhist meditation. Speaking personally, as a friend and student of Joseph any time I have spent with Joseph is time well spent, and this conversation is no exception. So here we go with Joseph ghosting, hello, Joseph

then begs for doing this got to do likewise. Likewise, so. In chatting before we started officially rolling here we identified some areas of potential discussion and one of the thing you said that's been on your mind of late in your own practice, is noticing the quickly passing little thoughts that zip through the sort of consciousness. To our mind that we often don't notice it. My saying that correctly there So this really came about for me when I was on unselfish age and going for a walk, I wasn't doing at that point. The slow meditative walk I was taking a walk nimbly mindfully. I know something quite vividly that

I must have noticed beforehand, but it never stood out in quite the way it did at this particular time, and that was, as I was gone for the walk I notice that there were many many quickly passing thought they went through the mind. You know maybe lasting fifteen seconds, a thirty second so not long and no big deal. They weren't particularly problematic, and because of that, what I noticed was, that I wasn't really being mindful of the fact that I was thinking during that time. It's like they were just coming, passing through and leaving, but what I notice was in those times for the duration of the thought, as short as it was, I was not aware that I was thinking I was dropped into the content of dropped into the story there and then fifteen seconds, a thirty second,

wait till I come out from being lost in that quick, little thought and back mindful of my body, mindful this walking and has highlighted to me how often, during the day we do drop in unknowingly too. The stories we make up for you know in our minds about our experience, so for me, for example, it might have been just them. planning or maybe remembering something or maybe a quick little comment about what I was saying, so could be justly ordinary activity of the mind. You know in our daily lives and how frequently these quickly passing thoughts happen and how, for the most

part. I hadn't been mindful in those short durations, and I realized a few things from this. One is that these unnoticed thoughts, would in a very subtle way, be conditioning different emotions. maybe thornwoods. Let me add my interested or sad excited. Whatever no on a very mild level, which is why we generally don't notice it, but what I Nor was it every time we in these thoughts on mindfully, no words like we're lost in the dream for that short period of time, It is creating an inner mental environment conditioning In our environment, and even though its for short duration,

its many many times a day. So it was very interesting for me to see how our minds get different, very often unknowingly, seemingly innocuous stream of thoughts? and there is one other little piece that stood out from it. A lot of ordinary thoughts in one way or another or self preferential. The hour it's a memory I had or a plan that I have, or reaction or a comment. and so every time we lost in the dream of those thoughts. It says if we dreaming ourselves into existence, you're over and over again. So that's why it It was very, as I said very vivid for me at this particular time, and since then I have just made it up

practice, as I'm going through the day as best, I can just to keep an eye out going for a walk, doing some activity and just noticing no win thinking happens and whether I am actually aware of it, or that is becoming very vibrant practice. For me, I'm putting I myself in the shoes of novice meditated is not for me to do. Is those are pretty much my views and unthinking partially for myself and partially on behalf of the audience you know. Look when I set to meditate, I mostly law and thought so that when a meditating, never my when I'm just walk around during the rest of the day, when I'm pretty sure thoroughly lost in thought. So is what your

describing after you know many years of meditation personally and being on retreat, is that scalable to the daily lives of civilians like us? It's definitely scalable. But as with all the practice It is important not to have expectations about doing it perfectly or even near perfectly, at first I'll, just go an example, This morning I got up, took a shower not just in the taking of a shower, because it's kind of place, they're in the hot water and refreshing and for some moments in I was really quite mindful of the whole experience of the shower and then my mind started thinking about. then- and I couldn't remember whether I had actually share who'd, my harry, but not yet, which I have just done. Like thirty seconds before

but while I was doing it, I was lost in thought and then, after just one Herod, hidden So it's just a little things and it is really important that a sense of humor about ones mind about everything it's doing because If we have that attitude, then it's more conducive to interest. So it's not about Jeanne having some big expectations just taking an interest. In these very ordinary, daily activities,. and it will be easy when we're doing something. We were not engaged with other people, because then we'll be harder will probably more Will it be lost in the content and would avoid discussing, but when we do things like taking a shower going for a walk or even just walking from one room to another in one's apartment he having just all those simple moments that could be a place to watch for this. and I think of people do it and even

kind of notice it a few times of how these thoughts are coming and we either aware of them as they come where we realise up. I was just lost for that fifteen seconds if we Do that even a few times, I think babble sparked the interest to actually begin to make it a practice throughout the day, he so just start wherever we are, we get a few hits of it we do. I think it really will become interesting because, in a way, it's highlighting very explicitly the difference between delusion and waste right there. We can just say when we lost in the story,

for we are now at last. That's delusion in the moment of becoming aware thinking so that wisdom and so silly, pointing to a profound difference, even though the objects may seem very ordinary. This practice sounds like counter programming against the habitual, exactly good phrase there then I may use that I do not a meditate, but I'm pretty get a market as it so just to clarify a point on it get around live our lives. Ideally, this is best practice, not in you know when we are in the throes of human interaction. Walker from one room to the next for washing dishes were taking a shower with interest, not with gritted teeth

What is the little thoughts that bubble up and notice how we get lost in the manned Dat act? That simple friendly act is the counter programming. Yes, and it's very revealing To reiterate, I just a point that I made is to begin to know, over time of people. Do find this of interest to see how these short moments in several ways are conditioning how we feel about things. not because this is another kind of big area of meditative inquiry. That is the relationship of thought, any emotion these to a very enter connected and the more we understand how thoughts, condition, different emotions and reverse that's also kind of a doorway into greater freedom. So have we

catch the really if we, if we make a habit of sometimes catching these sites? not dramatic little thoughts weakens that those are often the beginning of a chain that can lead to more dramatic thoughts and then big, overpower emotions that none this sir, They don't even necessarily have to escalate into bigger, more dramatic thoughts before the triggers emails and so I ll give you an example. It came to mind actually just recently a situation describing this very thing I'm talking about. So this is somewhat by way of conclusion to do you and everybody listening well, I'm gonna assign you somehow marries afterwards and therefore our so one of the things I do to relax in our times. It's just to watch a good murder, mystery

maybe that's it. That's a favor John, and I did so. Point: I realized. That what was most conditioning my emotion, ass, I was watching it was the background music and mostly until I had really explicitly notices. I was unaware of that- I was there watching the story and thinking that what I was seeing was creating the emotion but it really wasn't that at all it was the music backgrounds, I'm sure to use very often, Fifthly, to manipulate our emotions when they want to create some suspense with some anxiety or whatever. It is you who are lightness. The music changes and as soon as I started forward, sing on the music as well. As what I was saying. It really freed the mind from that

on knowing mental reaction, and so our background thoughts are functioning almost exactly the same way as the background music to our lives they're, pretty continual or continuous. What are the two, and they are influencing, how we feel just like the music room watching something but were unaware of it, and so that It really just opens up our whole a hopeless of greater freedom. Because when we are caught in these emotions which again can be conditioned by these often subtle slippery little thoughts that are just in the background then release for myself that

Where I'd do you know, I'm owned by some emotion that, as did the whole chain, as happened outside of my visibility, from subtle thought of building to an emotion that I do a lot of stupid stuff, absolutely you're confirming that I do not just days, but it do that, but even shorter of that It's because a lot of suffering, because it's like Our emotions are being manipulated by things were unaware of, and as soon as we become aware, so then is just too much greater spaciousness in the mind

and this might workplace for discernment and choices. We not at the mercy of the background music. This whole notion of responding instead of reacting, of not being owned by Russia. This is what got me interested in the practice in the first place, so it's very powerful in any way into that is their intriguing to me. That's why, for me, this holding ribbon discussing has been so interesting, this often hidden in meditative circles. Even though we say you know, the practice is really a whole life and its detractors being mindful throughout the day The emphasis is usually on more formal meditation practice and what we learn from it will interesting to me in this particular exercise was that there was a depth of inside and understanding and was not superficial.

from very ordinary activities, so it really started infusing well, you know our life with the things over. Yes, this can be practice in a significant way. Not just now. a superficial way again, you know it's not we caution people who are listening not to take this on board Ok, today, I'm gonna catch every quickly, passing thought because, through my mind, that's way too much, but I would suggest, is just taking very short period of time like five minutes. Ok for the next five minutes suddenly really keep an eye out for So that's see now live in our capacity and our energy, and we might actually see something very clearly and then we can. You do another five minutes later on and like tat, we build slowly from the bottom up. If we take,

you myself too hard task in the beginning that we just get discouraged and we give up. I mention any. We chatted before we start officially recording here and I was asking you we know can what's up in your own practice. New mentioned the notion of quickly passing thoughts, but the other thing that you said was on your mind. These days is the tendency we have in meditation, even to be leaned into what's coming next in a sort of constantly scanning for a better option so again, This whole understanding, even though I had noticed that tendency for years- so Just how you know we will be in breath but leaning already into the outbreak. or you know, feeling some sensation, and leaning into wanting to make it more comfortable, or maybe being with an emotion people got different

leaning under either leaning into one or get rid of red or leaning into going deep, into it, but some way that our practice is. Anticipating and leaning into and having some desire for what the next moment will be, and the next moment. They have been noticing this in my practice, but it really came to life for me couple years ago on itself free trade, where. The thought came to mind it's it's a line that is found very frequently in the Buddhist discourses, so read it a million times, and it's a very obvious statement, and so I thought I really understood and the line is whatever has. The nature to arise will also pass away. Hundred, that is to say many many times yet that's an obvious statement of impermanence

but it s a legit rise will also pass, but this particular retreat in sitting so just in my practice in the flow of phenomena, sensations and sounds, and the breath and everything that was happening line came to mind whatever has to rise, will also pass away, but instead of Staying up, convene the intellect and they're just kind of understand your concern too late for whatever reason. Very line, it's as if it dropped right into the midst of the unfolding process. So it came took on a big life with in meditation. There was a startling can Luzhin. Whatever has the nature to arise will also pass away. Therefore, there's nothing to want and there's nothing to write in this kind

it really is about the meditative process. So I'm not talking about wanting other things in our lives. Are what I'm talking about? How we understand what the meditation is about so dropped into the process. There's nothing to big whatever it is that I want out of this practice, will also pass away. if I once this sensation of tightness to ease. So it's a common one kind of workable, slide aversion and wanting if there's something unpleasant, and so we will. What kind of what kind of mindful of it but again leaning into the next moment, but then I thought, oh, whatever has an enterprise will also pass away. Therefore, this nothing,

want, I could feel my mind dropping back from any wanting at all. It was like dropping back from entanglement, in the process, and then he was just things arising in passing unfolding in their own way, but I was not entangled in it. And no longer leaning forward, and there was a visceral feeling of that dropping back. Basically from any identification with the process at all, then things which coming and going in their own time, according to their own laws. And then got even more interesting I realised that there is nothing to want, is actually the essence of the whole practice, the only after the Buddhas enlightenment, and that is the first that supposed

came to his mind, and this is in the tax where it said realized is the unconditioned deserve to his great enlightened realized is the unconditioned achieved? Is the end craving I, which, of course this is all about the four noble trees, the other to the suffering in the cause which is craving and the end of suffering, which is the end of craving and how to do it. The hateful path and suggested that moment I would have, as the natural will also

cast away. Therefore, there's nothing to want and feeling the mind, dropping back in it just for that moment, and even for just a moment, not wanting right there with touching into the deepest part of the practice, with we're actually experiencing the third noble truth in a momentary way. We can taste the end of suffering in that moment of non craving non anything there was a powerful seeing might be interesting for people on earth. Does any interest you know in this particular perspective just to play with this Maybe maybe just. you don't letting that phrase come to mind either all phrase would have asked, major to arise will also pass away. Therefore, there's nothing to want anything,

a few times of that, maybe just shortened to there's nothing to want, which is. I still use that my sitting from time to time. And very often even after all, these years of practice on there's nothing to want, and I can feel that momentary release from a wanting. I didn't even know it's there, but gives us the real tasted. I have also heard your trunk eight, the phrase right down to not wanting just as a little mantra to drop into the mind again. Your comment open points to also the invitation for villages to experiment for themselves,

Two things can get the general principle and maybe try these suggestions, and then each person may find their own phrase which do not have that effect. So we can be creative in that by more of my conversation with Joseph right after this and twenty twenty one, it's finally, okay to talk about our mental health, but what is therapy its whatever you wanted to be? Maybe you're feeling and secure in relationships or work or not very motivated right now, whatever you need it's time to stop being ashamed of normal human struggles and start feeling better, because you deserve to be happy better help is customized online therapy that offers video

and even live chat sessions plus its more affordable than in person therapy, but just as effective see if it's for you, this pod cast is sponsored by better help and ten percent happier listeners get ten percent off their first month at better help d com, slash happier, that's better h, e l, p, dot com, slash happier it's time to enjoy the view. Wherever the day takes you go on now, have no fear the veal girls are here the biggest names unafraid to share their views and hold nothing that we talk about veins on vis show with people who don't talk about and now Amy sees. The view is available as upon cast with Lippy joint Sarah Sunny Megan, and then this is gonna be good enjoyed. The view God cast, listen for free

apple broadcasts for your favorite podcast. At every week, day afternoon, it our pre, show tat. You had asked me how my practice is going, and I said I would hold on giving you the answer to that until we're recording. My thinking was, maybe would be interesting to give people a little bit of insight. What it's like when a teacher and assist is her. Students are talking in this is often you know, there's a lot of like slapping in the face and parading me for being Arbela student of getting but to act The question now: can I Do a lot of I use a lot of these little phrases that you used in your own practice in my practice, and a version of I think, maybe of what we're talking about here is a phrase. I've heard you use is nothing too

You know where to go something along those lines, something wrong when he said again has what I've been do. I had, but one that now that the works, but there too kind of phrases that kind of a real. One is from actually I trembled Adasa, who was quite an iconoclastic tie monk of the last century. That's a lot of very interesting book called heart would have the body tree. I don't put Adasa hearing revolutionary for a time I have is very open minded kind of,

in from a lot of different traditions, which is unusual in that context, but he said there is nothing to do nothing to be nothing to have nothing to do nothing to be not half. So again, that's pointing out that I have just dropping back letting the process unfold and then there's this other couple of lines from a very short poem by the chinese poet Lee Power where he says sitting quietly doing nothing. This may not be firmly pop, I thought maybe confusing spoke. Very red line is sitting quite we're doing nothing spring comes and the grass grows by itself just sitting quietly doing nothing. Spring comes in the grass grows myself. So it's all pointing the same thing

Ya Te? I don't think I owe for me in my own practice. I spent a while, maybe a year and a half two years really focusing on as you do, on the Brahma Viharas or at the four immeasurables, the heavenly abode, loving kindness, compassion, equanimity, sympathetic, joy, those styles of practiced. We really were dominant in my practice for a while. I've been more recently focusing on just two riven open awareness, note practice, so I practice the light outside since my family had a great luxury of having our lease and in New York City and being able to leave something else in the suburbs, so I often sit outside there's so much going on so many crickets and birds and lawnmowers that it's not really conducive. For me at least two concentrated practice so that I just let whatever is coming, I'm just try to be aware of whatever is coming up know if and I'll note it with a little

It's like hearing a seeing thinking, but I do notice that there is a leaning and there's a trying to be good at this. There's a not liking, whatever's coming up and wanting the next thing, and so using little phrases like my bastardized version of the tube lovely poetry lines that you just quoted of nothing to do nowhere to go just it jars me out of this kind of teeth, grid id leaned forward, I'm gonna win at meditation attitude and at least fer a nanosecond or to its everything's unfolding on its own. A couple of comments, MRS did this. Where I get told of the above, I mistakes good method. I thought: Now there it's a point that I think is really important for everyone. and that is we want

Into weave times of peace, call it directed awareness and choice, this awareness, or we could call it even more effortless practice and making an effort. So in what I mean jesting, there's nothing to want to do. It is good to practiced with that for periods of time. At other times if we find that do you know, our minds are just very distracted were just getting lost or theirs a decision to cultivate a particular state, whether its concentration or those Burma, be hers. There definitely are times in practice, but we do want to be met

an effort effort directing the mind in a certain way, so I do not, for example, will fit exactly, but maybe you, if you're going by God, you're there are times when you want to peddle heart. And build a speed and build up the momentum and at other times you just coast for awhile and just let the boy grow on by itself and then you need. pedal again to get the momentum in sewing kind of like bad and our products I wouldn't want to have people get the idea that We should never be making effort because that's to the other extreme, it's really in weaving these two I'm getting an intuitive feel for I put up at a particular time. Ok so which approach you know is helpful

which is exactly what you did you know uncanny sitting outside. You can naturally fell into this more open choice whatsoever, at other times. You might choose not gonna just be with the breath of this time or just with the matter practice so one second. and to your description, another phrase that might actually work better. In that context, which its possible I will cut through. Even that dinner background tendency you noticed of one through perfectly, are wanting to do it better, just a whole. The question, in the mind terms,

if the moment what is being done, just what is being done because then they just the connection to that arising moment. It has nothing to do with what went before. What's gonna come after you're just sitting there, ok what's being lung and it's not the genus. So we have to keep repeating that. Eyes, but you could use the phrase judiciously, occasionally just remind yourself, but that's the framework. You know that you're created this what's being known and that's something also that can be used in going for a walk is very interesting and reveal so much. It is really quite a powerful practice because we get very immediate, deep sense of the momentary none of them.

New and wages. What's being no one moment, if the moment I was sound aside, feeling of the wind and face once coolness. Sensations in a body seeing something some when at the moment is noticing that everything we take to be self is just this for Gresham. This flow of change, a concert, though, what we call self is the flow it's not. That of the flow is happening to someone. That's that power and I'm quoting back to you things, I've heard you say either privately to me or in teaching context the power and I've really felt this in my own practice of the passive voice using the past. voice as a mantra. In your own mind what is being known being known, takes the you

of it, I'm leaning in knowing all this stuff. If you look for what is knowing and again I'm quoting you back to you, if you look for what is knowing, you won't find some little homunculus between your ears at that is just that little act is bumping you up against the mystery of consciousness, which is pretty well commissioner the so again. I these practices are really simple, but profound that they can be applied even for short periods of time. That's the point. I'd really like to emphasise, we don't have to think of my kids

Do it for the whole day or even for a whole, our things not worth doing now. Sometimes just you know these very deep insights for a few moments, really planting a very powerful seed with it. Also understanding Liddy ask this. Is me exercising my progress, the house to ask a question that may not be applicable to every base? I apologise in advance, but I've noticed that for me recently, I'm writing a book. Habitant writing a book for several years. I will be writing this, both for several more years its basic like being on a medieval rack for several years? It's terrible and since its memoir is often very difficult to embarrassing regime inducing stuff, and I notice that, while I'm writing have overcome, sometimes it is a sort of fatigue and so is not uncommon. For me to just lie down on the floor and do

Noting practice does lie. I know that lying down was one of the four classical postures in Buddhism, and so it's a traditionally there's not a that sort of injunction against lying down, but I still feel little guilty when I do it I should be setting up ramrod straight what I'm meditating. What's your take on that my takers my take on a lot of things, and this is one of my or purpose mantras. Whatever works, so as you lying down, what you really need to notice is here in that position Are you as alert setting up or pretending to those off there mind is going into a kind of hazy confusion than it might not be the best pastor here, if it's not as if the minds really awaken alert teams.

I may be lying flat on the floor. You have to see, but if it were tending to those there are other relax positions which may be not quite such a complete reclining, maybe sitting back in every Kleiner, so you buy supported you really comfortable surveys that level of relaxation but do not contravene asleep position, but this this door to experiment with books for different people. It will be different. It's whenever works and it's totally fine to find a spare, we at times a comfortable pasture relax pasture there

They value to a not so relaxed pasture. Do you know where we're sitting either cross legged are in the chair, but upright, because those kind of pastors actually take some effort, it's not as effortlessly just lying back in our inner cleaner, I talked about how we wanted into weave times more directional, more effort and then more effortlessly such worthlessness, but one of the principles not only in meditation but in life- is that effort creates energy. The seller uneasy example for understanding this is fulfilling tired and then we make the effort to go out and exercise. We generally.

Feel much more energized afterwards than before, because we made the effort to do it. This applies to the meditation practice. Turn I've seen this very often indifferent, cunt, than by making an effort. We are raising the energy level in the whole system and, as that happens, then it becomes easier to I'll say this word cautiously to coast. The more effortless manner, but because they don't mean none. Mindful I mean that its happening more by itself, without making the effort But its having made the effort which gets us to that point of momentum with that can happen and that's why it took about this into weaving of times of making effort, whether its by a more formal posture or

be the effort of coming back more frequently to the primary object rather than openness and choice the swims, because it takes an effort to do that As I said, the energy really get stronger in the whole system and then we can settle back in a more choice was effortless when so the two interesting am I before me. Now what fuelled all these years of practice? So it's been about five million now it is just so interesting to watch what to understand what our mind bodies are doing and how they relate to and how this affects that began. What leads to suffering? What brings greater peace, so it is that kind of an inch

which can really create a lot of energy for practice in terms of what practice we do when just to pick up on what you're talking about there in the spirit of whatever works, I due notice that it's more art and science, obviously but playing with for aunt types of practice, given the circumstances of my life and my mind. So if I writing and I'm feeling just awful, which I know, as you know, the body basically revolting against. You know this process of looking where I probably shouldn't, or just telling me his heart, take a break so then, maybe I will lie down and just do a more relaxed, open awareness practice. Then sometimes I would up in the morning and thank you know I have a little time right now I could sit inside. Were it's pretty quiet? and do more directed matter practice or just be with the breath and really coon up my concentration and at other times. I think it ought to be

but there is too much sun on the side of the house, may well sit there and just turn into whatever it happening outside or you know, I'm a little sleepy, I wanna practice or do a standing or a walking practice, and it's really it's taken me a while a bit over a decade which I know compared you isn't that much practice, but it's not nothing to just figure out what is appropriate when there are You know- and I think this really a way it points to the intuitive nature of the whole process. So it's almost learning to trust our intuition in these differences. patients, because usually our intuition is not infallible, restore and somehow you can have it. Divisions are off, but I general everything, my experience. Generally, They ve been guiding me in the right way, and so it's it's learning to trust that

But I do want to make another point to issue what you described in a sitting in writing a book men getting into all the stuff of your life in your minds in the balkan feeling, baby exhausted by hippo. Maybe before you go to the bathroom on the floor. What came to mind as you are describing it would be a little reflection on your motivation for writing a book. You know because they can easily as you know, in any body whose practised knows we have a lot of mixed motivations, one would have to be assigned to have totally pure motivational look So that's kind of a given the challenges that become aware of the range of our motivations, rub them control by them. So

especially in writing a memoir. I could well imagine that at times you really connected with your initial motivation that it be of some help and be of some service to people. You know in your discussion and at other times, maybe that motivation is forgotten them. use your words as these are not my words about you. Your words about what I think I am so right. There we ve gone from altruistic motivation to a lot of self in the very same activity of writing a book. So it would be interesting to notice when you're beginning to feel exhausted by it all.

I would just see what happens if you kind of real line with your initial motivation for it and safe, even just by doing map that changes your energy yeah. I'm really glad you brought this up because I think it's applicant, not just to the rather narrow category of people who are working out a memoir, but it's a book about to everybody and I'll just tell you. I've been thinking a lot about motivation, because I've been talking to you about a vision for a long time and these conversations come back in my mind not infrequently shouted doing. Two things one is to try to in the morning before I do anything else. Just say to myself are what is my motivation and I don't have a I mention it retail up. I guess I don't have like a militia

Louis phrase, but as something along the lines of what my goals do, work that helps other people live better lives and in the process of doing that, work to have positive relationships said more skilfully or abortion. the led by the lead singer of the Indy Rock band, apples and stereo, it's to make awesome, I think Eustace, where words but I'll, say stuff and be kind in the process, and I try to just bring that to mind and then I had a piece of paper that I put up on my computer recently. That said two things one is go easy and the other was try to remember how helpful this could be. There. I think these reminders, I think, a really helpful. so I just came across a stir

I think it was in an article in Tricycle magazine, so I'm just paraphrase it because it made a point that I think we don't pay enough attention two so the story about the buddhist time, and there was this young Brahman kid now that I cast an ancient India who is just ten spoiled and he would always gap he wanted, and so he happened to be near the Buddha when the Buddha was receiving. You know some mom's food and somebody gave the Buddha and Indian Sweet you know put in his bowl and this little bomb

it said I want that louder. Louder was the name of the sweet. I want that latter amends the Buddha said I'll give it to you. If you say I dont want the lot of the sort of farming and said I don't know The water and the Buddha gave him an historic goes on about some other things, but afterwards kind of the monks who asked How's our backs and who sang you now for it Yet this is in the context of traditional Buddhists, Hindu, cosmology many lifetimes in all that, but it's also apples.

to a single lifetime. He said for so long. This farming kid had just been indulging, always wants nervous once and so just to have him say. For that moment, I don't want the Lotto. According to the story. You know the Buddhist saw that just that one articulation I don't want. The Lotto was planting a seed of letting go or renunciation that in some future, life was going to result in That young roman kid some future life becoming a monk ordaining becoming fully enlightened, love the story apocryphal as it probably is, but just the idea that even small seeds of wholesome thought, I think we under appreciate

the potentiality, within a seed, even sometimes Is quite remarkable that it's obvious all around us how yards take us corn and it becomes a huge tree. but you're the guy that seems so insignificant and yet the pudding geology within it is immense. while our minds even more so so we should not overlook just taking the opportunity, like you do when you wake up in the morning just planting these seeds. because I have a firm belief that they do have tremendous power. not necessarily immediately, but they bear fruit in their own time. So it's important to do it's not hard to do. You know just it's just one little sea

my little sleep every time we're doing the matter practised the loving times we just repeating a phrase be at ease, may be happy, maybe three of suffering we just repeating that seeds, seeds and over time they grow. I have three little things to say based on the foregoing. One is just noticing that I miss doing, and I spent so much time or my whole practice was dead, including a couple of full like ninety retreats, one of them with you wear, that's all. I was doing as the matter practice, and I could see that my mind is different. Now, then, that I'm not doing it as much that just a baseline level. warmth is a little lower. The other thing is that whole setting of intention or Marianna putting up a sign of my computer, like you, know, look. I know thee

of eleven years ago would have, you know, had a little. You know, look vomit up in his throat at hearing that you know like its cheesy or whatever, but it really is helpful in my own experience yeah, I'm not motivated purely by altruism at all, but to the extent that I can shift the ratio, even just a few percentage point that altruism burn so much cleaner as a motivation than the euro? How am I gonna look? How many books are people gonna buy? What are the critics gonna say blah blah? I mean that's all there still, but just turning than the volume on it incrementally is incredibly useful and then the third thing to pick up on the seed What brought to mind when you are using that analogy of the seed is that you know that, as I understand it, the ancient word for meditation Bovina translates to cultivation, and that is what we are doing.

Here is like over and over and in so many different ways. That's what you're, as I understand your career as a teacher into being about just giving us all these tools to do this cultivation from as many angles as possible, so that we can, you don't have to believe in future. Lies fine. I've seen no evidence but am open to it, but I'm not gonna pounding the table saying it's true, but in this life you can just see the fruit absolutely, and I want to go back to some of you search forward, just raise an interesting point for me. You, when you are talking about putting their little sign on their computer with its cheesy or not, but I actually found a helpful its helpful in a couple of ways. One is that it's just a reminder unites planting seed, but

It's also helpful in the same way that formerly taking the precepts, his health more generally in you know about his teachings five basic precept, ethical precept for lay people here, have not killing and stealing and not committing sexual misconduct, not lying and not taking in toxic and richest confuse the mind, because those are the basic five ethical framework for living. What I found is that by formally taking them, whether some people may be taken every morning now or once a week once a month and put whenever it is, but by formally taking them and articulating them not only we planting.

the in that moment, but what I found is that having taken them whenever bout or if I'm about to break one of them, having taken the precept, it's sort of works like a mindfulness bell, it also highlights. How do I really want to do this? This is seen, others might be, Breakin increase it I used to love- comes to mind lot with speech, because that's the easiest to the others see now. It does not that hard not to kill and had to stay here for most people by the speech when maybe for the sexual muskets. That's the precept for some people might be also a very powerful reminder. but it really comes into play in the moment when we're about to break the answer eyes. That's how I understood that same the same,

how of putting a little note on your computer or giving voice to it just having a articulated. It will really earlier. I think, throughout the day, as little comes a reminder at critical moments, sometimes the little expression that I heard recently that can't keep using both in my own life and then on the show- and maybe it's even the title- the next book- I don't know who said this, but a guest on the shore, recently told me something that was said to her by a teacher when she was complaining about loving kindness practice. The teacher said to her. If you can't be cheesy, you can't be free alone. And by the way, then. Are you leaning in to your next book

I think I was gonna say a thousand percent, but maybe a million percent I wanna watch. So It is a good example, so the difference between having a thought arise about the next book and seeing it s just a thought, coming going or having the thought arise and capturing you hey you on a little national ride about the next book. So that's the difference to the thought may be the same but are you leaning into it for you seeing it for just what it is, as I thought in the moment, so right, then, that you could just extend this. Everything. This is why awareness of thought and going back to the discussion we started with

being aware of even the quickly passing ones can have such a profound influence on how it living this, mostly we all leaning into the story and its taking us for a ride. Yet it's not a joy ride, have given you to operate, Did I say everything, that's on your mind, or did I commit malpractice in any way by but ass? I was some question. Now this not much in my mind until you thought provoking a little That's why I need you dance I guarantee you the arrow of need.

Once in the in the other direction, primarily at the Abbe did this: this is it's kinda, sound weeks in perfunctory to even say it, but it is genuinely a pleasure to talk to you and always sores great bunker, big thanks again. Joseph and a reminder, he's got that newly reissued book, the experience of insight, a simple indirect guide to Buddhist meditation available now from shambolic or wherever you get your butt. they show, is made by Samuel Johns, DJ, cashmere, Kim Bike, Maria worked hell and Jan point without engineering from ultra violet audio. As always a hearty salute to my news. Colleagues rang Kessler Josh Co Hand will see you on. Friday for a bonus, ginger z, and if you love the Oscars, then you're gonna love this insight

the outskirts had cast the winner is we're talking with us for nominee. I've always thought of myself ass, a blue collar Alastair when someone's that good, it makes my job we in the EU and insiders really relevant content right now about everything there would be square inside the after leading up to the ninety Third Academy award. Listen now I'm appetite cast Spotify for your favorite Pakistan