by Peter Carlson | May 25, 2023 | Listen to Dharma Talks
As a review of the Noble Eightfold Path continues, Allie Vaknin provides insights about the characteristics of Right Intention: Renunciation, Kindness, and Non-Harmfulness. During the talk, participants in the meeting are invited to provide examples of their own experiences regarding these characteristics, personalizing the review.
Next week’s Dharma talk will include an overview of the Virtue Aggregate of the Noble Eightfold Path, along with a specific focus on Right Speech.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 58:26 — 53.5MB)
by Peter Carlson | May 18, 2023 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk continues reviewing the Four Noble Truths, beginning a series of talks focusing on the Fourth Noble Truth, emphasizing the first element of the Noble Eightfold Path, Right Understanding. The talk begins with an overview of the conceptual benefits of the Dharma Wheel icon, emphasizing the dynamic interactions between the elements. The 8 elements of the Path are studied conceptually, but can only be realized through careful introspective investigation, discovering the impermanent and impersonal nature of subjective experience. Further discussion reviews how full realization of the integrated actions of the Noble Eightfold Path transforms Right Understanding into Right Knowledge, and Right Intention into Right Liberation, transforming the Eightfold Path into the Noble Tenfold Path. The recorded talk is longer than usual, as there were interesting questions to be explored during the discussion.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Right Understanding and the Noble Eightfold Path
The next talk will review Right Intention, the other element of the Wisdom aggregate within the Noble Eightfold Path.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:09:39 — 63.8MB)
by Peter Carlson | May 11, 2023 | Listen to Dharma Talks
The Third Noble Truth describes the fundamental intention and goal of Buddhist principles and practices–the release from the bonds of craving and clinging–total and direct knowledge that there is no enduring, autonomous self. This talk reviews how concentration–samadhi– and investigation–vipassana–lead to a progression of insights that are recognizable on the path towards Awakening.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Reviewing the Third Noble Truth
The next talk will provide an overview of the Fourth Noble Truth–The Noble Eightfold Path–with an emphasis on the first of the eight concepts, Right Understanding.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:03:39 — 58.3MB)
by Peter Carlson | May 4, 2023 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This review of the Second Noble Truth is presented by Lili Fernandez, one of the teachers who are being introduced to the Orlando Insight Meditation Group. During this talk Lili describes the characteristics of craving and clinging, the two interactive elements that create the experience of dukkha, the First Noble Truth. She also describes how cultivating mindfulness of breathing meditation can provide relief from craving and clinging using examples from her experiences as the mother of two preschool boys.
The topic for the next talk will be a review of the Third Noble Truth, which is the process of Awakening from dukkha, and will be presented by Peter Carlson.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 50:49 — 46.5MB)
by Peter Carlson | Apr 28, 2023 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk reviews a just completed 12 day self-retreat that focused on cultivating strong and persistent levels of focused intention in order to realized the potential of experiencing nimitta, mental phenomena that emerge in consciousness when the mind is almost entirely free of distraction. Nimitta experience is preliminary to entering into jhana, highly purifying states of mind that are characteristic of the traditional Theravada Buddhist approach to Awakening. Peter provides a detailed description of the meditative procedures that produce these mental phenomena, which he was able to directly know during the retreat.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Peter’s April 2023 Retreat Report
A recording of the guided meditation that preceded this talk can be found in the Audio tab under the Guided Meditations tab, entitled “Guided Diligent Mindful Clear Comprehension Meditation”. The guided meditation is intended to provide additional support for understanding the practices described in this talk.
The focus for next week’s talk will be on the Second Noble Truth, the cause of dukkha, presented by Lili Fernandez.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:03:10 — 57.8MB)
