Join Daniel Goleman and Tsoknyi Rinpoche as they discuss their new book, Why We Meditate. This conversation follows the structure of the book, with Rinpoche responding to questions from Andrew, and Daniel offering the science behind what Rinpoche covers. The podcast begins with the aspirations behind this book, what they both want readers to walk away with. Rinpoche then talks about his notion of “beautiful monsters,” and gives the example of how to work with anger in a new way, distinguishing between useful and useless anger. Rinpoche connects this to “essence love,” and his wonderful “handshake” practice. Daniel and Rinpoche then talk about balancing the two views behind meditation: are we training to achieve certain qualities, or dis-covering them? What about the sense of hollowness that so many feel today? Where does that sense of lack come from, and what can we do about it? Rinpoche and Daniel then go into depth about the “Four I’s” - the mere I, reified I, needy I, and the social I - and how this relates to the issue of egolessness. This acts as platform into the topic of reification, and its central role in creating suffering. Both guests talk about the contribution of Western psychology, and therapy as an indispensable tool for benefiting meditators. In Part II of this podcast, with Daniel alone, the discussion turns to the promise and peril of having science study meditation, and the “state of the union” of this marriage. Daniel then shares some of the surprises of his meta-analysis (conducted with the neuroscientist Richard Davidson) of thousands of studies, including how much bad research is published. The discussion turns to the issue of “wide” vs. “deep” approaches to meditation, before talking about compassion, and the difference between compassion and empathy. What is the best practice to cultivate compassion? Daniel speaks about three kinds of empathy: cognitive, emotional, and empathic concern. The conversation closes with a look at the difference between attention and mindfulness, and a few words about his influential book Destructive Emotions. More about the book "Why We Meditate":www.simonandschuster.com/book...