by Peter Carlson | Mar 27, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This meeting involved a review by some of the participants in the nine day retreat from March 13 to the 22nd. First Peter reviewed the structure of the course, which blended practices found in the Anapanasati Sutta (mindfulness of breathing discourse) and the vedanupassana (body sweep) practice that Peter was trained in by his first teacher Ruth Denison and several retreats during which he was trained in the tradition taught by S. N. Goenka. The benefit of the body sweep was explained as a way to cultivate the seven awakening factors, especially mindfulness, investigation of mental phenomena, effort/persistence and concentration. the remaining three factors, joy, tranquility and equanimity, emerge more effectively as practice deepens.
Following this post, the dhamma talks recorded during the retreat will be posted as .mp3 files, along with some of the notes Peter referred to.
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by Peter Carlson | Mar 12, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this dhamma dialogue, Peter completed the review of the 52 cetasikas (mind conditioners), in order to clarify the meaning of “calming the mind conditioners” in the Anapanasati Sutta (Mindfulness of Breathing Discourse). The focus was on the “six beautiful pairs” of mind conditioners, that is, the pairing of mind conditioners and the level of conscious awareness which is harmonious and integrated in functioning. These conditioners play a key role in the practice of vipassana and foster the process of awakening to direct realization of Wholesome Understanding, the first of the Wisdom characteristics of the Noble Eightfold Path.
The accompanying notes are attached just prior to this posting.
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by Peter Carlson | Mar 12, 2015 | Intro to Buddhism & Meditation
This posting contains the notes for the dhamma dialogue presented by Peter on March 11, 2015. The focus of this talk reviews the remaining wholesome mind conditioners, emphasizing the “six beautiful pairs”. Peter suggested that these conditioners represent a harmonious and integrated reflective interaction between the mind conditioners and the quality of conscious awareness associated with them. He also suggested that these pairings are most effective in the process of vipassana, stating that after several days of cultivating samadhi/passadhi (concentration/tranquility) during an intensive retreat, the operation of these pairs becomes increasingly evident, enlivening the practice of vipassana. He then reviewed the wholesome virtues (Right Speech, Action and Livelihood) and the cultivation of compassion and sympathetic joy. Culmination of the process of awakening, fostered by vipassana practice, perfecting the seven factors of awakening, results in the last of the mind conditioners listed, Wholesome Understanding. Here is the attached file: WHOLESOME MIND CONDITIONERS PART 2
by Peter Carlson | Mar 5, 2015 | Intro to Buddhism & Meditation
This posting contains the notes associated with the previously posted .mp3 recording of March 4, 2015: WHOLESOME MIND CONDITIONERS
by Peter Carlson | Mar 5, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This is the first of two discussions about the wholesome cetasikas, the mind conditioners that foster the process of awakening. The seven factors are confidence, mindfulness, wholesome conscience, fear of consequences (respect for karma), non-attachment, non-aversion (lovingkindness), and equanimity. Peter described the process of identifying and cultivating these factors as “feeding the angels”.
During the discussion, Peter encouraged participants to develop the ability to quickly identify each mind conditioner as another way to see the impersonality of life experience, that is, that there are moments of awareness of the associated mind conditioners, not a separate, enduring self.
These conditioners are essential elements in the practice of vipassana, developing the process of awakening. Next week’s discussion will investigate the remaining wholesome conditioners, especially those 12 called “the beautiful pairs”.
The notes for this discussion are found in the next posting.
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