For episode 248, Cortland Dahl makes his first appearance on the Metta Hour to speak about his new book, “A Meditator’s Guide to Buddhism: The Path of Awareness, Compassion, and Wisdom.”

Cortland is a scientist, Buddhist scholar & translator, and meditation teacher. He is the co-founder of Tergar International, a global network of meditation centers, with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. Cortland is also actively involved in scientific research on meditation and human flourishing at the Center for Healthy Minds.

In this conversation, Sharon and Cortland discuss:

• What brought Cortland to spiritual practice
• Eastern versus Western cultural conditioning
• The Tibetan culture of being
• Reclaiming the word “devotion”
• Cortland learning the Tibetan language
• The impetus for Cortland’s new book
• The Dalai Lama’s first visit to IMS and North America
• The Four Noble Truths
• Cortland’s first encounter with Buddhism
• Learning to take refuge
• How long until we’re enlightened?
• Nurturing our inspirations
• Recreating ancient traditions in the 21st Century
• Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
• The Center for Healthy Minds

Cortland closes the conversation with a guided meditation on Open Awareness. You can learn more about Cortland’s work and get a copy of “A Meditator’s Guide to Buddhism” right here.

Learn more about Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and Tergar International right here and the Center for Healthy Minds right here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For episode 247, we are continuing the Fireside Chat Series on the Metta Hour with guest Joseph Goldstein.

This series features intimate conversations with longtime dharma teachers about the early days of their practice and the most impactful moments with their own teachers. Hosted by IMS Online, the fifth episode in this series. Joseph Goldstein has been leading insight and lovingkindness meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. He is a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, where he is on the guiding teachers’ Founders Council. In 1989, he helped establish the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. Joseph first became interested in Buddhism as a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand in 1965. Since 1967 he has studied and practiced different forms of Buddhist meditation under eminent teachers from India, Burma and Tibet. He is the author of many books, including Mindfulness and Insight Meditation.

In this conversation, Sharon and Joseph discuss:

• The origin story of founding IMS
• Sharon and Joseph’s first meeting in India
• Joseph’s apartment in Boulder, CO
• How Joseph found Munindra, his first serious teacher
• What Joseph loves mosts about teaching
• Joseph’s first lovingkindness intensive
• Dipa Ma’s meditative life
• What inspired Joseph most about Dipa Ma
• Unifying confidence and humility in ourselves
• Working with the inner critic when teaching
• Learning how to say “I don’t know”
• Dudjom Rinpoche and re-incarnation
• Understanding the basis for our opinions
• Early challenges in Joseph’s teaching
• The popularization of meditation
• What inspired Joseph to pursue Buddhism
• Taking delight in being awake
• Approaches for self-acceptance
• Advice for new retreatants

You can learn more about Joseph’s work and many books right here and listen to his Insight Hour Podcast right here. Learn more about IMS Online right here.

Listen to Lily Cushman interview both Sharon and Joseph in Episode 199 of the Metta Hour right here or check-out some older conversations with Jospeh in Episode 110 and Episode 47.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For episode 246, Susan Cain makes her first appearance on the Metta Hour!

Susan is the author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Quiet, and Bittersweet, which was also an Oprah Book Club selection. She has spent the last twenty years exploring a particular realm of human nature: the quiet, the sensitive, the thoughtful, the bittersweet. Susan’s record-smashing TED talks have been viewed over 50 million times and she the host of the Quiet Life online community.

In this conversation, Susan and Sharon discuss:

• How Susan approaches writing
• VIA character strength test
• Does great art have to come from great pain
• How suffering brings us together
• Susan embracing her “differences”
• The Quiet Life Community
• Why sadness is a bridge to connection
• The Dalai Lama the Darwinist
• Moral elevation
• Dipa Ma telling Sharon she would teach
• Leonard Coen as Susan’s patron saint
• Beauty in the broken world
• Never be ashamed of your suffering
• The history of the word “loser”
• Susan learning Lovingkindness meditation
• Lovingkindness and boundaries
• Chocolate and Brussels sprouts

Susan closes the conversation with a guided reflection. You can join Susan’s Quiet Life Community right here.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.