This evening, I want to discuss a fundamental lesson from Buddhist meditation: learning to respond thoughtfully rather than simply reacting. I’ll explore this topic with you and aim to offer some practical tools for developing this skill. I believe that understanding how to respond instead of react is an essential aspect of meditation practice and something we continually strive to master.
What’s your first reaction when you stub your toe? What’s the first thing you do? What’s the first thing you say?
All content for Against The Stream is the property of Noah Levine and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
This evening, I want to discuss a fundamental lesson from Buddhist meditation: learning to respond thoughtfully rather than simply reacting. I’ll explore this topic with you and aim to offer some practical tools for developing this skill. I believe that understanding how to respond instead of react is an essential aspect of meditation practice and something we continually strive to master.
What’s your first reaction when you stub your toe? What’s the first thing you do? What’s the first thing you say?
Tonight I'll be discussing compassion, the challenges that come with it, and the concept of the "near enemy"—feelings that seem like compassion but actually lead to suffering. True compassion alleviates suffering, not causes it. There's a phenomenon called compassion fatigue, often mentioned in service, psychological, or medical fields. If compassion is exhausting you, it's not genuine compassion; it's something pretending to be compassion. Real compassion is soothing and never leaves you tired.
Where is it that you’re finding it difficult to be compassionate? Does being compassionate overwhelm you?
Against The Stream
This evening, I want to discuss a fundamental lesson from Buddhist meditation: learning to respond thoughtfully rather than simply reacting. I’ll explore this topic with you and aim to offer some practical tools for developing this skill. I believe that understanding how to respond instead of react is an essential aspect of meditation practice and something we continually strive to master.
What’s your first reaction when you stub your toe? What’s the first thing you do? What’s the first thing you say?
