by Peter Carlson | May 16, 2024 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This recording provides supportive suggestions for recognizing the various manifestations of feelings–pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral, both worldly and unworldly. The goal of this meditation is to learn how to let go of unwholesome feeling tones–impulsive reactivity in the mind–to skillfully develop insight into the transitory and impersonal nature of subjective experience.
This meditation is intended to supplement the conceptual knowledge contained in the Dharma talk that followed it, and which is posted in the Archives as “Skillfully Managing Feelings”.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:57 — 41.1MB)
by Peter Carlson | May 9, 2024 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk focuses on cultivating a deeper and more useful understanding of two important Buddhist concepts: Non-self and Emptiness. The concepts don’t translate well into English from the original Pali teachings, so Peter uses various contemporary scientific and psychological research results to clarify the terms. Non-self is a way to understand what contemporary neuroscience calls neuroplasticity, while Emptiness is better understood as the quality of attention that is not dominated by the urgent demands of craving and clinging–a maturation of the quietness and stability that can be associated with the development of neutral feeling towards equanimity.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Fullness or Emptiness
The focus of next week’s talk will be on the Second Foundation of Mindfulness, which focuses on understanding and working with pleasant, unpleasant and neutral feeling tones more skillfully.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:46 — 62.0MB)
by Peter Carlson | May 2, 2024 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Mindfully contemplating the subjective experience of the Four Elements: Earth, Wind,Fire, and Water is mentioned in the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse as part of the category “Mindfulness of the Body”. During the talk, Peter describes the characteristics of each Element, along with how they can be useful for interrupting internal “selfing stories”. This talk is meant to be accompanied by the recording in the archives entitled “Four Elements Contemplation”. Those present for the meeting shared their experiences during the meditation and sought clarification regarding the topic.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Working With the Four Elements Contemplations
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 58:46 — 53.8MB)
by Peter Carlson | May 2, 2024 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This guided meditation provides suggestions for contemplating what are called the Four Elements: Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water. These contemplations are embedded within the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse. Peter describes the subjective characteristics of each of the Elements and suggests different areas of the body to mindfully investigate their nature. This guided meditation is intended to accompany the Dharma talk entitled ” Working With The Four Elements Contemplation”, which explains how developing proficiency in this training exercise interrupts hindering internal chatter and supports differentiating the separate characteristics of physical sensational awareness and co-occurring fabricating function of the mind. This understanding increases one’s ability to “deconstruct” belief in an enduring/autonomous self.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:56 — 41.1MB)
by Peter Carlson | Apr 4, 2024 | Listen to Dharma Talks
The traditional rendering of samma ajiva in english is Right Livelihood; during this talk, Peter revises this part of the Noble Eightfold Path as Right Lifestyle, as life is more complex and more stressful psychologically in contemporary American culture. He describes the demands of work, finances, societal conflict, physical well-being, and environmental disruption through the way we live from waking to sleeping each day–our lifestyle patterns–and how the Four Noble Truth’s concepts and practices can be effectively applied to create a lifestyle that is more resilient, more serene, and more responsible. His presentation is followed by comments from those participating in the meeting.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk, which include several relevant quotes from Theravada Buddhist suttas that support the cultivation of Right Lifestyle: Creating Right Lifestyle
The topic reviewed next week by Lezlie Laws will be the first aspect of the Mental Discipline Aggregate of the Noble Eightfold Path, Right Effort.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:09:04 — 63.2MB)
