by Peter Carlson | Apr 23, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk was preceded by the “Guided Mindfulness of the Mind Meditation”, which can be found in the Audio section of the website. The focus of this talk is a review of the Third Foundation of Mindfulness, Cittanupassana (chee-tah-noo-pah-suh-nah), Mindfulness of the Mind. Peter read a quote from the Satipatthana Sutta regarding the characteristics of this contemplation, which is to be mindful as to whether the mind is afflicted or not by desire, aversion or ignorance. The contemplation also investigates whether awareness is expansive and inclusive or contracted and exclusive, alert or dull, calm or restless, and the transient and impersonal nature of the mind. Peter related these characteristics and functions to contemporary psychological research investigates where the brain is activated as cognition occurs, noting that as the cognitive process develops, prior life experience overrides current stimulus input and fabricates a self. He reviewed what the teacher and author Culadasa calls “Introspective Metacognitive Awareness”, the ability to be mindful of the broad ranges of awareness that vipassana investigates without becoming identified with one aspect of the flow of experience as being an enduring and autonomous self. This was related to the value of being able to track personal reactivity in regards to the stressors present during the pandemic. The review was followed by discussion among those attending the Zoom meeting regarding the talk.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Cultivating A Wise Mind
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 57:31 — 105.3MB)
by Peter Carlson | Apr 23, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This meditation focuses attention on the Third Foundation of Mindfulness, Cittanupassana (chee-tah-noo-pah-suh-nah), Mindfulness of the Mind. The guided meditation builds attention through mindfulness of the body/breathing and mindfulness of feelings, the first two of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. Peter then invited meditators to engage the contemplations mentioned in the Satipatthana Sutta for the Third Foundation, that is, whether or not the mind is afflicted with desire, aversion or delusion, whether the scope of mindful awareness is expanded or contracted, alert or dull.
Following this guided meditation is a posted Dharma talk recording entitled “Cultivating A Wise Mind” that relates the Third Foundation of Mindfulness to what the teacher/author Culadasa calls “Introspective Metacognitive Awareness”, the ability to maintain a primary focus of attention on the sensation of breathing with a more expansive peripheral awareness of the transient and impersonal elements of the mind’s function. This meditation supports the practice of vipassana and has applications for coping with the stresses of the pandemic.
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by Peter Carlson | Apr 17, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk was preceded by the posted guided meditation “Overcoming Impulsive Reactivity”, which follows the training indicated in the Second Foundation of Mindfulness, Mindfulness of Feelings; the meditation can be found on the Audio Recording page of this site. Feelings are the “driver” of how the mind makes meaning from what we see, hear and feel in the body, and cultivating clarity and equanimity of feelings is an important skill for acquiring stress resiliency, particularly as we are dealing with the disruptions caused by the pandemic. Peter used the Four Noble Truths concepts in relating to Post Traumatic Growth, an area of contemporary research that focuses on how we can emerge from this difficult time with more gratitude, appreciation for the simpler things of life and more enriched relationships. The talk was followed by discussion among those attending the Zoom meeting about how mindfulness can be beneficial for not only coping with stress but also for reevaluating our goals and aspirations in ways that are more optimistic and positively adaptive.
Here are the notes prepared for the talk: Turning Poison Into Medicine Here is an additional document, an interview with Jack Kornfield from the New York Times about mindful and compassionate coping with the pandemic: Jack Kornfield NYT interview
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by Peter Carlson | Apr 17, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This meditation focuses on the Second Foundation of Mindfulness, Vedanupassana (vey-duh-nah-nu-pah-sah-nah), Mindfulness of Feelings. In Buddhist psychology feelings are not emotions per se, but are the urgency and impulsivity of the body in response to a stimulus; the modern psychological term affect is more appropriate, as it is the immediate response of the body/mind process to the experience. From a Buddhist perspective, feelings are the bridge between what the body senses and the meaning-making that the mind fabricates in response to the feeling. The more mindful and equanimous a person is as the feeling is investigated, the more opportunity there is to modify the meaning-making in more adaptive ways. This ability is essential for a person’s resilience to stressful, even traumatic experiences, such as the current pandemic. The topic for the Dharma talk which will be posted after this one is “Turning Poison Into Medicine” and develops what some contemporary researchers are calling Post Traumatic Growth (Look up the term on Wikipedia!), which is the ability to become more grateful regarding life and relationships and optimistic despite difficult circumstances. During the meditation, Peter made various comments that encourage investigating how the feeling of urgency (craving) is a different quality of experience than the meaning-making narrative that accompanies it (clinging); craving and clinging are core characteristics of dukkha. One can train attention to mindfulness of breathing or the body to interrupt the narrative, cultivating equanimity and increasing stress resilience.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:19 — 83.0MB)
by Peter Carlson | Apr 10, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks, News
This talk is accompanied by the preceding Lovingkindness meditation training that focuses on the fear and uncertainty which affects the world as a result of the pandemic. Peter reviewed how craving and clinging can be investigated and released through the training provided by regular meditation practice. He emphasized how we can become preoccupied with the long-term impact of the pandemic, which interferes with the ability to effectively cope with the uncertainty of our mortality. He reviewed Atisha’s Nine Contemplations on Mortality, a regular part of Tibetan Buddhist life. He also mentioned that many of the lifestyle choices we are conditioned into by consumerism will “die” as a result of the disruption of commercial and social norms.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Mindfully Coping with the Fear of Dying
Due to continuing unfamiliarity with the auditory recording process, the questions and comments of those participating were not recorded, and Peter apologizes for this mistake and this will be corrected for the next meeting, which will focus on what contemporary psychology calls resilience, the ability to effectively cope with conflict. This research also explores how individuals emerge from traumatic events with a heightened appreciation for life and an enhanced ability to find meaning through adversity; this view is very compatible with the goals of regular mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation practice. That meeting will also include a training meditation focused on Mindfulness of Feelings, the Second Foundation of Mindfulness.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00:00 — 109.9MB)