by Peter Carlson | May 6, 2021 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This is the second of three Dharma talks focusing on the Three Characteristics of Buddhism: Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta. The previous talk was on April 28 and focused on Dukkha, and this one focuses on Anicca, typically translated as impermanence. During the talk transitory nature of objective experience was reviewed as well as several approaches to developing direct awareness of this experience while practicing mindfulness meditation in various ways.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Buddhist Three Characteristics Part 2
Next week’s talk will focus on reviewing Anatta, the absence of an enduring/autonomous self.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:03:02 — 115.4MB)
by Peter Carlson | May 6, 2021 | Listen to Dharma Talks
On April 28, 2021, a guided meditation on Dukkha was recorded, intended to support the Dharma talk for that evening on the same subject. This guided meditation focuses on Anicca, the transitory nature of one’s subjective experience. it is intended to support the topic for the Dharma talk on the same topic. During the meditation, various techniques for training attention in order to be able to investigate the fluid and constantly changing experience we all live with, accompanied by suggestions to realize with dispassion and detachment the fabricated process of self-organization. The suggested practices include noting briefly what is immediately attended to in the mind, using body scan meditation practices and the approach of “Let it come, let it be, let it go”.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Buddhist Three Characteristics Part 2
The focus for the next talk will be on the third core concept, anatta, the absence of an enduring/autonomous self.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:01 — 82.4MB)
by Peter Carlson | Apr 29, 2021 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk is the first of three talks regarding the fundamental nature of personal experience: anicca, dukkha and anatta. The focus her is on three sub-categories of dukkha: Dukkha Dukkha (The distress associated with inhabiting a body), Sankhara Dukkha (The distress and confusion that comes from how the mind interprets experience) and Viparinama Dukkha (The distress and confusion that occurs as the result of circumstances changing beyond one’s control). The review also addresses the causes of dukkha–craving and clinging–as well as ways to use mindfulness of breathing to decrease reactivity to the craving associated with dukkha and detachment regarding the internal “selfing story” of clinging, There is an accompanying “Guided Dukkha Contemplation” posted the same day in the archives.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Buddhist Three Characteristics Part 1
The next topic for review will be the characteristics of anicca, the transient nature of subjective experience.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 57:13 — 104.8MB)
by Peter Carlson | Apr 29, 2021 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This guided meditation reviews the ways to identify the characteristics of Dukkha while practicing mindfulness of breathing meditation, with the intention to increase an understanding of how craving and clinging create the distress and confusion of Dukkha. It is meant to accompany the talk titled “Reviewing The Three Characteristics of Dukkha” presented on the same day.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:59 — 82.4MB)
by Peter Carlson | Apr 22, 2021 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk reviews a self-retreat recently experienced by Peter, which was intended to last 2 weeks but was ended after one week due to excessive fatigue. Peter describes the typical retreat routine, comparing the structure to the one he has followed for several years, which establishes 14-15 hours a day of meditation practice. The pros and cons of his practice routine was reviewed and several supportive suggestions were offered for future reference.
Next week’s talk will provide a review of the Three Characteristics within Buddhist doctrine: anicca (the rapidly changing subjective characteristics of experience), dukkha (the distress and confusion that we are all subject to in life), and anatta (the absence of an enduring/autonomous self). The intention will be to focus on how to identify and work with these characteristics skillfully. The following week will begin an extensive review of modern understandings and applications of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, a core Buddhist teaching. These foundations are Mindfulness of the Body (the subjective experience of physical sensations), Mindfulness of Feelings (the affect/emotional qualities of subjective experience), Mindfulness of the Mind (the characteristic levels of consciousness/mood upon which experience is projected) and Mindfulness of Mental Phenomena (the conditioning factors of the mind, which shape internal narratives and actions).
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:01:56 — 113.4MB)