This talk adds to the discussion from last week, which focused on the Five Aggregates With Clinging doctrine. This week’s topic is paticca sammupada, typically translated as dependent origination. Peter applies a new translation, contingent provisional emergence, which connects the ancient Buddhist doctrine to modern theories regarding the complexity of the brain’s functioning. The twelve functions of paticca sammupada were listed and briefly reviewed to clarify how the brain creates a meaningful self organizing process relative to what external circumstantial stimulation provides. This review was followed by discussion about the implications of this conceptual understanding for fostering a less stressful self experience.
This exploration continues next week with a further elaboration of paticca sammupada, which is regarded as a core concept on the Buddhist path towards liberation from distress and confusion. Here are the notes prepared for this discussion: Contingent Provisional Emergence. Participants are encouraged to read the notes to further familiarize with the twelve functions of this concept in order to understand this complex concept more thoroughly. Next week’s talk will “dive deeper” into the doctrine to clarify the ways it might be psychologically and spiritually beneficial.
Here is an additional .doc file that replicates the Cetasikas poster on the wall of the meditation hall, referred to during the discussion: CETASIKAS POSTER