by Peter Carlson | Jul 10, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This Meditation contemplates the Awakening Factor of passadhi, tranquility of mind and mental conditioners. During the contemplation, you are invited to investigate the “tight, disturbed” quality of attention that occurs when the mind is caught up in any of the five hindrances, contrasting this experience with the openness and clarity of attention that occurs when the mind is investigating mindfulness of breathing. Tranquility is the antidote for restlessness in the mind and can be noticed in close association with samadhi (concentration) and upekkha (equanimity), the sixth and seventh of the Awakening Factors.
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by Peter Carlson | Jul 10, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This meditation trains attention to various areas of sensation ranging from the tip of the nostrils back through the nasal passages, then the passage down to the back of the roof of the mouth, sensitized to whatever might be noticed in those areas. Attention continues to scan forward on the roof of the mouth to the gum line and teeth, investigating sensations in those areas. The practice continues with moving investigating attention to the lower teeth and gums, then the lower jaw. Finally, attention is directed to include the lower and upper lip areas, with attention focused eventually on the areas just below the entries to the nostrils. The goal of this exercise is to cultivate investigative awareness and stabilize attention away from any internal mental narratives, to increase skills necessary for vipassana, insight into the basic characteristics of self-awareness.
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by Peter Carlson | Jul 10, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This Meditation trains the mind to move investigating attention mindfully and systematically throughout the body, sensitive to subtle body vibrations similar to the experience of one’s leg “going to sleep”, but much milder in sensation. The goal of this training is to cultivate a whole body “vibrational” awareness that supports stabilizing attention and the process of vipassana, insight into the transitory and non-self characteristics of experience.
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by Peter Carlson | Jul 6, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This meditation focuses on the fourth of the seven Awakening Factors, Piti, often translated as joy or rapture; I prefer to use the term enthusiastic interest. Joy becomes more apparent and useful with the support of the first three factors, mindfulness, investigation and energy/Right Effort, so these factors are encouraged for practicing mindfulness of breathing meditation. It is suggested to be alert for differences in consciousness between the heaviness of sloth and torpor and the buoyancy of simple breath awareness; this buoyancy is piti, and it becomes more recognizable as the hindrances are set aside. Several supportive suggestions for contemplation are mentioned during the meditation. The intention of this guided meditation is to enhance the understanding and application of the Joy Awakening Factor in the accompanying talk, Awakening With Joy.
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by Peter Carlson | Jul 6, 2020 | News
Piti (pee-tee) is the fourth of the seven Awakening Factors, and is typically translated as joy or rapture; another rendering is engaged enthusiastic interest regarding whatever is emerging into conscious awareness. This characteristic of human experience is a normal part of human subjective experience but clear, vivid awareness of piti is obstructed and distorted by the five hindrances, particularly evident with sloth/torpor and skeptical doubt, but also adversely affected by the other hindrances, sense desire, aversion/ill-will and restlessness/worry. Peter talks about how classical Buddhism describes piti as an ecstatic state only fully realized when experiencing jhana, states of the mind accomplished through extensive training of attention on an exclusive object like breath sensations. This sort of awareness is not easily accessed and contemporary commentaries suggest that piti can be understood and brought to the practice of vipassana (vee-pah-suh-nah), insight into the basic characteristics of experience, anicca (ah-nee-chah), impermanence, dukkha (do-kah), basic unsatisfactoriness and anatta (ah-nah-tah), the absence of and enduring/autonomous self. Clear awareness of these three characteristics liberates the mind from dukkha, the primary goal of Buddhist training. As applied in the practice of vipassana piti is an engaged interest in how the mind is forming meaning and creating a self; this interest is crucial for maintaining the persistence of investigation and mental discipline required for the liberation process. This explanation is followed by brief discussion for clarification among the participants.
Here are the notes prepared for the is talk: The-Joy-Of-Awakening
Next week’s topic will be the Tranquility Awakening Factor
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:06 — 100.9MB)
