Episode Overview

Podcast: 10% Happier with Dan Harris
Episode: Joseph Goldstein On How To Train Your Runaway Brain
Date: January 1, 2026
Theme:
This episode kicks off 2026 with a deep dive into how we can train our often unruly, distracted, and “ridiculous” minds. Host Dan Harris and legendary meditation teacher Joseph Goldstein discuss a series of pithy, practice-based phrases—colloquial “Buddhist earworms”—that have been central in Joseph’s teachings and offer practical tools for meditation and everyday life. The conversation centers on why these guiding phrases work, how to use them, and what to do when the mind inevitably wanders.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Phrases Matter in Meditation

• Origins of Phrases ([05:49])
  Joseph Goldstein explains that most of these phrases emerged intuitively for him during his own meditation practice, serving as “little hacks” to unhook himself from stuck patterns or distracting thoughts.

  "It just comes as a... little hack that gets me unhooked." —Joseph Goldstein [05:53]

• These phrases function as an “inner dharma coach”—arising spontaneously and offering gentle, on-the-spot support to bring mindfulness back online.

  "They come intuitively. I like the creative aspect—it just appears. Oh yeah, that's right on. That really gets to the point." —Joseph Goldstein [09:17]

2. Just Begin Again: The Granddaddy Phrase

• Gentle Reorientation ([10:57])
  “Just begin again” is a compassionate instruction for returning to the anchor after distraction, normalizing mind-wandering as a foundational part of meditation.

  "It's just a really simple reminder... be gentle with our own minds in the face of the wandering mind, with that soft reminder: just begin again." —Joseph Goldstein [12:05]

• Mind-wandering is not failure but rather the very process of training.

  "Getting lost and starting again is meditation. It is not an obstacle to overcome en route to proper meditation." —Sharon Salzberg [17:25]

• Puppy Training Analogy ([13:41]):
  Joseph likens training the mind to training a puppy: the repetition is the practice.

  "We're all dumb puppies in this context...it's a training process." —Joseph Goldstein [14:52]

3. Sit and Know You’re Sitting

• Radical Simplicity ([18:51])
  The phrase, originating from Joseph's first teacher, Munindraji, emphasizes stripping meditation down to just recognizing you're sitting—with the entire Dharma revealed in that direct awareness.

  "Just sit and know you're sitting...and the whole of the Dharma will be revealed." —Joseph Goldstein [19:06]

• This approach invites relaxed alertness and openness to whatever arises.

  "It suggests a very relaxed yet alert quality of mind. That combination... is really the balance that we're aiming for in meditation." —Joseph Goldstein [21:31]

4. Relaxed, Not Casual; More or Less Mindful

• The Balance of Practice ([28:23])
  Joseph cautions against being too “casual” in mindfulness, where attention is only “more or less” present, allowing background thoughts to proliferate undetected.

  "It's very easy to be moving about, kind of mindful. We're not totally spaced out, but we're not feeling the experience closely." [29:18]

• Detecting Rushing ([32:12]):
  Subtle rushing—energetically leaning into the next moment even without external speed—signals loss of full presence.

  "Rushing has nothing to do with speed. It has to do with whether one is balanced and really back in the present." —Joseph Goldstein [34:31]

  • Memorable Example: Joseph describes slow walking meditation, noticing an “inner energetic rushing” toward the lunch bell even though his pace remained slow. [33:18]

5. What’s the Attitude in the Mind?

• Monitoring Subtle Energies ([37:47])
  By periodically asking “What’s the attitude in the mind right now?” meditators recognize hidden toppling forward or judgmental attitudes—a reset cue with transformative impact.

  "As soon as I did that, 'What's the attitude?' I could feel my mind settling back from the leaning forward...It was a leaning forward I was not even aware was there." —Joseph Goldstein [37:47]

6. Mara, I See You

• Dealing with Unwholesome Patterns ([41:14])
  Invoking “Mara, I see you”—the traditional Buddhist response to delusion or unhelpful mental states—shifts identification and enables letting go with humor.

  "In the moment of recognizing what's going on—to say, 'Mara, I see you,' really effects the letting go." —Joseph Goldstein [42:39]

• Joseph adds the playful “wagging the finger at Mara” gesture, reinforcing humor and lightness as crucial in practice. [43:09]

7. The Mind Has No Pride / Ridiculousness

• Liberation in Humor ([45:57])
  A favorite phrase: “the mind has no pride.” Embracing the ridiculousness of mental content is freeing rather than discouraging.

  "What's helpful about this realization is that it's actually liberating. Because...there's a lot, of course, we're talking about the ridiculous aspects." —Joseph Goldstein [46:29]

• Why Is the Mind Like This? ([48:05])
  Our "ridiculous" minds are the product of deeply entrenched habits of attention and unexamined conditioning. As mindfulness strengthens, old tendencies have less space to operate.

8. Undercurrent of Thoughts, Thieves of Meditation, Dreaming Yourself Into Existence

• Subtle Forces ([63:17])
  Joseph describes the “undercurrent of thoughts”—a continual, lightly passing flow of (often self-referential) thoughts operating like a background soundtrack, shaping moods and conditioning even when we're unaware.

  "This undercurrent of thoughts is like the soundtrack of our lives." —Joseph Goldstein [67:49]

• Being Stolen from ([68:11])
  "The thieves of meditation... they've stolen our mindfulness," Joseph says, emphasizing the need to become aware of and gently interrupt this continual self-dreaming.

  "I'm just dreaming myself into existence in all of these moments when I'm lost in the undercurrent of thought." —Joseph Goldstein [66:25]

9. Deconditioning and Interest

• Root Issue: Ignorance ([57:38], [60:10])
  Sharon summarizes the Buddhist teaching of “causes and conditions” and Joseph reaffirms: at the root is ignorance—failure to see impermanence, leading to patterns of craving, clinging, and reactivity.

  "Because of ignorance, we're not necessarily attuned on an experiential level to the process of momentary change... It's that wisdom, as opposed to ignorance, which starts to decondition clinging and craving." —Joseph Goldstein [58:11], [59:36]

• Practice Is Powered by Interest ([71:56])
  The key attitude is not striving, but deep curiosity:

  "The mind is fascinating... Mind is the forerunner of all things... What could be more interesting than really exploring everything it's doing?" —Joseph Goldstein [71:56], [73:15]

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “It just comes as a little hack that gets me unhooked from whatever I might be dealing with in the moment.” —Joseph Goldstein [05:58]
• “Just begin again with a real gentleness in the mind.” —Joseph Goldstein [12:05]
• “We’re all dumb puppies in this context... That is more typical.” —Joseph Goldstein [14:52]
• “Getting lost and starting again is meditation. It is not an obstacle.” —Sharon Salzberg [17:25]
• “What's the attitude in the mind right now?” —Joseph Goldstein, citing U Tejaniya [37:47]
• “Mara, I see you.” —Joseph Goldstein [41:14]
• “The mind has no pride.” —Unattributed teaching referenced by Goldstein [46:15]
• “The mind will do so many crazy things. Just a little sense of humor story...” —Joseph Goldstein [43:32]
• “This undercurrent of thoughts is like the soundtrack of our lives.” —Joseph Goldstein [67:49]
• “I'm just dreaming myself into existence in all these moments.” —Joseph Goldstein [66:25]
• “The mind is fascinating… Mind is the forerunner of all things.” —Joseph Goldstein [71:56]
• “Our whole lives are the manifestation of our minds... it's as interesting now as it was in the beginning.” —Joseph Goldstein [73:15]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 05:49 — The origins of teaching phrases and their function as “little hacks.”
• 10:57 — Introduction and unpacking of “Just begin again.”
• 13:41 — Puppy training as a metaphor for the mind.
• 18:51 — Sit and know you're sitting; the simplicity of direct awareness.
• 21:31 — The importance of balanced, relaxed alertness.
• 28:23 — More or less mindful, casual attention, and the perils of unnoticed background thought.
• 32:12 — Subtle signals of “rushing” and energetic leaning forward.
• 37:47 — Using “what’s the attitude in the mind?” as a practice cue.
• 41:14 — “Mara, I see you” and humor in practice.
• 45:57 — Embracing the mind’s “ridiculousness” as liberating.
• 48:05 — Why are our minds like this? Habits of attention and conditioning.
• 57:38 — Causes, conditions, and the centrality of ignorance in Buddhist psychology.
• 63:17 — Undercurrent of thoughts, the thieves of meditation, and dreaming oneself into existence.
• 66:25 / 67:49 — The subtle soundtrack analogy.
• 71:56 — Interest and curiosity as motivation for lifelong practice.

Conclusion

This episode blends warmth, humor, and lived experience, making complex Buddhist psychological insights accessible and actionable for contemporary listeners. Joseph Goldstein and Dan Harris, with Sharon Salzberg’s insightful contributions, explore practical phrase-based interventions—the “Buddhist earworms” that gently nudge the mind back on track. Key takeaways: approach your mind with interest and humor, normalize distraction, and use these simple, memorable phrases both on the meditation cushion and in everyday life. The goal: less self-judgment, more gentle awareness, and a foundational curiosity about the stream of your own consciousness.