
Ep 2: Joseph Goldstein — Finding Creativity in Meditative Space
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In this special live recording of Living Dharma, we sit down with pioneering meditation teacher Joseph Goldstein for a rich and heartfelt conversation on equanimity, compassion, and the creative spirit that arises from silence. With over five decades of practice and teaching, Joseph shares how perspective—whether gazing at the night sky or reflecting on history—can restore balance amidst turbulence.
He speaks candidly about lessons learned from grief and suffering, the liberating power of curiosity, and how “cowboy dharma” helped him transform anguish into insight. Joseph also opens up about his poetry, revealing how meditative stillness and creative expression flow from the same wellspring of awareness.
This episode is both practical and profound, offering guidance on staying present, lightening up, and discovering the intimate joy available in each moment.
For more about the path we walk and the wisdom we share, visit the Tergar Institute at: https://tergarinstitute.org/
https://tergarinstitute.org/
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- 0:00Welcome & Why Living Dharma
- 2:00What “Applying Dharma” Looks Like
- 3:40Two Wings: Equanimity & Compassion
- 4:45How to Re-center: Stars & Nature
- 6:30Perspective from History
- 7:45The Question: “How Can I Help?”
- 10:00Turning Point: Bodhicitta & Emptiness
- 13:00No Hierarchy of Service
- 15:00Always the Forward Edge
- 16:00Don’t Waste Your Suffering
- 21:00Lighten Up
- 23:00Teachers: Keep Practicing
- 25:00From “It’s All Empty” to Metta
- 29:30Grief vs. Loss
- 33:40Poetry from Silence
- 38:00Poem: “Venus in the Western Sky”
- 41:00Practice & “Vipassanā Brilliance”
- 46:00Creativity, Students & Silence
- 47:00Psychology & Dharma
- 52:00Awareness vs. Dullness
- 56:00Break Cycles of Suffering
- 58:00The Cowboy Dharma Story
- 1:03:00Quiet Joy & The Myth of Intimacy
- 1:06:00Closing & Thanks