by Peter Carlson | Jun 1, 2017 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This evening’s project is to use the worksheet attached below to list various beliefs, values and expectations we experience on a hierarchical scale, in order to practice noticing how craving and clinging occurs as well as how to activate and strengthen nekkhamma, renunciation, to free the mind from attachment to outcomes in daily life experience.
A significant portion of the evening’s discussion involved participants talking through the examples, while Peter commented on how that relates to renunciation.
Here is the worksheet developed for this exercise: RENUNCIATION WORKSHEET
Peter will be away for a few weeks. Various guest teachers will present their discussions over the next few meetings. These talks will not be recorded for posting. During Peter’s next talk on June 21, the Parami of Wisdom will be explored.
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by Peter Carlson | May 25, 2017 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk explores the benefits of the Parami of renunciation, which is the ability to disregard any self-state organization that interferes with the process of liberation from distress and confusion. Peter quoted excerpts from an article that describes different applications of renunciation: from physical phenomena, from mental formations and from craving and clinging. The practice of noting what has distracted attention from breath awareness, then renouncing the distraction to redirect attention back to the breath was described as the fundamental practice of renunciation. Renunciation is related to detachment from mental phenomena and dispassion regarding mental phenomena, essential capabilities required for liberation. Peter then described the neurological processes related to renunciation, that is, an enhanced executive function of the prefrontal cortex, which regulates the reactivity generated by the amygdala and nucleus accumbens. This explanation was followed by discussion of the concept of renunciation by those in the meeting.
Here are the notes prepared for this discussion: THE BENEFITS OF RENUNCIATION
Next week’s meeting will involve exercises related to the practice of renunciation.
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by Peter Carlson | May 18, 2017 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This continues a series of discussions regarding the Paramis, the qualities of the mind to be perfected in support of the awakening process. Tonight’s topic is Sila (pronounced shelah), virtue. During the talk, Peter read excerpts from the Sigalavada Sutta, within which the Buddha describes mental characteristics operating when virtue is absent and when it is functioning well. This sutta also describes the different virtuous actions taken relative to different relationship circumstances. He also quoted from Ajahn Buddhadassa’s book “Heartwood Of The Bodhi Tree-The Buddha’s Teaching On Voidness”, regarding the correlation between the absence of a separate self (voidness) and the expression of virtue. Peter then considered how the cultivation of virtue may have evolutionary value, in the same way that the historical emergence of language enabled the development of civilization. This was followed by engaged discussion among the people present during the meeting.
Here are the notes prepared for this discussion: The Benefits Of Virtue
Next week’s topic will be the Parami of renunciation.
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by Peter Carlson | May 11, 2017 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk follows up on the talk last week involving the Parami of Generosity. Each person attending was given a worksheet, (the .doc file posted below) to review, creating a hierarchy of valuing possessions, from relatively unimportant to the most important. This was followed by a participatory group discussion of the items on the list, including how the attachment to that thing creates a sense of self that must be defended or gratified, thereby fostering distress and confusion, a resistance regarding the practice of generosity.
Here is the worksheet provided for listing and contemplating how the valuing process regarding material possessions contributes to selfing: Generosity Worksheet
For those participating in the meeting, please note that this posted document has two pages instead of one; the second page offers suggestions for contemplation.
Next week’s topic will explore the classical and contemporary commentary on the benefits of cultivating the Parami of Virtue
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by Peter Carlson | May 4, 2017 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This is the second of a series of talks exploring the Paramis, translated as the qualities of mind to be perfected during the awakening process. The topic for this talk is dana, generosity. Some references to how the Buddha’s teachings were reported, followed by contemporary research on the personal and social benefits of altruism. This was followed by a discussion among those present about how generosity has been personally applied beneficially.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: The Benefits Of Generosity
The topic for next week’s discussion is the Parami of sila, the Pali term for virtue.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:05:14 — 119.4MB)
