Joseph Goldstein - Working With Fear

A dharma talk on how to work with anxiety and fear in meditation practice.
"I stayed in the sort of places that are awe-inspiring and make your hair stand on end, such as park-shrines, forest-shrines, & tree-shrines. And while I was staying there a wild animal would come, or a bird would make a twig fall, or wind would rustle the fallen leaves. The thought would occur to me: 'Is this that fear & terror coming?' Then the thought occurred to me: 'Why do I just keep waiting for fear? What if I were to subdue fear & terror in whatever state they come?' So when fear & terror came while I was walking back & forth, I would not stand or sit or lie down. I would keep walking back & forth until I had subdued that fear & terror. When fear & terror came while I was standing, I would not walk or sit or lie down. I would keep standing until I had subdued that fear & terror. When fear & terror came while I was sitting, I would not lie down or stand up or walk. I would keep sitting until I had subdued that fear & terror. When fear & terror came while I was lying down, I would not sit up or stand or walk. I would keep lying down until I had subdued that fear & terror."
~ The Buddha
Most of us, when there is fear, are apt to run away from it, or suppress it, control it, or turn to some form of escape. We do not know how to look. We do not know how to live with that fear. Most of us are, unfortunately, afraid of something, from childhood until we die; living in such a corrupt society, the education that we receive engenders this fear. Take your particular kind of fear, if you are at all aware, watch your reactions, look at it, look at it without any movement of escape, justification or suppression, just look at it.
You know it is most difficult to look at things simply, for our minds are very complex. We have lost the quality of simplicity. I don't mean the simplicity in clothes, in food, in all that immature nonsense which the saints cultivate, but the simplicity of a mind that can look directly at things; that can without any fear look at oneself as one actually is, without any distortion, so that when you lie, you see you lie - not cover it up, not run away from it, not find excuses. When you are afraid, know you are afraid, be clear about your fear.
~ Jiddu Krishnamurti
"Happy the man who has learned the cause of things and has put under his feet all fear, inexorable fate, and the noisy strife of the hell of greed."
-Virgil (70 B.C.-19.B.C.)
Assailed by afflictions, we discover Dharma
And find the way to liberation. Thank you, evil forces.
When sorrows invade the mind, we discover Dharma
And lasting happiness. Thank you, sorrows!
Through harm caused by spirits we discover Dharma
And find fearlessness. Thank you, ghosts and demons!
Through people's hate we discover Dharma
And find benefits and happiness. Thank you those who hate us!
Through cruel adversity, we discover Dharma
And find the unchanging way. Thank you, adversity!
Through being impelled to by others, we discover Dharma
And find the essential meaning. Thank you all who drive us on!
We dedicate our merit to you all, to repay your kindness.
a poem by Gyalwa Longchenpa (Meditation on Affliction)
The gift of the Dharma excels all gifts;
The taste of the Dharma excels all tastes;
Delight in the Dharma excels all delights.
The eradication of Craving overcomes all sorrow.
For more dharma talks and teachings, please visit:
dharmaseed.org/

[@SpidermanInLondon]

We must re-teach ourselves how loverly our own humanity can be. We're buds waiting to bloom. This was a beautiful talk.

[@chrisw7347]

We also musn't lie to ourselves about how ugly our humanity is becoming. The main reason our governments cause so much suffering, is because that is what they are incentivized to do in order to compete with the other governments. So all sentient creatures are crushed in the process for this race towards power.

[@lisabarnes475]

I so appreciate Joseph's self disclosures about his own reactions. Helps me to be more honest with mine!

[@Counselingtherapyonline]

Learning how to meditate on the mind and particularly the emotions of fear and anxiety is a central part of vipassana meditation practice. Make the emotions the central focus of your meditation. When you meditate in this way you bring about the right conditions for healing and for the resolution of fear and anxiety and other manifestations of dukha. This was central to the Buddha's teachings - the liberation of the mind from suffering, which means the habitual subjective reactivity that we add on to experience. It takes some guidance and lots of practice to do this, to meditate on our fear, but the rewards are immense and it is well worth the effort. The Boulder Center for Online Mindfulness Therapy

[@Supbeeatch]

Online Mindfulness Therapy via Skype

[@susanenglish3791]

Beautiful explanation of the benefits of mindfulness.

[@zialuna]

Beautiful teaching, thank you.

[@MrDanielWeir]

To retell ourselves in words and in touch we are lovely. To hold ourselves as we would a frightened child. Until we flower. This is the practice.

[@geocrafters]

Amazing beautiful lesson. Thank you so much

[@ellamckay8682]

Wow this is truly amazing

[@selmo6376]

As Leonard Cohen said - quoting Tenesse Williams - The problem is not death, the problem is THE PRELIMINARIES....

[@eoharafisher]

If our bodies don't move, they get bedsores and die. That's what happened to Christopher Reeve. (It's an evolutionary response that works to keep our bodies alive until it's just chronic pain, or the pain of dying.) That's helpful for me to know there's a purpose, at least on the relative level.

[@arthistoryliterature]

For me, even in the present moment it's "not O.K.," so that thinking about or anticipating future pain or discomfort is even more difficult, fear-filled.

[@MrDanielWeir]

Friend, consider how Joseph asks to come to yourself as you would come to a frightened child. It's just a mind-state. Embrace the child. Reassure the child. Hug. Be with. Make okay. It will pass. All things pass. Perhaps the child can grow.

[@upstatenewyork]

Daniel Weir: that was a great reply

[@Zisch2]

I love how practical his teachings are. Is there a script of this speech anywhere online?

[@coledevore9011]

Loved the talk. Where was the picture taken? It looks beautiful.

[@waiyin7561]

It’s Shwe Dagon pagoda,Yangon, myanmar .

[@clifftrewin1505]

movement masks dukha? no, movement is an attempt to relieve dukha it doesn't mask it

[@laMad123]

32:32 36:59 43:43

[@razftw]

44:00