During this talk, Peter described how his 1970’s “flower child” interests in environmental health matured through the practice of Buddhist mindfulness meditation.  A central focus of attention for the talk was “Voluntary Simplicity”, a book he read by Duane Elgin in the early ’80’s that was a strong inspiration for his current “low carbon footprint” lifestyle and commitment to bringing Buddhist principles and practices to Central Florida.  Elgin’s work grew from a powerful meditation experience during a Tibetan Buddhist retreat; his work since then has been an expansion of those insights into the intricate interdependence of the universe and the role of Right Livelihood in realizing that interdependence through a lifestyle informed by an intentional simplification of contemporary life in this consumer culture.  The review of voluntary simplicity was followed by a vigorous discussion among those present about how this approach to life is beneficial.

The notes prepared for this discussion have important information related to the talk including a URL of a YouTube interview of Duane Elgin that might be of interest.  Here are the notes:  Buddhism And Voluntary Simplicity

Here is a copy of the article on voluntary simplicity referred to during the talk:  voluntary_simplicity

The focus on various aspects of using mindfulness practices to cope with contemporary societal distress and confusion will continue–the topic for next week’s discussion is not yet determined.

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