2025 Deerhaven Retreat 1st Night Dharma Talk

During this talk, Peter refers to the main themes of the retreat a a refuge from the stress of these times and the importance of developing “diligence, mindfulness and the intention to clearly know how to awaken the mind from greed, hatred and delusion.  He emphasizes that Awakening rather than Enlightenment is a better term to use for the ultimate goal of this way of living, in that we “wake up” from craving and clinging every time attention is brought back to breath awareness from the distress and confusion that is experienced as the result of the dominance created by one or more of the 5 Hindrances.

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The Four Divine Abidings

During this talk, April reviews what Buddhism calls “the Four Divine Abidings”: lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.  She uses a translation of the Metta Sutta, the Lovingkindness Discourse as a guideline for her review.  Her presentation includes questions and comments from those participating.

Here are April’s notes regarding the topic:  The Four Divine Abodes Dharma talk notes (1)

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February 2025 Dharma Questions

During this talk, Peter describes his favorite etymology of the word dukkha.  He then talks at length about the concepts of duality and non-duality, described as a progression from the simple action of intending to monitor the sensations that occur while breathing to a realization that there is no enduring/autonomous self, and the direct realization of that manifests as non-duality.  Other questions about meditation practice are also discussed.

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Non-Self and Self-Love

This talk provided by April reviews how skillful insights from Buddhist teachings as realized through dedicated meditation practice supports a healthy level of self-respect and self-compassion.  The talk is followed by comments from those participating in the meeting.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  Non-Self – What’s Self-Love Got to Do with It

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February 2025 Dharma Questions

One meeting each month is intended to provide an opportunity for those attending to ask Peter questions about Buddhist concepts and meditation practice.  He has been studying and practicing Buddhism for over 40 years, and enjoys the dialogue involved in these discussions.  Among the topics discussed during this talk are the importance of intentions that are associated with the targeted focused attention on various meditation subjects, and the relationship between ethics and spiritual development.

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