JewBu Joseph Goldstein (Pick-Ax Dhamma)

Pick-Ax Dhamma Q&A: Deep Mining the Four Foundations of Mindfulness | Joseph Goldstein

Mindfulness: A Practical Guide
to Awakening (Joseph Goldstein)

(Clear Mountain Monastery) Clear Mountain Monastery Podcast. JuBu Joseph Goldstein is co-founder (with Jack Kornfield and Sharon Salzberg but not their good friend Sylvia Boorstein) of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts (New England) – a center for tranquility, wisdom, and compassion.

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:01:23 What's the definition of mindfulness? (Munindra-jii)
• 00:02:14 What is the most basic definition and the most profound form of mindfulness?
• 00:06:33 What is your relationship with the German scholar-monk Bhante Analayo?
• 00:10:41 How do the four qualities of ardency, clear comprehension, mindfulness, and concentration work together?
• 00:18:41 How can one keep their purpose aligned in daily life?
• 00:23:05 What was the Buddha's chitchat like?
• 00:30:08 What is the specific elemental meditation you teach?
• 00:38:55 How do you interweave different methods without digging a different hole?
• 00:47:03 How can one transition from mindfulness of the body to rapture and refreshment?
• 00:52:12 What is the relationship between mind knowing mind and Dzogchen teachings?
• 1:05:03 What does the phrase "deathless element" mean?
• 1:08:38 Is it worth speculating about nirvana (Pali nibbāna) before realizing it?

In this session of Pick-Ax Dhamma, Western Buddhist monks Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho interview the great Joseph Goldstein (a student of Indian mother (Dipa's mother) and Buddhist Meditation Master Dipa Ma and her Indian teacher Anagarika Munindra) about his perspectives on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness as taught in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (suttacentral.net) and elaborated in his book Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening.

This conversation touches on Goldstein's

• personal relationships with his teachers and peers Munindra-jii and Ven. Analayo,
• the meaning of "ardency" (ātāpi);
• the daily life practice of clear comprehension;
• the experience of "not clinging to anything in the world";
• how to relate to "digging for the water" of practice;
• breathing mindfulness;
• walking meditation;
• intuitive practice with the [Four] Elements;
• the similarities and differences between knowing mind as mind and Dzogchen;
• whether nirvana is a state of awareness;
• how to relate to such inquiries;
• and much more!

BIOGRAPHY

Path of Insight Meditation (Goldstein+Kornfield)

Joseph Goldstein has been leading insight- and lovingkindness meditation retreats worldwide since 1974. He is a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society, the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, and the Forest Refuge (Forest Refuge), a center for long-term meditation practice.

He is the author of: Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening; One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism; The Experience of Insight, among other books. To learn more about Joseph Goldsten, visit: dharma.org.

Tune in with fellow practitioners for Clear Mountain’s weekly online and hybrid events:

• Wednesday Evening Teaching & Discussion (6:00 – 7:30 pm PT, YouTube then Zoom)
• Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, & Coffee Social (9:30-11:00 am PT, online & in-person)
• Sunday Evening “Mission Majjhima!” Sutta Teaching & Discussion (5:00-6:00 pm PT, online)
• Website: clearmountainmonastery.org
• Welcome! Visit Clear Mountain Monastery for details.
• #JosephGoldstein #Awareness #Mindfulness #Meditation #PresentMoment #SelfAwareness #MentalHealth #MindfulLiving #Buddhism

• "Mindfulness" defined by Ven. Analayo

• 

  U.S. JewBu (Emily Sigalow)

  American JewBu: Jews, Buddhists, and Religious Change
• Barre Center for Buddhist Studies
• Ardent, Alert, and Mindful: Discussion (Sutta Central)
• EncyclopediaOfBuddhism.org
• Is there any evidence that S.N. Goenka's assertion that the technique taught in his retreat centers was passed down... | Quora

• Joseph Goldstein (dharma.org), Ajahn Kovilo and Ajahn Nisabho (Clear Mountain Monastery, Dec. 17, 2025); Shauna Schwartz and Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

To 'awaken' is to see differently ☸️

(Buddhism Podcast) To awaken is to see differently [which is to say to see clearly] | Buddhist Wisdom

• Saññā (perception), one of the Five Aggregates clung to as self in Buddhist psychology

A Comprehensive Manual

American Theravada scholar-monk Bhikkhu Bodhi: A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma is a modern translation of the Abhidhammattha Sangaha offers an introduction to Buddhist psychology (fundamentals of consciousness, philosophy, and physics).

Originally written in the 11th or 12th century, the Sangaha has served as the key to wisdom held in the Abhidhamma (the Buddha's "Dharma in Ultimate Terms").

Ah, now I know and see what the Buddha meant

Concisely surveyed are the Abhidhamma's central themes, including states of consciousness and mental factors, the functions and processes of the mind/awareness, the material world, Dependent Arising, and the methods and stages of meditation.

This presents an exact translation of the Sangaha alongside the original Pali text. A detailed, explanatory guide with more than 40 charts and tables lead readers through the complexities of Abhidhamma. More

• Buddhism Podcast (video); Bhikkhu Bodhi (book); Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

The Buddha or Goenka's Vipassana?

(Buddha's Wisdom) GOENKA: The man who removed Buddhism from Buddhism?

Do it yourself at home the U Ba Khin way

The Goenka Method (of U Ba Khin) provides some practical advice for practicing systematic mindfulness (sati) of the body, one of the four crucial elements in the setting up of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipatthana), a practice necessary for "insight" (vipassana). Is it the only method? No. Is it the most effective method? Who can say, as it varies from individual to individual. Is it an effective method? Without sufficient stillness, calm, samadhi, absorption (jhana), it seems to Wisdom Quarterly that it is not. The claim is that practicing vipassana can produce its own mild forms of "access concentration" without needed full absorption. This will at best be a very weak and sketchy foundation of sila and samma-samadhi, virtue and "right samadhi." Samadhi is crucial and cannot be skipped over with the ideal of "dry insight" being enough for this decadent age.

Who is this Goenka guy?

Let go. Stop clinging. Be free right now.

S. N. Goenka (Satya Narayana, Satyanārāyaṇa Gōyaṅkā, Burmese ဦးဂိုအင်ကာ) lived from Jan. 30, 1924–Sept. 29, 2013. He was an Indian Burmese businessman and teacher of Buddhist insight (vipassanā) meditation.

Born in neighboring Burma to an Indian family, he learned vipassana from Sayagyi U Ba Khin (Int'l Meditation Centre, Rangoon).

• Be Cheerful and Laugh a Little
• Practicing Insight On Your Own
• Fundamentals of Vipassanā Meditation (Mahasi Sayadaw method)

It's never too early or too late to practice.

Goenka-jii (an honorific added out of great respect) retired from business in 1962, during a period of business nationalization by the military junta in Burma, then moved to India in 1969 to start teaching vipassana meditation.

His teachings are secular and therefore stay away from anything that might appear to be rites or rituals and instead emphasize that Buddha's path to liberation, which was non-sectarian, universal, and scientific (rational) in character.

This led to vipassana meditation appealing to people of all religions as well as no religion, theists, nontheists, atheists, and agnostics, from all parts of the world, East and West.

• Vipassana, in the Burmese Theravada Buddhist tradition, is derived from the Abhidhamma (as taught by the Buddha to the monk he declared "foremost in wisdom" Ven. Śāriputra [27, 28]).
• Although some Burmese teachers hold that vipassana and Abhidhamma study are inseparable [29], Goenka invited students to consider the theoretical aspects of these Teachings (pariyatti), advising them that the most important aspect of the technique is its practice (paṭipatti), contrasting mere book learning from experiential learning.
• Students are free to accept the theoretical background or reject any part they find objectionable.
• Goenka reported the words of the Buddha as follows [30]: "Filled with these compassionate and loving thoughts, [the Buddha] proclaimed: Apārutā tesaṃ amatassa dvārā Ye sotavanto pamuñcantu saddhaṃ "Open are the gates of the deathless state to those with ears [to hear] who renounce their lack of [confidence]," that is to say:
• "Open are the gates of Nirvana so that people who hear and practice will be able to overcome all doubt," which is one of the Five Mental Hindrances.

Free 10-day course

I thought I'd join a 10-day course, get enlightened, then go get my nails done. Boy, was I wrong.

.

Four Foundations begin with the body breathing

Mr. Goenka became an influential teacher and played an important role in establishing non-commercial vipassana meditation centers globally where vipassana meditation is taught as a free 10-day residential program with no charges for food, lodging, or meditation instruction, with centers funded by voluntary donations from "old" (past and present) meditators.

• How could it possibly be free? It is non-commercial. The rule is that only "old" students (who have completed at least one course) are allowed to donate. "New" students (who have not yet completed at least one course) are not allowed to donate. Donations are accepted after the completion of a course, which everyone qualifies to donate to at the end of each course, so there's never really a time when centers are open to donations and not accepting them. As soon as they are open to accepting dana (donations, gifts, charity), everyone present who just completed the course can give. Give what? Dāna

Goenka was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the government of India in 2012, an award bestowed for distinguished service of a high order.

• Sign up for free 10-day courses worldwide at dhamma.org
• The Vipassana or Insight Meditation Movement

Meeting Goenka-jii in person

The kalyana-mitta S.N. Goenka and his wife

(Wisdom Quarterly was fortunate enough to meet S. N. Goenka, 88, and his lovely wife when they were invited to the Dhammakaya Meditation Center in Azusa, Los Angeles, for a lunch in his honor and to receive an award for service to humanity, circa 2012. This was just as the Aztec Calendar was wrapping a cycle and the world was about to end, with few people noticing that a new cycle and new world would immediately be continuing. He seemed very kind, and not nearly as Dracula-like as one might think from hearing his droning, baritone Transylvanian/Indian accent on the standardized tapes played during all free 10-day courses). More

• Buddha's Wisdom (video); Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, CC Liu, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit

Vipassana: liberation through insight

Is vipassana really Buddhist? The truth about the world's most popular meditation

(Buddha's Wisdom) 🔍 IS VIPASSANA REALLY BUDDHIST? THE HIDDEN STORY BEHIND THE WORLD'S MOST PRACTICED KIND OF INSIGHT MEDITATION

Millions of people have practiced Buddhist vipassana meditation, but very few know what the word vipassanā originally meant, or how the modern movement transformed one of Buddhism's oldest insights into a global meditation phenomenon.

• The powerful, practical, and effective Pa Auk Sayadaw system to Buddhist liberation (stream entry and nirvana in this very life) by scholar-monk practitioner at Pa-Auk Forest Monastery (in Burma and around the world), the most Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw (aka Bhaddanta Āciṇṇa)
• What it’s like to spend a week at Pa-Auk Tawya Forest Monastery in Burma (Myanmar) | Meditation Magazine
• The American Monk student of Pa Auk Sayadaw

What is insight (vipassana) meditation actually for? This word doesn't mean "meditation" at all. And the practice millions know from Goenka's free 10-day silent retreats was born not in the Buddha's proto-India, but in [George Orwell's] colonial Burma, the day an empire stopped protecting the Theravada Dhamma.

This is the true story of insight meditation: what vipassanā really means, how it nearly vanished, and how a monk, a farmer, an accountant, and a businessman carried it to the modern world.

📿 DISCOVER:

• The original meaning of vipassanā and why it never simply meant "meditation"
• How the fall of the Burmese kingdom sparked the modern Vipassana Movement
• Why meditation was rare even among Buddhist monastics for nearly 1,000 years
• Why many Buddhist teachers say today's vipassana is both ancient and surprisingly modern
• The unlikely relay that saved insight practice: from Buddhist monk Ledi Sayadaw to a rice farmer to S.N. Goenka's flight home in 1969
• What today's vipassana retreats, the mindfulness movement, and scientific research gained... and what may have been left behind.

🙏 If this changed what viewers thought meditation was, subscribe. The next episode uncovers the other half the world forgot: the deep stillness of jhana ("meditative absorption" as samma-samadhi or "right stillness," "coherent unification of mind") the Buddha paired with insight.

📱 Join community:

• Instagram: buddhaswizdom    
• Facebook: buddhaswizdom  
• X: x.com/BuddhasWizdom
• Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/5ndnBU5...
• TikTok: buddhas.wisdom

☕ Support channel:

• buymeacoffee.com/buddhaswisdom
• paypal.me/buddhaswisdom

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:

• 00:00 Day 4 — inside the silence
• 01:54 What vipassanā really means
• 04:33 The ice cube — what seeing actually means
• 09:43 The king is gone — Mandalay, 1885
• 15:09 The farmer, the accountant, and the businessman
• 18:48 How vipassanā conquered the West
• 23:28 The homecoming

#vipassana #vipassanameditation #insightmeditation #buddhism #meditation #buddhistwisdom #mindfulness #theravada #buddhisthistory #goenka #Buddha

📚 SOURCES AND FURTHER READING: (affiliate links)

• Primary Buddhist Texts
• Saṃyutta Nikāya (SN 22.59) — Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta ("The Discourse on Not-Self")
• Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta ("The Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse," Majjhima Nikāya, MN 10)
• Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta ("The Greater Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse," Dīgha Nikāya, DN 22)
• Ānāpānasati Sutta ("Discourse on Mindfulness of In-and-Out Breathing," Majjhima Nikāya, MN 118)
• Selected passages from the Visuddhimagga (The Path of Purification) by Buddhaghosa

Historical and Scholarly Resources

• Erik Braun — The Birth of Insight: Meditation, Modern Buddhism, and the Burmese Monk Ledi Sayadaw amzn.to/4h8DnaQ
• Robert Sharf on meditation in monastic history; Robert Buswell on the lapse of vipassanā practice
• Bhikkhu Anālayo — works on Satipaṭṭhāna and early Buddhist meditation amzn.to/4bDh1KT
• Rupert Gethin — The Foundations of Buddhism amzn.to/4wGpXr3
• Bhikkhu Bodhi — translations of the Pāli canon amzn.to/4w4iJNB
• Prof. Donald S. Lopez, Jr. — writings on modern Buddhism
• Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche — teachings on Tibetan Buddhist meditation and lhaktong (vipaśyanā)
• Thich Nhat Hanh (Vietnamese Zen) — teachings on mindfulness, concentration, and insight amzn.to/4w6ILjx

Modern Scientific References

• Jon Kabat-Zinn — Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) amzn.to/4yooPKg
• Research on mindfulness, attention regulation, stress reduction, and contemplative neuroscience

#vipassana How this was made: Made with AI. Sounds or visuals were altered or fully generated. Learn more

Vipassana not what you think (Rinpoche)

(Perfect Teacher) Vipassana (Buddhist "insight meditation") is not what you think, explains Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche.

Who is this teacher?

What makes you not a Buddhist?

Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche (Tibetan རྫོང་གསར་འཇམ་དབྱངས་མཁྱེན་བརྩེ་རིན་པོ་ཆེ།, born June 18, 1961) [1] is also known as Khyentse Norbu. He is a Tibetan Vajrayana lama, filmmaker, and writer who was born in Bhutan, high in the Himalayas.

His five major films are The Cup (1999), Travellers and Magicians (2003), Vara: A Blessing (2013), Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait (2017), and Looking for a Lady with Fangs and a Moustache (2019).

(Tibetan Nuns) This Tibetan monastic mantra has not stopped for centuries

He is the author of several published books such as What Makes You Not a Buddhist (2007), Not For Happiness: A Guide to the So-Called Preliminary Practices (2012), The Guru Drinks Bourbon? (2016), Living is Dying (2020), and several non-fiction works on Tibetan Buddhism for free distribution such as

• Introduction to the Middle Way: Chandrakirti’s Madhyamaka with Commentary (2003) [2] and
• Buddha Nature: Mahayana-Uttaratantra-Shastra with Commentary (2007) [3].

The Cup (1999 film)

He has also written an autobiography in process entitled Mugwort Born. Many of his teachings are available on the Siddhartha's Intent YouTube channel [4].

He is the eldest son of Thinley Norbu and therefore the grandson of Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje. 

Khyentse Rinpoche has teachers from all four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism and is a follower and champion of the Rimé (non-sectarian) movement.

He considers Dilgo Khyentse as his main guru. He is also the primary custodian of the teachings of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo. More

Beth Upton: Wildflowers and Wanderings

 

Monthly update: Wildflowers and wanderings

Ayya Anuttara picking wildflowers, Burma

May 4, 2026: Hello, friends! Springtime is in full bloom here in Austin, Texas, as we find ourselves halfway through our third Buddhist meditation retreat.

It is an incredible pleasure to spend the month with an American group this strong — a testament to the dedication we have all put in over the past years, both in meditation and in service to the Sangha, the spiritual community.

• VIDEO: Disenchantment with the mundane world: Beth Upton as a Buddhist nun for ten years

As the wildflowers come out to play and our retreat deepens, I am left feeling surprisingly hopeful for the future of our growing community.

Like wildflowers: You must allow

yourself to grow in all the places

people thought you never would.

— E.V. Rogina

🌼 "Like wildflowers" E.V. Rogina (pinterest)

For those who are keen to join a retreat with me before the end of the year (and before I take a year off), the last opportunity will be a short retreat that I will be leading in Uruguay in October 2026.

Registration is open through May, and places will be distributed on a lottery basis with half of the places reserved for students from Uruguay. REGISTER.

For those patiently waiting for appointments with our wonderful team of teaching assistants, four out of five of them remain on retreat with me for the next two weeks. Please be patient as they enjoy some precious time to deepen their own practice. They will be back online towards the end of the month.

Good news! Eva will be back leading online Dhamma Circles with me through the first two weeks of May and the whole of June, 2026. We look forward to seeing everyone there to deepen our skills in this powerful work.

Book Dhamma Circles along with all of my online groups here. I will be spending the second half of May mostly offline as I travel from this beautiful mini-Burma here in Austin to Spain, London, and then to Hungary for the start of our June retreat. So be sure to get all of the instruction you need from me in the first half of the month.

Where will wildflowers wander?

Last month, you may remember, I did a session with the team at Sangha Live. The session was on deepening our relationships in practice. It was a joy to meet the group. If unable to join the session at the time, a recording is now available. WATCH.

 

On Thursday May 14th I will be hosting the next Ask Me Anything group call. This call is open to everyone. It is a chance to ask all the questions you’ve always wanted to ask. Come along in the spirit of the Dhamma. Ask me anything, and I will answer almost anything. Book a place on the call HERE.

Sacred stupa (reliquary mound) in Burma

Our next Service Team Call will be on Wednesday, May 20th, 2026 — a chance for our Service Team to catch up and regroup after this season of service at Sitagu to learn and grow more deeply in our service to the Dhamma [the historical Buddha's Doctrine as preserved in the Pali canon]. If interested in joining the Service Team, find out more HERE.

Full Moon Gatherings

Full Moon Gatherings with Beth Upton

On Sunday, May 31st, 2026, Beth Upton will be hosting our next Full Moon Gathering. This month’s topic will be on the much requested subject of food — something we all need to deal with every day. Come share struggles and wisdom as we support one another through this tasty topic. Book a spot at the gathering HERE. As always, our Sangha Support groups are open to everyone and are here to keep everyone resourced and motivated in the Dhamma.

Join Josipa, Ricardo, Iva, Jonathan, Laura, Ayya Ahimsa, Joe, and Isabelle for online group sittings, Dhamma study, accountability, and parts work. If interested in leading a Sangha Support group, APPLY HERE.

E. V. Rogina on setting fire to her work

Last but not least, my one-on-one availability has now been updated through May 2026. These appointments are made available ONLY through the newsletter and tend to book up very quickly, so if interested, get on it without delay.

Because my one-on-one time is very limited, out of consideration for the community as a whole, please use this time only for things that cannot be easily addressed in a group setting. Book an appointment.

All of my work is given on a donation (dana) basis, which means that all of this is only possible because of generous voluntary support. Support this work.

With metta and gratitude, Beth Upton

• Beth Upton (Monthly updates: Wildflowers and Wanderings by Beth Upton), edited by Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly, Pa Auk Sayadaw students

Real Happiness Meditation Challenge

• Let's get to know accomplished Theravada JuBu meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg, best hippie friend of Jack Kornfield, Sylvia Boorstein, Joseph Goldstein, Dipa Ma (Nani Barua), Dipa, and countless meditation practitioners at Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts and Los Angeles

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• If I am locked out of Teachable, how do I access the course?

Login to Teachable using the Teachable password right here or login with a temporary code right here.

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Login with a temporary code right here or reset your Teachable password right here.

• Real Happiness — Sharon Salzberg
• Real Happiness Meditation Challenge 2026

• I signed up for the Challenge but have not received anything.

Registrants should receive a confirmation within a few minutes of signing up from Teachable. If not and no emails have been received, check the spam/junk and “promotions” folders. Still can't locate any emails from Teachable, contact support team right here.

• How long are the lessons?

Daily lessons vary in length ranging from 7-10 minutes. Practice for longer if you wish. That is always welcome.

• When does the Challenge start?

The Challenge begins Sunday, February 1, 2026. Each lesson in February becomes available daily as we move through the month. Lesson One becomes available on February 1st...Lesson Five becomes available on February 5th, and so on.

• Can I join the challenge late?

Registration for the 2026 challenge closes at 11:59 pm EST on January 31st. Unfortunately, we cannot take late registrants beyond that date. So do it now, not in a minute, NOW.

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The Challenge is offered on a sliding-scale basis with a suggested contribution of a dollar-a-day ($28); however, a donation is not required to participate. If you are inspired to make a larger contribution to support the Challenge, you can do so here via PayPal.

• Does the course have lifetime access?

No, there is no lifetime access to course materials, as they are owned by happify.com. Once a lesson becomes available, you have until May 31st, 2026, to access it.

• How do I access meditations?

Once you sign up for the Challenge, you will receive an email to verify your account in Teachable. Once setup, you will need to log-in to Teachable each day to access lessons. You will receive a daily email from us each day with the link to the day's lesson. If you are not receiving these emails, please contact our support team right here.

• Can I download lessons?

No, the lessons are not available to download. Video components, including the guided meditations, are only available to stream.

• What time are lessons available each day?

Daily lessons are released at midnight/0:00 UTC (Universal Time Coordinated) on the day prior. To see what midnight/0:00 UTC corresponds to in your local time zone, use this UTC converter.

• If I get busy and skip some days of the Challenge, should I stop all together, or can I continue forward?

You are either welcome to continue onward either at your own pace doing the lessons in order or pick back up on the current day’s lesson the group is currently on. You can then go back later to the lessons you missed since you will have access to the materials until May 31st, 2026.

• Do I need to purchase a copy of the book to participate in the Challenge?

Real Happiness: Power of Meditation: 28-Days

No, the book Real Happiness is not required to participate in the Challenge. However, if you would like to supplement your experience, it is a great way to deepen your experience. For anyone wanting to purchase the book, you can use the code MEDITATION20 to receive a 20% discount via Hachette (US orders only). This discount also applies to Real Happiness at Work and Finding Your Way.

• Does it matter if I buy the physical book or the eBook?

All forms of the book are the same. Choose whatever format you prefer for yourself.

• Are there guidelines for comments?

Kindly limit sharing in the comments section to the scope of this Challenge and how it affects your life. Our intention is to foster a community of encouragement and support for this practice. We ask that comments adhere to the principles of right speech and refrain from harmful speech. Any comments containing advertisements or inappropriate content will not be published.

• When are my comments published?

"We can always begin again." - S. Salzberg

Our team reads all comments before they are published within 24 hours. We ask that all comments adhere to the principles of right speech and refrain from harmful speech. Any comments containing advertisements or inappropriate content will not be published.

• Why wasn’t my comment published?

If your comment doesn’t meet our guidelines, it will not be published. If you still have a question or concern, please contact our Challenge Support Team by direct email right here.

• Week 1 • Concentration | Sharon Salzberg
• Real Happiness Meditation Challenge 2026
• Remember, it BEGINS on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026

American Buddhist teacher Sharon Salzberg

ABOUT: Sharon Salzberg is a pioneer in the field of Buddhist meditation, a world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She has played a pivotal role in bringing Buddhist insight meditation (vipassana) and mindfulness (sati) into mainstream American culture since 1974. She is cofounder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and has authored 10 books, including the New York Times bestseller Real Happiness. Acclaimed for her down-to-earth and relatable teaching style, she offers a secular, modern approach to Buddhist teachings, making them instantly accessible. Her writing can be found on Medium, On Being, the Maria Shriver blog, and Huffington Post. She is also the host of her own podcast The Metta Hour, with 100+ episodes, featuring interviews with the top leaders and voices in the meditation and mindfulness movement. Learn more at sharonsalzberg.com.

• Sharon Salzberg, FAQs, 2026; Crystal Q., CC Liu, Sheldon S., Dhr. Seven, The New Real Happiness Crew (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly