by Peter Carlson | May 30, 2013 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Reporting on significant retreat experiences is encouraged in our community, as it supports the integration of the meditation practice into life at home. It’s also hoped that the reports will encourage others to go on retreats as well. This retreat was a bit different for Peter, as he worked on a home addition project, spending between 9 and 12 hours a day sitting, and 3 or 4 hours doing carpentry. He reported an increasing appreciation of samadhi (stable focus) and passadhi (tranquility), combined with the awakening factor of investigation, which provided him with a significant increase in patience and awareness of the value of working with his hands.
[s3mm type=”audio” files=”wp-content/uploads/2013/05/11130509/Peters Two Week Retreat Report.mp3″ /]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()
by Peter Carlson | May 9, 2013 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this dialogue, Kitty followed up on Judy’s previous talk about mindfulness of the body. After reviewing the talk, she invited the sangha to share their experiences of using body awareness to interrupt the internal self-talk that seems to define our existence.
[s3mm type=”audio” files=”wp-content/uploads/2013/05/11130507/Using Body Awareness Skillfully.mp3″ /]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()
by Peter Carlson | May 2, 2013 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Judy continued her exploration of the Mindfulness of the Body section of the Satipatthana Sutta, the foundational Sutta for the practice of insight meditation in all it various forms throughout the world. She explored how the various Vipassana schools used the sections on body parts and body elements as the locus of their practices and how these meditations can be used to overcome anger, conceit, desire, and aversion. She concentrated on the use of the body sweep as an insight and purification practice. This dialogue was designed to expand the practitioner’s “tool kit” of meditation skills beyond breath exercises alone.
[s3mm type=”audio” files=”wp-content/uploads/2013/05/11130511/Mindfulness of the Body.mp3″ /]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (0.0KB)
by Peter Carlson | Apr 25, 2013 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Robert just completed a one week self retreat at the Providence Zen Center. It’s part of our practice to provide someone who has completed a significant retreat to process their experience during one of the dharma dialogues. The value of this is to provide the participant to “think out loud” about his or her experience, as this supports integrating the deep changes that retreat provide with a more conscious clarity afterwards. It also can inspire others to go on retreats as well, since this sort of intense training provides great benefit for the participants.
[s3mm type=”audio” files=”wp-content/uploads/2013/04/11130519/Roberts Zen Retreat Report.mp3″ /]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()
by Peter Carlson | Apr 18, 2013 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this dialogue led by Kitty, the nature of complacency in spiritual practice was explored, combined with how conceit affects the mind. Conceit means to be attached to believing I am better, worse or separate from others. Kitty used an example from a relationship conflict that was conditioned by complacency combined with conceit, that is, not paying attention to her internal process, which caused friction between her and a dear friend. She then discussed how conceit conditioned this response, and how the conflict was successfully resolved. This presentation was accompanied by some lively discussion.
[s3mm type=”audio” files=”wp-content/uploads/2013/04/11130517/The Nature Of Complacency.mp3″ /]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()
