by Peter Carlson | Jul 3, 2014 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Continuing the ongoing exploration of the Four Noble Truths, Peter described the concept of the Five Aggregates affected by clinging, which is referred to in the Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness teaching. Using a graphic illustration, he showed how the factors of perception and feeling create a “bridge” between incoming sense data and the further processing that occurs before conscious awareness (the graphic and accompanying notes are posted on the site as well). Without the benefit of mindfulness, concentration and tranquility, perception is biased and distorted by the conditioning factors, with the result that what is transitory and non-self is misperceived as enduring and a self. The practice of vipassana can reveal the misperception and reorient the energy of the mind toward clear awareness and benevolent intention. This is the process of awakening.
during the next dialogue, Peter will describe how a conceptual and experiential understanding of perception and feeling is contained within the doctrine of paticca samuppada, dependent origination. Peter will develop a different translation of this term, as “contingent provisional emergence”
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (0.0KB)
by Peter Carlson | Jun 26, 2014 | Listen to Dharma Talks
As is our custom, after a significant retreat event, there’s a dialogue about the retreat experience amongst the participants. Since much of what occurs is deeper than conscious awareness, having the opportunity to talk about the experience among other knowledgeable meditation students can consolidate the learning and make it more accessible in daily life routines. The group discussion this evening was among experienced practitioners, so the dialogue was at a more advanced level. Next week’s dialogue will begin to explore the next stanzas of the Satipatthana Sutta, mindfulness of mental objects, involving the Buddhist concept of self-structure, the Five Aggregates of Clinging. This series of explorations will include a core principle of Buddhist psychology, paticca sammupada, usually translated as dependent origination.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (0.0KB)
by Peter Carlson | Jun 19, 2014 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Following on last week’s dialogue, Peter described how the mind “transforms energy into information”, and that the hindrances are “energy dumps” that distort perceptions and create distress. The setting aside of the hindrances through mindfulness of breathing creates a zone of clarity and non-reactivity, preparing for the investigation of emerging self-states that vipassana practice cultivates. The demons are the hindrances and the angels are the manifestations of the freed up energy. These manifestations are recognizable as the increase of compassion, generosity, patience and internal happiness.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (0.0KB)
by Peter Carlson | Jun 12, 2014 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, the hindrance of skeptical doubt was discussed, using the Buddhist concept of panca bala, the five powers or five faculties to describe the dynamic balancing of energy/tranquility and faith/discernment through ongoing mindfulness practice. This was followed by dialogue to make the abstract principles more concretely understood. Next week’s topic will be exploring the transition from overcoming the hindrances to cultivating wisdom.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (0.0KB)
by Peter Carlson | Jun 5, 2014 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this dialogue, Peter and the sangha explored the characteristics of restlessness as an overactivated sympathetic nervous system process combined with rumination about a particular topic related to regret, remorse or possible negative consequences. Peter described the classical description of this hindrance and the antidotes. Cultivating samadhi reduces the activation of the nervous system and vipassana investigates the conditional characteristics of an ongoing worry narrative, seeing it as impersonal and transient. Next week’s talk will focus on the remaining hindrance, skeptical doubt.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (0.0KB)
