by Peter Carlson | Feb 26, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk continues the exploration of the section of the Anapanasati Sutta that refers to “…sensitive to the mind conditioners…calming the mind conditioners”. The focus of tonight’s discussion are the 14 unwholesome mind conditioners. During the dialogues, Peter emphasized that the elaborate categorization of the various mind conditioners isn’t intended to be just a scholarly, intellectual analysis, but rather a way to notice that each moment of self-experience is composed from different elemental conditioners. The practice of vipassana trains the mind to be agile enough and insightful enough to “see with the mind’s eye” how the various conditioners can be noted, demonstrating that there is no solid, enduring self.
This recording is accompanied by the preceding post, containing notes for the presentation. Next week’s exploration will begin to focus on the wholesome mind conditioners, as they function to overcome the unwholesome conditioners and build momentum towards awakening.
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by Peter Carlson | Feb 26, 2015 | Intro to Buddhism & Meditation
These notes accompany this week’s dhamma dialogue, and the .mp3 recording has the same title: THE UNWHOLESOME MIND CONDITIONERS
by Peter Carlson | Feb 19, 2015 | Intro to Buddhism & Meditation
HOW MIND CONDITIONERS WORK
THE UNIVERSAL AND OCCASIONAL CETASIKAS
In exploring the section of the Anapanasati Sutta related to training oneself to be “…sensitive to mental fabrication…calming mental fabrication”, there’s benefit in understanding the nature of the factors that fabricate each moment of self-awareness. These fabrications emerge from the categories of conditioning factors called cetasikas. The meaning of the term is “that which is associated with the mind”. This term is a kind of categorical listing of what are called sankharas, a term synonymous with karma. Both are derived from the word karoti, which means “to do”. If you imagine the cetasikas to be just the conditioners, then the “action potential” is karma. For me, the basic value of the cetasika “system” is to “deconstruct” the notion of a separate, enduring self.
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by Peter Carlson | Feb 19, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk continues the exploration of the Anapanasati Sutta. The topic this week is “…sensitive to the mind fabrications…calming the mind fabrications”, regarding the cetasikas, the categorically listed functions of the mind. Specific attention was given to the universal cetasikas, involved in every moment of cognition, and the particular or occasional cetasikas, which may or may not be involved. Peter emphasized that these functions were developed over the centuries after the historical Buddha as part of the Abhidhamma, the “higher teachings” of Buddhist psychology. They can be somewhat dry as a focus of study; their value is in “deconstructing” the belief in a separate, enduring self or soul.
This was followed by general discussion of how training awareness to discern the emerging formations increases the functional competency of the seven awakening factors, particularly “investigation of mental phenomena”.
Next week’s discussion will review the 14 “unwholesome mind conditioners”.
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by Peter Carlson | Feb 12, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this dhamma dialogue, Peter explored the transition from cultivating a calm and stable focus of attention to the practice of vipassana, insight into the conditioned nature of subjective reality. He described the meanings of kamma (karma in Sanskrit), sankhara, cetasikas and cetana. Kamma and sankhara are almost synonymous and the cetasikas are categories of the different functions of the personality that are organized into kamma by cetana, intention.
This was followed by discussion of how kamma functions in action and how breath awareness interrupts the formation of self-states, allowing opportunities to modify the mind conditioners toward more wholesome and adaptive functions.
Next week’s discussion will focus in on the cetasikas, to foster a deepening insight into how self-states are formed, deconstructing the misperception of a separate, enduring self.
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