Orlando Insight Meditation Group

Intensive Book Study Group led by Peter Carlson

I have decided that the recommended reading for the next intensive study group is “The Issue at Hand—Essays on Buddhist Mindfulness Practice” by Gil Fronsdal. The book can be bought through Amazon or downloaded for free through this...

How to Change Your Mind-a One Day Retreat in Apopka on May 10th

A basic Buddhist concept acknowledges that the mind is in a constant flow state, changing from moment to moment. This day of practice provides support for training the mind to more skillfully manage how these changes occur, interrupting unwholesome self-creating...

LifeArt Meditation with Lezlie Laws

In addition to our weekly Sangha, we invite you to join the monthly LifeArt Meditation Group, offered on the second Tuesday of every month from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. In these sessions we explore the habits of the mind and the structures of living that allow us to live...

Wednesday Night Meetings

Sangha meetings are held every Wednesday evening from 7pm to 9pm and can be attended in person or via zoom. The in person meetings are held at Peter Carlson's home at 1818 Carrigan Ave., Winter Park, FL 32789. For those who haven’t been to the site, the house is the...

TOPIC FOR Wednesday, April 30th, 2025 Meeting from 7pm – 9pm ET

We will begin with a 45 minute meditation followed by a Dharma talk. Tonight’s topic:

Monitoring and Managing Intentions

During this talk, Peter will review the fundamental importance of monitoring and managing intentions, which operate to create our experience of selfing during every moment of subjective awareness. Mindfulness, Investigation and Right Effort regarding intentions allows us to cultivate wholesome karma. He will also describe the various neuronal systems in the brain that contemporary research suggests are involved with the formation of thoughts and actions associated with intentions and how regular mindfulness meditation practice strengthens the executive functioning of the brain.

Click here for more information about joining the meeting in person.

Click here to join Zoom Meeting.

Meeting ID: 847 1472 3882

Passcode: 620329

We hope you can join us, and we wish you well.

Latest Dharma Talk:

Intention Creates the Self

During this talk, Peter reviews the characteristics of intention, suggesting that this function of the mind emerges from the complex interactions between various neurological networks in the brain, not attributable to the existence of a self. This contemporary view of how intentions form and operate describes two functions of consciousness–cognitive intentions and behavioral intentions. We can train to be able to mindfully monitor the emerging intentions associated with thoughts and beliefs, accompanied by the ability to mindfully attend to the intention to either act or not act on the cognitive manifestations, depending upon their ethical attributes or suitability in a situation. This review includes quotes from Buddhist commentaries on the characteristics of cetana, the Pali word typically translated as intention or volition.

This talk was preceded by a supportive guided meditation: “Guided Contemplation of Intention”, which is posted in the Audio archive on this site.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Intention Creates the Self