Tripping Out with a Legend: Jon Kabat-Zinn on Pain vs. Suffering, Rethinking Your Anxiety, and the Buddha's Teaching in a Single Sentence
Apr 5, 2023
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Jon Kabat-Zinn, creator of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, discusses pain vs. suffering and the accessibility of awareness. They explore the limitations of mindfulness meditation, the quote 'open your mouth and you're wrong,' and the definition of healing. The podcast also covers infusing wonder into meditation practice and the role of art in expressing the ineffable.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) has made Buddhist meditation accessible to non-Buddhists, enabling millions to benefit from its practice.
Meditation and mindfulness cultivate awareness, allowing individuals to shift their focus to appreciate the richness of the present moment and experience a love affair with life.
Deep dives
Importance of Abandoning Expectations and Embracing Uncertainty
In this podcast episode, John Cabot-Zinn discusses the humbling experience of abandoning expectations during an interview. He emphasizes the importance of embracing uncertainty and shares a Buddhist teaching on letting go of expectations. This lesson resonates with the speaker, who recognizes the need to learn this lesson repeatedly. The conversation shifts from discussing Cabot-Zinn's new book on managing pain with meditation to exploring topics such as rethinking anxiety, the future of the species, and the Buddha's teachings. Overall, Cabot-Zinn highlights that mindfulness meditation and awareness cultivate a love affair with life and enable the achievement of equanimity.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and its Impact
The podcast delves into the origins and impact of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) developed by John Cabot-Zinn. MBSR offers a secular way to teach Buddhist meditation, making it accessible to skeptical non-Buddhists. The eight-week program has proven to be massively useful and impactful, allowing millions of people to meditate and benefit from the practice. Moreover, MBSR provided a replicable protocol for scientists to study meditation systematically, leading to fascinating insights into its effects on physiology and psychology. The credit for popularizing meditation and inspiring personal practices can be attributed to John Cabot-Zinn's pioneering work in the development of MBSR.
Shifting Perspectives on Pain and Suffering
One of the main focuses of the podcast episode is the exploration of pain, suffering, and healing. Cabot-Zinn shares an anecdote about engaging with physicians who admitted that they could only help a small percentage of their patients, leaving many to suffer without relief. This led Cabot-Zinn to develop MBSR as a way for individuals to learn life skills in self-regulation, especially for those experiencing chronic pain conditions. The practice teaches a differentiation between pain and suffering by examining the emotional and cognitive dimensions that exacerbate physical pain. This process helps individuals recognize the narratives and stories they construct about themselves and their pain. Ultimately, healing is defined as coming to terms with things as they are and is achieved through cultivating awareness, deep inquiry, and the recognition of interconnectedness.
Embracing the Present Moment and the Invitation to Die Now
The podcast episode highlights the importance of inhabiting the present moment and the invitation to let go of attachment to past and future. Cabot-Zinn emphasizes the practice of meditation as an invitation to wake up to the fullness and beauty of the present moment. By becoming aware of our thoughts, narratives, and stories, we can transcend their limitations and deep dive into the depths of our wholeness. This cultivation of awareness allows us to recognize the ever-present movie playing in our minds and to shift our focus towards appreciating the richness of the present moment. The podcast also touches on the transformative potential of meditation in awakening a sense of wonder, compassion, and interconnectedness. Cabot-Zinn encourages a love affair with life and emphasizes that meditation and mindfulness extend beyond the formal practice, permeating every aspect of our lives.
A beautifully weird conversation with the creator of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. is Professor of Medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where he founded its world-renown Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Clinic in 1979, and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society (CFM), in 1995. He is the author of many books including Full Catastrophe Living and Wherever You Go, There You Are.
His latest book, Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief, illustrates a range of evidence-based mindfulness meditation practices for those suffering with the challenges of chronic pain.
In this episode we talk about:
The origins of MBSR and its relation to pain relief
Pain vs. Suffering
The accessibility of awareness
The limitation of mindfulness meditation as a self-improvement practice