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" My first dharma teacher, Anagarika Munindra, used to ask us, “Where is the end of seeing, the end of tasting, the end of feeling?” There is, of course, nothing wrong in these experiences—they simply do not have the ability to satisfy our deep yearning for happiness. The wonderful paradox of the spiritual path is that all of these changing phenomena as objects of our desire leave us feeling unfulfilled, while as objects of mindfulness they become the very vehicle of awakening. When we try to possess and hold on to experiences that are transitory in nature, we are left feeling finally unsatisfied. Yet when we look with mindful attention at the constantly changing nature of these same experiences, we’re no longer quite so driven by the thirst of desire. By mindfulness I mean the quality of paying full attention to the moment, opening to the truth of change. So it is not a question of closing our senses and withdrawing from the world, but of opening our eye of wisdom and being free in the world. "

Joseph Goldstein , One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism


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Joseph Goldstein quote : My first dharma teacher, Anagarika Munindra, used to ask us, “Where is the end of seeing, the end of tasting, the end of feeling?” There is, of course, nothing wrong in these experiences—they simply do not have the ability to satisfy our deep yearning for happiness. The wonderful paradox of the spiritual path is that all of these changing phenomena as objects of our desire leave us feeling unfulfilled, while as objects of mindfulness they become the very vehicle of awakening. When we try to possess and hold on to experiences that are transitory in nature, we are left feeling finally unsatisfied. Yet when we look with mindful attention at the constantly changing nature of these same experiences, we’re no longer quite so driven by the thirst of desire. By mindfulness I mean the quality of paying full attention to the moment, opening to the truth of change. So it is not a question of closing our senses and withdrawing from the world, but of opening our eye of wisdom and being free in the world.