by Peter Carlson | Nov 20, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Lezlie Laws describes the acronym RAIN: Recognize, Accept, Investigate, Non-Self as a way to approach the challenges of everyday life. She is a proponent of spiritual journaling, and shares an excerpt from her personal journal entry to demonstrate how mindfulness, investigation and acknowledging the impersonal nature of our internal selfing process brings insight into our intrapersonal conflicts.
Here are two URL’s that provide descriptive content regarding RAIN:
https://www.tarabrach.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/TaraBrach_RAIN_A-Practice-of-Radical-Compassion.pdf
Here’s a link of Michele McDonald’s version of RAIN, including the second half – DROP. https://vipassanahawaii.org/resources/raindrop/
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:19 — 61.6MB)
by Peter Carlson | Nov 13, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, April continues her review of the Noble Eightfold Path, focusing on Right Effort, describing the Four Noble Efforts and how to develop them skillfully. Her review includes questions and comments from those participating in the meeting.
Here are the notes prepared for the talk: Right effort notes
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:05:52 — 60.3MB)
by Peter Carlson | Nov 6, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk continues a series of reviews presented by Allie Vaknin focusing on the paramis, those wholesome conditions of the mind that, when cultivated to their greatest potential, create the conditions for Awakening, the direct realization of Nirvana. Allie emphasizes the importance of direct subjective awareness of unwholesome conditions and the intentional “letting go” of the craving/clinging that creates the unwholesomeness. Her presentation is accompanied by various comments and questions by those attending the meeting.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 57:14 — 52.4MB)
by Peter Carlson | Oct 30, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Each generation must understand the principles found in the Noble Eightfold Path in the context of the culture of that time. During this talk, April Koester continues to review the Virtue component of the path, specifically how current developments such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the pressures of contemporary life can be associated with Right Livelihood. The talk follows up on her previously posted talks on Right Speech and Right Action that were recently recorded.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: RIGHT LIVELIHOOD DHARMA TALK – Google Docs
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:02:01 — 56.8MB)
by Peter Carlson | Oct 24, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Lezlie Laws continues her review of the Five Hindrances, emphasizing how various teachers such as Joseph Goldstein, Shaila Catherine, and Gil Fronsdal approach effectively setting them aside.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:01:34 — 56.4MB)
