Ep. 245 – Training the Heart for Lovingkindness, Satipatthana Sutta Series Pt. 42
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May 15, 2025
Dive into the heartwarming discussion on the cultivation of lovingkindness as a pathway to mindfulness. The speaker highlights the transformative power of goodwill, showing how unconditional love can foster deep connections. Experience the contrast between genuine love and personal desire, and learn how to integrate kindness into everyday life. Discover how societal influences shape our understanding of love and reconnect with your innate capacity for compassion, using metta practices to enrich your emotional resilience.
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insights INSIGHT
Essence of Genuine Lovingkindness
Lovingkindness (metta) is authentic goodwill without conditions or expectations.
True metta radiates love simply because we are fellow living beings.
question_answer ANECDOTE
From Neutral to Love Object
Joseph Goldstein chose a neutral person, an old gardener he frequently saw, for metta practice.
Repeated lovingkindness transformed his feelings towards the gardener into genuine warmth and love.
insights INSIGHT
Near Enemy: Desire Vs. Love
Desire masquerades as love but is actually self-centered wanting and attachment.
Metta is pure giving, unlike desire which holds and takes, causing suffering and disappointment.
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Joseph Goldstein explores the simplicity of lovingkindness (metta), reminding us that this innate quality within each person requires patience and steady practice to truly cultivate.
The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the 42nd part of an in-depth 48-part lecture series from Joseph Goldstein that delves into every aspect of the Satipatthana Sutta. If you are just now jumping into the Satipatthana Sutta series, listen to Insight Hour Ep. 203 to follow along and get the full experience!
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/insighthour and get on your way to being your best self.
In this week’s exploration of the Satipatthana Sutta, Buddhist teacher Joseph Goldstein discusses:
The cultivation of goodwill and lovingkindness as a foundation of mindfulness practice
Beings who radiate a powerful field of love, like the Dalai Lama and Dipa Ma
Offering unconditional love without expecting anything in return
Metta as the gateway to an open and compassionate heart toward self and others
Realizing that our emotional state is shaped by our own perceptions
Understanding the confusion between genuine love and personal desire
Pausing during practice to reconnect with the felt sense of lovingkindness
Integrating metta into everyday life by extending kindness to strangers
How societal conditioning influences our understanding and expression of love
Reconnecting with our natural capacity for altruism and spontaneous kindness
Focusing on the good in others as a powerful metta meditation
Reflecting on whether we are still holding grudges deep in the heart
The patience and resilience required to train the heart and mind over time
This episode was originally published on Dharmaseed
Grab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HERE
“I can simply start doing metta for everyone that I pass, for everybody on the street. May everyone here be happy. May everyone here be peaceful. It's amazing the change that happens in a moment. Instead of walking down the street being disconnected, all of a sudden, our hearts and our minds have expanded and become inclusive. It's like we gather everyone up in our field of goodwill.” – Joseph Goldstein
Insight Hour with Joseph Goldstein