“If you want to understand your mind, sit down and observe it.” These words from my first meditation teacher in Bodh Gaya—the place of the Buddha’s enlightenment—go to the heart of the question: Why meditate?

This talk will explore what we learn through mindfulness, highlighting the central role the mind plays in shaping the quality of our lives. It will touch on themes of mind training, the importance of motivation, and the investigation of suffering, impermanence, and non-self.

Joseph Goldstein is a cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society and the Barre Center for Buddhist studies, both in Barre, Massachusetts.  He is the author of  Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening, A Heart Full of Peace, One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism, Insight Meditation, and The Experience of Insight.  He has also co-authored books with Sharon Salzberg and Jack Kornfield. Joseph has studied and practiced meditation since 1967 under the guidance of eminent teachers from India, Burma, and Tibet, and he leads Insight Meditation retreats around the world.

This session is part of the FREE Contemplation by Design Summit, Oct. 15-27, 2025.

The full summit schedule is posted at: https://med.stanford.edu/contemplation/summit.html.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stanford-contemplation-by-design-summit-2025-online-oct-15-27-registration-1520413249959