Ep. 208 – Bare Knowing & Continuous Mindfulness, Satipatthana Sutta Series Pt. 5
Aug 2, 2024
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Joseph Goldstein, an influential teacher and author in meditation and Buddhism, dives deep into the concept of bare knowing and continuous mindfulness. He explores how this objective observation can purify the mind and enhance personal growth. The discussion emphasizes the importance of present-moment awareness and the relationship between bare knowing and meditation. Goldstein highlights strategies for maintaining mindfulness while recognizing the role of perception and the dynamic process of change. This talk reveals the transformative power of just being aware.
Understanding 'bare knowing' allows practitioners to observe experiences objectively, fostering a direct awareness of present moments without emotional interference.
Continuity of mindfulness is vital for emotional clarity, requiring practitioners to observe the arising and passing experiences without attachment or aversion.
Deep dives
Exploring the Inner Academy
The Inner Academy offers a wealth of teachings aimed at integrating ancient wisdom into modern life, featuring guidance from various renowned teachers. With over 200 hours of resources, it provides members with access to courses, meditations, and community support tailored to help individuals navigate daily challenges. The membership options are designed to be accessible, emphasizing the foundation's commitment to providing resources on a sliding scale or for free. This initiative allows members not only to improve their personal practice but also to contribute to the foundation's mission of making teachings available to everyone.
The Satipatthana Sutta and Mindfulness
The discussion centers on the Satipatthana Sutta, which presents a comprehensive framework for practicing mindfulness and achieving emotional and mental clarity. Key themes include the importance of being ardent, clearly knowing, and mindful while freeing oneself from desire and discontent. The Sutta emphasizes the necessity of embodying these qualities to enhance meditation practice, framing it as a direct route toward overcoming sorrow and attaining nirvana. Each of the four foundations of mindfulness—body, feelings, mind, and dharmas—serves as a practical guide for integrating mindfulness into everyday experiences.
The Nature of Bare Knowing
Understanding 'bare knowing' is paramount in practicing mindfulness, which entails observing experiences without being influenced by emotions or creating narratives. This concept helps practitioners cultivate a direct awareness of what is present at any given moment, focusing on simply experiencing rather than seeking something extraordinary. The notions of arising and passing away in experiences remind practitioners to nurture mindfulness continuously, paying attention to what is happening without attachment or aversion. Examples from personal anecdotes, such as Nasrudin's story about simplicity, reinforce the importance of recognizing the obvious while avoiding the tendency to overlook it.
Perception in Mindfulness Practice
The role of perception is highlighted as both a common function and a valuable asset in mindfulness practice, where recognizing what is present shapes experiences. Clear perception enhances mindfulness by enabling learners to observe their thoughts, feelings, and surrounding phenomena while simultaneously maintaining awareness. The balance between bare knowledge and conceptual understanding is essential to prevent becoming trapped in rigid thinking while still allowing for insightful experiences. Noting and labeling experiences can deepen awareness by revealing underlying attitudes, facilitating a non-judgmental observation of thoughts and sensations.
Joseph Goldstein has an intellectual discussion on bare knowledge without association and how to maintain continuity of mindfulness.
The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism. This episode is the fifth part of an in-depth 48-part weekly 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 week on Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein lectures on:
The direct path for the purification of beings
The liberating effect of present-moment awareness
Freedom from desire and discontent regarding the world
Observing phenomena without attaching meaning or reacting
The two proximate causes for mindfulness
How knowing is not altered by what is being known
The nature of the knowing mind conforming to the condition of the body
Building momentum and continuity of mindfulness
Vipassana and observing the six sense stores
Becoming aware of the process of change
Perception as the function of recognition
How concepts condition our experience
Grab a copy of the book Joseph references throughout this series, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, HERE
“Bare knowledge here means observing phenomena, observing experience objectively without getting lost in associations, without getting lost in our reactions. It’s the simple and direct knowing of what’s present without making up stories about our experience.” – Joseph Goldstein