DeepSummary
In this episode, Dan Harris interviews Dr. Mark Epstein, a Buddhist psychiatrist and one of the key players in Dan's meditation career. The discussion revolves around the concept of 'emptiness' in Buddhism and its connection to the idea of a 'mother's love.' Epstein explains that emptiness does not mean nothingness, but rather refers to the realization that nothing exists independently - everything is interconnected. He draws a parallel between this understanding and the unconditional love and acceptance a mother has for her child.
Epstein also delves into the intersection of Buddhism and psychology, discussing how meditation can help transform one's neuroses from 'monsters' into 'little shmoos.' He emphasizes the importance of not dismissing the stories and experiences that shape our minds, but rather using them as a gateway to understand the insubstantiality of our thoughts and the clinging nature of the ego.
The conversation touches on various topics, including spiritual bypassing, the paradox of the self, self-acceptance, compassion, and the role of meditation in developing a sense of interconnectedness and turning down the 'eye' (the ego-centered perspective) to focus more on others.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Emptiness in Buddhism refers to the understanding that nothing exists independently, but rather everything is interconnected.
- The concept of 'emptiness as the mother's love' suggests that this realization of interconnectedness can foster a sense of unconditional acceptance and compassion, similar to a mother's love for her child.
- Meditation can help transform one's neuroses from 'monsters' into 'little shmoos' by allowing one to observe thoughts and emotions with a sense of detachment and non-judgment.
- It is important to not dismiss personal stories and experiences that arise during meditation, as they can provide insight into one's motivations and lead to meaningful realizations about the self.
- Developing a sense of interconnectedness and compassion through meditation can help 'turn down the eye' (the ego-centered perspective) and focus more on others.
- There is a paradox in Buddhism regarding the conventional existence of the self and the ultimate realization of its insubstantiality, which one must hold in mind simultaneously.
- Practices like lovingkindness meditation can help cultivate self-acceptance and a sense of warmth toward one's own experiences, making it easier to observe them without judgment.
- The 'progress of insight' in meditation involves observing phenomena with increasing clarity and precision, leading to insights about the nature of reality.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “I was like a mad child, long lost. My old mother never could find her, though she was with me always.“ by Robert Thurman (quoted by Mark Epstein)
- “A thought is just a little bit more than know.“ by Joseph Goldstein (quoted by Mark Epstein)
- “We're sitting from this observing place and you're seeing things on a finer and finer level, that your notes per moment, your ability to note, you could define it mathematically. And as it increases your understanding, your insight, also Dan, et cetera.“ by Dan Harris
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Episode Information
Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris
Ten Percent Happier
3/13/24
A Buddhist psychiatrist (and one of the key players in Dan’s meditation career) talks about the overlap between Freud and the dharma.
Mark Epstein M.D., is a psychiatrist in private practice in New York City, is the author of a number of books about the interface of Buddhism and psychotherapy, including Thoughts without a Thinker, Going to Pieces without Falling Apart, Going on Being, Open to Desire, Psychotherapy without the Self, The Trauma of Everyday Life and Advice Not Given: A Guide to Getting Over Yourself. His latest work, The Zen of Therapy: Uncovering a Hidden Kindness in Life, was published in 2022 by Penguin Press. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard University. He has been a student of vipassana meditation since 1974.
In this episode we talk about:
- The insubstantial nature of thoughts
- Staying present through anything without clinging or condemning.
- Turning down the ego and focusing on others
- How you transform your neuroses from monsters to little shmoos.
- And whether 10% is the right number?
Related Episodes:
- Click here to listen to the previous episodes in our tenth anniversary series.
- Sam Harris on: Vipassana vs. Dzogchen, Looking for the Looker, and Psychic Powers
For more information on Dan & Mark's retreat in Arizona: we don't have the link available yet but will update here as soon as we do!
To order the revised tenth anniversary edition of 10% Happier: click here
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