These notes were written by Peter in preparation for the talks presented over the last several weeks. The fourth tetrad of the sutta provides training for the practice of vipassana (insight), emphasizing awareness of impermanence, dispassion, liberation and letting go. Here are the notes: ANAPANASATI SUTTA FOURTH TETRAD
The next recording posted will review all four tetrads as representative of the four foundations of mindfulness.
During this talk, Peter continued to describe the elements of the fourth tetrad of the Anapanasati Sutta, emphasizing the coordinating functions of examining impermanence, dispassion, cessation and renunciation through ongoing breath awareness. The process of awakening can be experienced on two levels: letting go of unwholesome self-states, and, ultimately, letting go of the process of craving and clinging.
Future discussions will describe how this integrating process fosters realizing the potential of the four foundations of mindfulness and the seven factors of awakening.
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This talk was recorded on April 8, 2015, and is the follow-up on the talk entitled “Anapanasati And Anicca April 1 2015. During this talk, Peter described how mindfulness of the arising and passing away of mental fabrications leads naturally to a sense of decreased “energy” or “thirst” regarding craving and clinging. Peter also emphasized how important samadhi/passadhi (concentration/tranquility) are to “draining away:” the potency of craving. This was followed by a lively discussion of how to cultivate dispassion. During next week’s talk, the topic of cessation will be explored as part of the Fourth Tetrad of the Anapanasati Sutta.
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During this talk, Peter briefly reviewed the cultivation of samadhi/passadhi (concentration/tranquility) in the first three tetrads of the Anapanasati Sutta, then read a translation of the fourth tetrad, which is focuses on vipassana. The four characteristics to be investigated during the breathing in and out cycle are impermanence, dispassion, cessation and renunciation. The primary focus of discussion was on impermanence, which is more usefully termed inconstancy. This was associated with dukkha, dissatisfaction. This explanation was followed by a discussion of how different folks at the meeting experience inconstancy and the benefits of this investigation on the path of Awakening.
Next week’s talk will revisit the fourth tetrad, with more emphasis on the cultivation of viraga, dispassion.
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This is the last of the series of dhamma talks provided during the retreat. At the beginning, Tommy Harrison gave a brief talk on the power of generosity and gratitude for the teachings and the practice. After that, Peter reviewed the week’s progression of practice and described various ways that the process of awakening can be furthered after the retreat ended and regular life routines resumed.
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