Key Takeaways
1. Mindfulness: The Foundation of Awakening
"Mindfulness stays firmly with the object without wobbling or drifting off."
Stability of awareness. Mindfulness is the cornerstone of Buddhist practice, serving as the foundation for all other factors of awakening. It involves maintaining a steady, non-judgmental awareness of the present moment, whether observing the breath, bodily sensations, thoughts, or emotions.
Four qualities of mindfulness:
- Not forgetting or losing focus on the present moment
- Presence of mind, directly facing what is arising
- Remembering what is skillful and what is not
- Close association with wisdom through bare attention and clear comprehension
Mindfulness acts as a guardian, protecting the mind from unwholesome states and cultivating wholesome ones. By developing this quality, practitioners create a stable platform for deeper insights and spiritual growth.
2. Investigation of Dhammas: Discerning Truth
"It is the truth that liberates, not your efforts to be free."
Wisdom in action. Investigation of dhammas is the wisdom factor of mind, involving the discernment and illumination of truth through discriminating wisdom. This factor allows practitioners to explore the nature of reality, distinguishing between wholesome and unwholesome mental states.
Key aspects of investigation:
- Recognizing habit patterns of suffering
- Seeing personality as not-self
- Understanding the nature of thought
- Exploring the processes of mind and body
By cultivating this factor, practitioners develop the ability to see things as they truly are, free from delusion and attachment. This deep understanding forms the basis for liberation from suffering and the realization of ultimate truth.
3. Energy: The Power to Persevere
"Let only my skin, and sinews, and bones remain, and let my flesh and blood in the body dry up, I shall not permit the course of my effort to stop until I win that which may be won by human ability, human effort and human exertion."
Tireless determination. Energy, or viriya, is the driving force behind all accomplishment on the spiritual path. It manifests as strength, courage, and perseverance in the face of challenges and obstacles.
Aspects of energy:
- Shoring up wholesome states
- Courage to face difficulties
- Persistence in practice
Balanced effort is crucial, avoiding both excessive striving and laxity. By cultivating the right amount of energy, practitioners maintain steady progress on the path to awakening, overcoming hindrances and developing wholesome qualities of mind.
4. Rapture: Joy in the Dharma
"When insight is adorned with these qualities, attachment arises which is subtle and peaceful, and it clings to that insight and is not able to discern the attachment as being a defilement."
Exhilaration in practice. Rapture, or pīti, is a factor of awakening that brings joy and delight to the mind and body. It arises from the deepening of practice and the realization of Dharma insights.
Five grades of rapture:
- Minor rapture (lifting of the spine)
- Momentary rapture (sudden jolt of energy)
- Wavelike rapture (thrilling sensations)
- Uplifting rapture (feeling of levitation)
- Pervading rapture (sublime happiness filling the body)
While rapture can be a powerful motivator in practice, it's important to maintain equanimity and not become attached to these pleasant experiences. Practitioners should recognize rapture as another impermanent phenomenon, using it as fuel for further insight rather than a goal in itself.
5. Calm: Tranquility of Mind and Body
"Breathing in, calm the breath; breathing out, calm the breath."
Serene composure. Calm, or passaddhi, is the soothing factor of mind that quiets disturbances and brings peacefulness to both mind and body. It plays a crucial role in deepening concentration and supporting the development of wisdom.
Ways to develop calm:
- Mindfulness of breathing
- Settling back into experience
- Relaxing bodily tensions
- Cultivating a non-striving attitude
As calm deepens, practitioners experience a profound sense of ease and well-being. This tranquility becomes the foundation for deeper states of concentration and insight, allowing the mind to see reality more clearly and peacefully.
6. Concentration: Unifying the Mind
"For one who is concentrated, one knows and sees things as they really are."
Mental unification. Concentration, or samādhi, refers to the unification of mind on a single object or on moment-to-moment changing objects. It is a key factor in developing deep insight and wisdom.
Two types of concentration:
- Fixed-object concentration (leading to jhānas)
- Momentary concentration (basis for vipassanā insights)
Four developments of concentration:
- Pleasant abiding here and now
- Knowledge and vision
- Insight and wisdom
- Uprooting the defilements
By developing strong concentration, practitioners create the conditions for deep understanding and liberation. The concentrated mind is able to see reality clearly, free from the distortions of scattered attention and mental agitation.
7. Equanimity: Balance in All Circumstances
"As a solid mass of rock is not moved by the wind, so a sage is not moved by praise and blame."
Unshakeable balance. Equanimity, or upekkhā, is the factor of awakening that brings balance and evenness to the mind. It allows practitioners to remain steady in the face of life's ups and downs, maintaining composure in all circumstances.
Three aspects of equanimity:
- Balance in worldly vicissitudes (gain/loss, praise/blame, fame/disrepute, pleasure/pain)
- Divine abode (brahmavihāra) of impartiality
- Wisdom aspect of non-preferential awareness
By cultivating equanimity, practitioners develop the ability to meet all experiences with calm and clarity. This balanced mind becomes the foundation for deep wisdom and compassion, allowing one to navigate life's challenges with grace and understanding.
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FAQ
What is "7 Treasures of Awakening: The Benefits of Mindfulness" by Joseph Goldstein about?
- Explores Seven Factors of Awakening: The book is a practical guide to understanding and cultivating the seven factors of awakening as taught in Buddhist tradition: mindfulness, investigation, energy, rapture, calm, concentration, and equanimity.
- Rooted in Buddhist Texts: Goldstein draws from key Buddhist scriptures, especially the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta and the Samyutta Nikāya, to explain how these qualities lead to enlightenment.
- Practical Application: The book offers clear instructions and reflections on how to recognize, develop, and balance these mental qualities in meditation and daily life.
- Addresses Common Challenges: It discusses obstacles like the five hindrances and provides advice for overcoming them through the cultivation of the seven factors.
Why should I read "7 Treasures of Awakening" by Joseph Goldstein?
- Deepens Mindfulness Practice: The book provides nuanced insights into mindfulness, making it valuable for both beginners and experienced meditators.
- Step-by-Step Guidance: Goldstein offers a sequential approach to developing the seven factors, making the path to awakening accessible and practical.
- Addresses Real-Life Issues: The teachings are applied to everyday challenges, such as dealing with difficult emotions, ethical dilemmas, and the ups and downs of life.
- Bridges Tradition and Modernity: The author skillfully connects ancient Buddhist wisdom with contemporary psychological understanding.
What are the key takeaways from "7 Treasures of Awakening" by Joseph Goldstein?
- Seven Factors as Antihindrances: The seven factors of awakening counteract mental obstacles and incline the mind toward freedom and enlightenment.
- Mindfulness as Foundation: Mindfulness is the essential starting point and balancing force for all other factors.
- Progressive Development: Each factor builds upon the previous, creating a natural progression toward deeper wisdom and equanimity.
- Practical Cultivation: The book emphasizes careful attention, good friendship, and wise reflection as supports for developing these qualities.
What are the Seven Factors of Awakening according to Joseph Goldstein?
- Mindfulness (Sati): The ability to remember and be present with what is happening, serving as the foundation for all other factors.
- Investigation of Dhammas (Dhammavicaya): The wisdom factor that discerns and investigates the nature of experience, distinguishing wholesome from unwholesome states.
- Energy (Viriya): The courageous and persistent effort to abandon unwholesome states and cultivate wholesome ones.
- Rapture (Pīti): A joyful interest and delight in the practice, refreshing the mind and counteracting ill will.
- Calm (Passaddhi): Tranquility and composure of body and mind, soothing disturbances and supporting concentration.
- Concentration (Samādhi): One-pointedness and unification of mind, leading to deep states of absorption and clarity.
- Equanimity (Upekkhā): Unshakeable balance and neutrality of mind, allowing one to remain steady amidst life's vicissitudes.
How does Joseph Goldstein define and explain mindfulness in "7 Treasures of Awakening"?
- Four Qualities of Mindfulness: Not forgetting (stability of awareness), presence of mind (directly facing experience), remembering (calling to mind what is skillful), and close association with wisdom (bare attention and clear comprehension).
- Moral Compass: Mindfulness supports ethical behavior by remembering what is wholesome and unwholesome, aided by the "guardians of the world"—moral shame (hiri) and fear of wrongdoing (ottappa).
- Bare Attention: Mindfulness is simple, direct, and nonjudgmental awareness of things as they are, without adding stories or judgments.
- Springboard for Investigation: For mindfulness to be a factor of awakening, it must lead to investigation and learning, not just passive awareness.
What is the role of investigation (dhammavicaya) in "7 Treasures of Awakening" by Joseph Goldstein?
- Wisdom Factor: Investigation is the discriminating wisdom that illuminates the truth and cuts through ignorance.
- Discerns Skillful from Unskillful: It helps distinguish between wholesome and unwholesome mental states, motivations, and actions.
- Examines Habit Patterns: Investigation allows for the recognition and transformation of habitual suffering and personality tendencies.
- Reveals Impermanence and Selflessness: By investigating thoughts and experiences, one sees their fleeting, empty nature, leading to greater freedom.
How does "7 Treasures of Awakening" by Joseph Goldstein describe the cultivation of energy (viriya)?
- Root of Accomplishment: Energy is essential for abandoning unwholesome states and developing wholesome ones.
- Facets of Energy: Includes strength (shoring up wholesome states), courage (facing difficulties), perseverance, and persistence.
- Balanced Effort: Goldstein emphasizes the importance of tuning effort—neither too tight nor too loose—comparing it to tuning a musical instrument.
- Inspired by Urgency: Spiritual urgency, reflection on death, and the defects of saṃsāra inspire the arousal of energy for practice.
What is rapture (pīti) and how is it experienced and cultivated according to Joseph Goldstein?
- Joyful Interest: Rapture is a refreshing, uplifting joy that arises from practice, counteracting ill will and energizing the mind.
- Five Grades of Rapture: Ranges from minor physical sensations to pervading, sublime happiness throughout the body and mind.
- Arises from Practice: Rapture is born from continuous mindfulness, investigation, and balanced energy.
- Strengthened by Reflection: Reflecting on the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, moral virtue, generosity, devas, and peace can all give rise to rapture.
How does "7 Treasures of Awakening" by Joseph Goldstein explain calm (passaddhi) and its importance?
- Tranquility and Composure: Calm soothes disturbances in body and mind, bringing peacefulness and sincerity.
- Sequential Development: Calm arises naturally from rapture and is essential for deeper concentration and insight.
- Cultivated through Mindfulness: Mindfulness of breathing, relaxing bodily formations, and settling back into experience foster calm.
- Role in Liberation: Calm allows the mind to abandon desire and agitation, creating the conditions for concentration and wisdom.
What is the significance of concentration (samādhi) in "7 Treasures of Awakening" by Joseph Goldstein?
- Unification of Mind: Concentration brings one-pointedness, steadiness, and nondistractedness, essential for insight and liberation.
- Two Types: Fixed-object concentration (leading to absorption/jhāna) and momentary concentration (supporting insight/vipassanā).
- Developed Gradually: Concentration is strengthened through ethical conduct, mindfulness of breathing, and patient, persistent practice.
- Works with Other Factors: Concentration supports and is supported by mindfulness, investigation, and calm, creating a stable foundation for wisdom.
How does Joseph Goldstein describe equanimity (upekkhā) and its role in awakening?
- Unshakeable Balance: Equanimity is evenness of mind, allowing one to remain steady amidst gain/loss, praise/blame, fame/disrepute, and pleasure/pain.
- Not Indifference: It is a beautiful, impartial quality that holds all experiences equally, not a disconnected or cold state.
- Wisdom Aspect: Equanimity supports deep insight into impermanence, suffering, and selflessness, culminating in non-clinging awareness.
- Cultivated Through Practice: Developed by letting go of attachment, associating with wise people, practicing brahmavihāra meditations, and maintaining continuous mindfulness.
What are the best quotes from "7 Treasures of Awakening" by Joseph Goldstein and what do they mean?
- “The mind, hard to control, flighty, alighting where it wishes, one does well to tame. The well-trained mind brings happiness.”
- Highlights the importance of training the mind through mindfulness and concentration for true happiness.
- “No deed is good that one regrets having done.”
- Emphasizes the role of ethical conduct and mindfulness in guiding actions that lead to peace rather than remorse.
- “Praise and blame, gain and loss, pleasure and sorrow come and go like the wind. To be happy, rest like a great tree in the midst of them all.”
- Illustrates the essence of equanimity—remaining unmoved by life's changing circumstances.
- “It is the truth that liberates, not your efforts to be free.”
- Points to the centrality of wisdom and direct insight, rather than mere striving, in achieving liberation.
- “There is no higher happiness than peace.”
- Underscores the ultimate goal of the path: the deep, abiding happiness found in inner peace and equanimity.
Review Summary
7 Treasures of Awakening receives high praise from readers, with an average rating of 4.10/5. Reviewers appreciate Goldstein's clear explanations of mindfulness concepts and practical tips for meditation. Many find the book insightful and helpful for daily life, highlighting its accessibility for Western audiences. Some readers note the book's value in understanding Buddhist philosophy and its relevance beyond religious contexts. While a few find certain concepts challenging, most agree that the book offers valuable guidance for personal growth and spiritual development.
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