As always, thanks so much for the killer content! I remember when I started, I really got into craving - craving a particular experience. Today, as you say, it's about the discipline and the practice, not about attaining some 'mind-blowing experience, etc. Appreciate you!
That was such a pleasure. Thank you both for this honest, open, thoughtful conversation. The humour and ordinariness that you brought to this insightful exploration of your journeys is much appreciated.
I’ve had a Vipassana practice for roughly the same amount of time as Dan. I consider Joseph Goldstein my teacher though I only know him through his online RU-vid and podcast dharma talks and I think I’ve listened to almost all of them. I don’t consider my Practice as leading to Nirvana but as a tool which has taught me how to be a better person and gain insight into the true nature of reality in a personal sense the same way I study quantum mechanics to gain insight into the nature of material reality. I tell people that meditation is like basketball practice, you learn and hone your skills, but it’s not an end in itself. From my point of view in meditation we learn the practice of being mindful, I.e. watching what is going on in one’s mind, being aware of the thoughts, feelings and emotions that pass through your mind and which if you identify with them you run the danger of being unskillful which I define as hurting others or hurting myself or both. Anger as an example, arises not because we say to ourselves "oh I think I want to be angry for awhile" but arises the way thoughts do through some habit pattern of the mind of which we are unaware. And the problem with anger is that it either hurts someone else, hurts one’s self or both. So the practice of meditation is to develop the skills to be mindful of the minds patterns so throughout the day as much as possible when unskilful feelings like anger or greed or lust or jealousy, et cetera arise in the real world, the lived experience world, the daily world of our experience we recognise them as what they are, not something that we have to act on but something which has arisen. Focus on one’s breath and these feelings quickly dissipate as mysteriously as they arose. And as the Buddha taught we must first learn to recognise these unskilful thoughts, emotions, feelings and then we must learn how to stop them when they do arise and finally we must learn how to keep them from arising in the first place. For me that is hugely worthwhile and the motivation for me to keep my practice going. It has made me a better person. And it works. Thanks for a great RU-vid video.
Fascinating conversation, thank you! I'd like to voice a thought: Like many folks nowadays, I'm a total atheist who is building a serious interest in mindfulness meditation, as well generally in Buddhism-related topics and philosophy. However as a rational person and an atheist, I still find no reason at all to believe in a kind of "shared awareness with other sentient beings", that Matt seems to lean towards believing. Mindfulness can be a fascinating tool to learn about our own mind, improve our mental wellbeing, our ethical behavior - and I find we can also layer over it interesting philosophical ideas. However - none of this means we need to start believing in metaphysical things which we really have no serious evidence for. Such as - a "shared awareness". I understand the temptation to believe in that stuff - this is part of what has been fueling different religions for all of history. But I don't find it justifiable. Meditation - along with its various philosophical interpretations and related ideas - is fascinating enough. We don't need to actually believe in, well, actual "woo". And to clarify - I'm not saying there isn't a "shared awareness". I'm saying there is no serious evidence for it. Just as there's no serious evidence for the gods of the different religions.
What an absolute pleasure to eavesdrop on this warm, funny and insightful conversation between two brothers doing their work. Thank you Dan, you just keep getting better and better! ❤
I love hearing and watching you both! This was awesome. I’ve listened twice and watched the video as well! Do more together, please! You guys are great and I love your relationship!
Just found your channel this week . This talk sounds so much what I am going through. It is very supportive to find your brother describing his experiences. Sounds like group therapy back a few years ago when others described their experiences and I found support just by hearing their stories. Thank you
I thorougly enjoyed that. Impressed by how far he has come in a year especially with a busy job and all those kids. Inspiring me to get back to the cushion.
on Matt's notes about intrinsic curiosity I wonder what Robert Sapolsky would say about two brothers who come and go into meditaiton at different times and decisions about the life you want to live BEYOND THE SOFT VIOLENCE of SELF IMPROVEMENT that Vinny Ferraro talked about... enjoy the ordinary miracle you and your sibling can talk about the river of life together.
Watching, I paused here to share this video with my sister, hoping that we might move closer and my adult children for a morsel of the education I would have given them, had I been able and with two new friends across the country I'd like to share as a welcome to my chaotic world party favor❤
For Matt and I think you Dan may also be also interested... from what I heard Matt sharing about, this is audio and I think there is a book, but the audio is in the author's voice... and he is a Jungian Analyst. You may have already got in touch with his work./ But just in case, here is the title. I love this as I was working through stuff and it gave me a very helpful perspective. I think Jung and Buddhism do harmonize: so here it is and the author is James Hollis: Through the Dark Wood: Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life Audible Audiobook - Original recording James Hollis PhD (Author, Narrator), Sounds True (Publisher)
An immediate favorite! I love your chemistry and humor and the really beautiful conversation. It helped me frame my own learnings in a new way. Thank you, Dan & Matt!
