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

Distinguishing aspiration from striving with ego, Joseph Goldstein gives listeners permission to have a sense of purpose along their spiritual path.

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This week on Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein discusses:

• Having a sense of purpose within the impersonal nature of all things 
• Aspiration: understanding why we are practicing 
• What the Buddha said about purpose and aspiration on The Eightfold Path
• Seeing the world objectively without reference to the self
• Being a great faith follower versus a dharma follower
• Resting in our practice and letting go of unhealthy striving 
• Insight Meditation Society and its commitment to diversity 
• Maintaining the right attitude and openness to all experiences

This episode was recorded at the Insight Meditation Society Forest Refuge and originally published on Dharmaseed

"The Buddha definitely laid out a goal. The Eightfold Path leads someplace—it's not just meandering around, not going any place. The Eightfold path is leading to awakening, to enlightenment. We can have that aspiration which sets the direction for our practice, we can say that is a sense of purpose, but we're seeing it not so much in terms of an egoful striving, but a realization of our values and what leads to the accomplishment of our values." – Joseph Goldstein

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