Ep. 258 – The Goal Without the Grasp: Aspiration in Buddhist Practice

Those who are really committed to the practice and have devoted themselves and either are a faithful Dharma follower. That's a great foundation to rest your practice on. So you have faith, you have assurance. I'm on this past. And so then can let go of that unhealthy striving. Because one understands. to all the different stages of realization. Welcome to the Joseph Goldstein.

Insight Hour. This podcast is an expression of our shared interest in self discovery. Join Joseph as he shares his deep knowledge of the of mindfulness. If you are interested in supporting this podcast, please go to Behernow Network dot com slash Joseph.

Can you speak about the impersonal nature of all things along with a sense of purpose? A sense of purpose seems personal. Uh Sense of purpose. often does seem personal until we see the impersonality of it. So One frame for understanding the different ways each of those manifests. And it's not it it doesn't align perfectly with it, but mostly. Is the difference between expectation and aspiration So when there's expectation in our practice, that is always personal. We have this expectation.

Which is always a setup for suffering because we're not in control of how things unfold. They're gonna unfold according to their own laws. One common example I found in my own practice is I'm on retreat and I'm sitting and I have a really good sitting and then at the end of the sitting and the thought comes I'll get up and do some walking and then I'll just pick up where I left off. So often. You know, sitting a good sitting, concentrated, go for a walk, come back and for whatever reason

the mind is doing something else. Right. To the degree that I was holding to that expectation that it should be a certain way. It's a setup for frustration. You know, and hinders our ability to be just with what's happening. So it's all very self in, you know, with ex expectation. With aspiration That's understanding. We c we could maybe express it as this understanding of why we're practicing or what we're practicing for, for greater awareness, for greater compassion, for greater wisdom.

So we actually have I'm gonna back up a minute. Sometimes in I don't know, is is the phrase new age still used? I mean there was a whole there was a whole time that was just called New Age stuff. I don't know whether I don't know that's still being used in time. Anyway, one of the new agey things was No goals. Goals, don't have goals, just be in the moment. The Buddha definitely laid out a goal. The Eightfold Path leads someplace. It's not just meandering around not going anywhere.

the Eightfold Path is leading, we could say, to awakening, to enlightenment. So we can have that aspiration. Which sets the direction for our practice. So we might say that is a purpose or a what was the phrase used? Uh the meaning or the A sense of purpose. So we can have that sense of purpose as an aspiration, but we're seeing it not so much in terms of

an ego full striving, but a realization of our values and what leads to the accomplishment of our values. So it's a very different So I think it's very possible. to have that sense of purpose, deep sense of purpose, and I think most Dharma practitioners have this. You know, it's why you're here. Uh This would not be most people's idea of having fun. It is fun.

I think it's tremendous fun. But it's from the outside it doesn't look that way. Because there is a sense of purpose and a sense of direction. And can we have some sense of why we're doing it? But with an appreciation that it's a natural unfolding. It's not it's not an egoful striving. And if it is, then that egoful striving should be noticed as wanting. With desire, so we don't confuse the aspiration with the expectation. Um

Is your faith strong in the four path attainments as genuine markers of the path on the path? Please expand. Haven't seen evidence yet. Just say it again. Is your faith strong in the four path attainments as genuine markers on the path? Yes. Please expand. So one of the characteristics of this tradition.

And it's not true of all Buddhist traditions. Different Buddhist traditions frame the process of awakening in different ways. But In this tradition, you know, of the Buddhist teachings, based on the the Pali Canon and the early discourses. the force at the four stages of enlightenment, you know, which is stream entry, once returned and non-returned on a R hunt the function of each of Those moments of realization of th that particular stage is the uprooting of certain defilements and

In accordance with that particular stage. So for example, at that first stage of stream entry, what is uprooted First and foremost is the view of belief in self, because the mind has opened to a reality beyond. Everything in anything we could take to be self. So We could think of it as If we think of if we think of our normal lives as revolving around a self center, you know, the sense of I, basically this is how

we go through our lives. You know, this is the conventional understanding and it's the place from which most people are living. But then if you think of going from self center It's the zero center. And so if you think perhaps of Nibbana as being the experience of zero. Now zero is a really interesting number because it's not a thing in itself, and yet it has the most powerful function in the whole number system. So I was once reading a book called The Nothing That Is.

I saw the I just saw that title and it totally intrigued me. The nothing that is. So I got I bought the book and I started reading. It was a history of the number zero. And the first few lines of the book really uh Captured my uh interest. It said and it's uh I think it's mostly accurate, may be paraphrasing a little bit. Uh when you look at zero, you see nothing. When you look through it you see the world.

And somehow that just resonated with the experience of Nibbana, which is zero So there's nothing there that could be claimed as Iomin. It's zero. And yet it's the nothing that is. It is its own reality. And from that experience of the zero center. Then the whole world is being seen. without reference to an eye, without reference to a sub it's just uh as one of my teachers and this may be in the text, everything is just empty phenomena rolling on.

This whole this whole mind body process. It's empty of self. It's just it's just phenomena arising and passing away. And so that first experience of zero Із вот уротис the belief in self. the deeply conditioned patterns of selfing are all eliminated at that time. And that's why for example to be uprooted, not till we're fully enlightened, is what's called mana pali, translated usually as conceit, but it really means any sense of I am.

So, an interesting reflection is if the view of self has been uprooted at the first stage. Why is this conceit or mana not uprooted until the final stage of liberation? It's because that pattern in the mind I am is so deeply conditioned. And it really has to do with comparing oneself with others. Any comparison with others. Better than worse than equal to that's mono. Or a view over time. I was this in the past, I'm this now, I'll be this in the future. I am. It's I am it.

So that pattern in the mind is very deeply conditioned. However, because the view or the belief in self has been genuinely uprooted. the pattern of I aming So we recognize, yeah, it's just a pattern that's still there and will be there for quite a while, but it has lost It has lost the essence of its power, even though we get caught in it a lot. There's that un yeah, this is just another selfless phenomenon. The pattern of I am.

We following this is uh so for me I love it when I see mana in my mind. When I can see it arising, and it does, and it will until we're fully enlightened, it's gonna be there so many times in so many ways. But every time I see it in my mind I'm really delighted because I would rather see it than not see it. And when I do see it, I feel like I'm working on our handship. Because that's the that's the last defilement to go. One of the last. So there's a lot of energy and delight.

In the fact of seeing it. Whereas it took a while to get over the judgment Of myself, oh, there's conceit again, there's mana again. So we can really change our attitude. If we have interest in in seeing it and understanding. Um Yeah, and these things. Certainly at the first stages uh They are not super far off realizations. So Many yogis, you know, have have experienced uh the first the first stage. So there is confirmation, you know, uh at that time.

But even before then Sometimes people can get Caught up in an unhealthy striving for these Uh realizations, you know, and And so the effort just gets way out of balance and you know th there's that striving and in an unhealthy way, you know, grasping at something.

So the Buddha had two other teachings which I think are really important to help balance that. You know, if that striving for attainment is is strong and you know, really creating an imbalance in the mind, which is not uncommon. The Buddha talked about two experiences two levels of experience before stream entry. which he called the faith follower and the Dhamma follower. And these are people, the first is people who for w whatever reason really have a have just this deep, deep faith

In the teachings of the Buddha. You know, and so they're not questioning, they don't have doubt about it. That faith factor is very strong. And then the Dhamma follower are those yogis who have explored the teachings in some death. So we really have an understanding, for example, of impermanence and dukkha and uh at least a conceptual understanding of non self. So there's been a real investigation and the development of wisdom.

The Buddha he put the people who are in these two categories which happened before stream entry, he called them noble individuals, you know, who are I forget exactly the word he used, assured or They're on the path leading, you know, to Enlightenment. So I found that really reassuring for a lot of people. Those who are really committed to the practice and have devoted themselves and either are a faith follower or Dharma follower.

that's a great foundation to rest your practice on. So you have faith, you have assurance, yeah, I'm I'm on this path, this is where it's going. Uh And so then can let go of that unhealthy striving. Because one understands, yeah, this is just going to lead onward to all the different stages of realization. Um and I think many of the experienced yogis who come here and other places

are already faith followers and dogma followers. You know, so I think you can really take have confidence in that. Uh because it's right it's right out of the the texts.

Maybe two more? Are there any efforts to integrate more people of color who represent the majority of Buddhist practitioners globally into IMS leadership and administration? And they note that this QA was scheduled to begin right when the BIPOXID was ending, is a type of the oversight that is common when POC are underrepresented. Well this is of course a huge a huge issue in our culture, in our society, and it's something IMS has been working on very consciously.

For quite a long time now since I think we really committed ourselves um to greater diversity on all levels of the organization. all the way back in two thousand and eight is is when it first became a really strong intention for the organization. And Uh as those of you who have been involved in this kind of work know, especially in the beginning of years,

It was really challenging. It's very complex, you know, and there were a lot of cross currents and lots of stuff going on, but we were very clear in our intention. And over the years um at first um We really expanded the BIPOC representation on the board of directors of IMS, and that made a huge difference. You know, for a long time maybe we had one or two BIPOC folk on the board.

But that was not enough to really effect change throughout the whole organization. But when we had many on the board, maybe sometimes as many as half. That's when the whole issue really uh was energized. And then some years ago we did a teacher training

for BIPOC folk because we realize not only the board of directors, it's who's sitting up front, you know, representing the diversity of people who come. Um Yes, so there is very much there's a lot of intentionality behind that and of course there's always more that can be done and a lot of uh things get overlooked or oversight or but the intention is there to keep developments. It it's really a strong value. uh a biomass.

It's fun I mean f for me personally, it was an em it was an amazing journey, the exploration of all of this. And it first started even before the change began at IMS, I was part of a retreat for social activists. It was actually set up by Ramdas and some others. It wasn't at IMS, it was at some other place. And for some reason it was the first time as I was hearing the stories of people. It's almost it's quite uh embarrassing to say this.

That was really the first time I became really conscious that. This is a problem in this country. You know, and when I look back, how could I not have known that all along? Uh But it really it kinda opened up a whole new world for me, you know, and that's what motivated a lot of We have to do something. And there's always more.

I think just as an institution if there are any you know, insights or things where you see it's not quite working as well as it might be, it'd be worth giving letting us know. Because the intention is certainly there. Thank you.

So we're out of time, but it would be nice to have one more question, just so you can make it short and sweet if you want. What is an aspect of meditation Buddhist practice that is often overlooked I'm gonna say something that you will probably never find in the suttas. Have fun. And it doesn't mean take things lightly, but it means Just having that well, the guy that beginner's mind, just taking that interest and exploring and investigating.

Really, what could be more fun than exploring one's own mind? Because our whole lives are a manifestation of our minds. Right? Everything we do and everything we feel and all our re how we relate to things, it's all coming out of our minds. So really The practice is is exploring all life.

You know, and the the origin of it all is the nature of the mind and everything that's going on in it. So that just have that quality of interest rather than As I say, an unhealthy striving or expectation, but just that interest in exploration. And sometimes it's hugely difficult. But if we have the right attitude, it's always interesting. Oh, what's happening now? How am I getting caught? How can the mind be free? So I don't recall in the suttas the Buddha saying, Have fun.

Although interest interest is really one uh one definition or one source of pity or rapture. Well, PT is is often described as intense interest and it brings a lot of joy, you know, regardless of what it is that's happening. Um So have fun.

Thank you so much, Joseph, for all you've done to support our practice. Really grateful. And let's end our time this uh afternoon with the chant on the backside, sharing of blessings. Thank you.

3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 13, 14, 14, 15, 16, 16, 16, 17, 17, 18, 18, 18, 19, 19, 19, 20, 20, 21, 21, 22, 22, 22, 23, 24, 24, 25, 25, 25, 26, 25, 26, 26, 27, 28, 28, 29, 29, 29, 29, 29, 30, 29, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, Now let us chant the verses of sharing and aspiration.

Through the goodness that arises from my practice. May my spiritual teachers and guides of great virtue. My mother, my father, and my relatives. The sun and the moon, and all virtuous leaders of the world. May the highest gods and evil forces Guardian spirits of the earth and the Lord of death. May those who are friendly, indifferent, or hostile, may all beings receive the blessings of my life. May they soon attain the threefold bliss and realize the deathless.

Through the goodness that arises from my practice and through this act of sharing may all desires and attachments quickly cease. And all harmful states of mine until I realize Nibbana in every kind of birth May I have an upright mind, with mindfulness and wisdom, austerity and vigor. May the forces of delusion not take hold, nor weaken my resolve. The Buddha is my excellent refuge.

Unsurpassed is the protection of the The solitary Buddha is my noble guide, the Sangha is my supreme support through the supreme power of all. Oh, yeah. May darkness and illusion be disposed.