by Peter Carlson | Oct 19, 2023 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Peter Carlson will be participating in a 10-day retreat soon that focuses on concentrating the mind to the level of experiencing jhana, an extraordinarily focused level of attention that is frequently described in the earliest Buddhist teachings. He talks about previous jhana experience, the characteristics of jhana states and his preparation for this immersive experience. After he returns from the retreat, he will review the experience on November 8.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: CULTIVATING JHANA
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:05:52 — 60.3MB)
by Peter Carlson | Oct 12, 2023 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Peter Carlson reviews the key Buddhist teaching on dependent origination as it is associated with another important concept, emptiness, which has frequently been misunderstood. During the discussion, contemporary scientific and psychological information that fosters more clarity about the topics are presented.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk, which provide a more extensive review of the various aspects of emptiness from a contemporary scientific as well as the traditional perspective: Contingent Provisional Emergence As Emptiness
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:04:41 — 59.2MB)
by Peter Carlson | Oct 5, 2023 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk by Peter Carlson thoroughly summarizes the last verse of the Satipatthana Sutta, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse, which describes how the Four Noble Truths are transformed by the effective coordinated functioning of the Seven Awakening Factors from a conceptual understanding to direct knowledge of the transient and impersonal nature of subjective experience. Within the Wisdom Aggregate of the Noble Eightfold Path, Right Understanding is directly realized, becoming Right Knowledge and Right Intention is directly realized, becoming Right Release; in this way, the Noble Eightfold Path becomes the Noble Tenfold Path. The talk also includes a review of the concept of Nirvana, which, in the Theravaden Buddhist tradition, must be experienced 4 times to achieve full Awakening.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Realizing the Noble Eightfold Path
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:04:14 — 58.8MB)
by Peter Carlson | Sep 28, 2023 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Lezlie Laws reviews the seventh Awakening Factor, Equanimity, beginning with a very well-written essay by her describing the poise and dedication of a hawk living in New York City and raising chicks in the middle of the busy metropolis. She speaks of how viewing a video about this hawk stirred her emotionally and connects the theme of the story and her experience with the Awakening Factor of Equanimity. This is followed by her review of the traditional characteristics of the Equanimity Awakening Factor, which functions to bring balance to the other six factors and, therefore to the Awakening mind. Several participants in the meeting then talk about their understanding of how the story and Equanimity applies to her or his life experience.
The topic for the next talk will summarize the fulfillment in the development of the elements found within the Four Foundations of Mindfulness through an explanation of how the Noble Eightfold Path becomes realized as the Noble Tenfold Path.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:05:05 — 59.6MB)
by Peter Carlson | Sep 21, 2023 | Listen to Dharma Talks
It is customary for our Sangha meetings to provide an opportunity for someone who has participated in a recent residential retreat to “think out loud” about their experience. Much of the benefit of a retreat occurs outside of awareness, and an opportunity to talk about what happened during the retreat can bring new insights to them and integrate what has occurred into conscious awareness and therefore become more accessible for future spiritual development. Listening to a review can also be informative and inspiring for those in the meeting or reviewing this recording. During this talk, Andy, the founding teacher for the Lakeland Insight Meditation Group, recounts his experience at the Southern Dharma Center in North Carolina at a retreat led by Donald Rothberg, a well-respected author and teacher, whose training has been influenced by Theravaden and Tibetan Buddhist teachings.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 50:06 — 45.9MB)
