10% Happier with Dan Harris cover image

10% Happier with Dan Harris

Tripping Out with a Legend: Jon Kabat-Zinn on Pain vs. Suffering, Rethinking Your Anxiety, and the Buddha's Teaching in a Single Sentence

Mar 29, 2023
Join Jon Kabat-Zinn, Professor of Medicine emeritus and founder of the MBSR program, as he delves into the intricacies of mindfulness and pain management. Discover the crucial difference between pain and suffering, and how mindfulness can foster a greater awareness of our emotional experiences. He discusses the limitations of traditional approaches to self-improvement and emphasizes authentic connection amid personal struggles. Kabat-Zinn offers profound insights on healing that transcend mere pain relief, illuminating a path towards greater compassion and understanding.
44:36

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • 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.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode