by Peter Carlson | Jun 23, 2020 | Study Resources
This contemplation focuses on cultivating awareness of anicca (ah-nee-chah), the transitory and unstable characteristic of subjective experience. Everything in the universe is in flux–even mountains are impermanent, as evidenced by the Appalachian mountains, which are believed to once have been as tall as the Himalayas! However, our immediate personal experience is always changing, even when we want it to be stable. This Buddhist meditation focuses on the ephemeral, ever-changing nature of the mind and the constituent elements that are reflected in consciousness. During this meditation, you are invited to consider the various suggestions for practice as a “sampler” of various ways to contemplate anicca, the goal of which is to deconstruct the misconception that there is an enduring and autonomous self. See if your attention becomes sufficiently unburdened by craving and clinging to the various thoughts and emotions that arise and pass away during the meditation so that the occurrence of a thought is seen as a fleeting construct, less seemingly self-defining and controlling of behavior. In future meditations, consider applying one of the suggestions persistently to soak further into the process of transition that is always occurring.
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by Peter Carlson | Jun 18, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk Peter discusses the characteristics of the second of the Seven Awakening Factors, Dhamma Vicaya (dah-mah vih-chah-yah), which he interprets as Investigation of Mental Phenomena. This awakening factor works in close coordination with the Mindfulness and Energy Awakening Factors (the energy factor will be the focus for next week’s talk). A careful reading of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse reveals that dhamma vicaya is repeatedly mentioned in regards to mindfulness of the body, of feeling, of the mind and of mental factors, so it is an essential aspect of how the process of Awakening is developed. The cultivation of this factor begins with mindfulness of breathing and involves the suggestion of directing attention to the beginning of the in-breath and sustaining this attention for the duration of the in-breath, then repeating this for the out-breath. This intentional process uses the sensation of breathing to increase the mind’s agility and insight into how the mind makes meaning from what primary sensations stimulate, and this skill becomes more and more important as it matures into the ability to notice the arising and passing away of self-state organizations, revealing the transient and essentially unstable delusion of an enduring and autonomous self. This explanation is followed by a general discussion to clarify the ways to cultivate dhamma vicaya.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Mindful Investigation for Awakening
Next week’s talk will focus on the Energy Awakening Factor
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by Peter Carlson | Jun 18, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Dhamma Vicaya (dah-mah vih-chah-yah) is the second of the Seven Awakening Factors, and I prefer to interpret the Pali to mean Investigation of Mental Phenomena. It functions closely with the Mindfulness and Energy Awakening Factors. During the training meditation, I suggest that intentionally aiming attention to evident sensations at the beginning of the in-breath and sustaining attention for the duration of the in-breath, then repeating this for the out-breath begins the process of maturing attention towards dhamma vicaya. Once attention to the breathing cycle becomes more routine, it is suggested that one “look closer” at an aspect of breath sensation that was more evident to increase the power of insight. It is also emphasized that dhamma vicaya isn’t really about the breath sensations specifically, but rather noticing with clarity and detachment how the mind creates a meaningful self in relationship to the sensations.
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by Peter Carlson | Jun 11, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This is the second of a series of reviews of the Seven Awakening Factors, with the first talk as an overview of the factors on June 3, 2020, posted on June 4. Sati (sah-tee), translated as mindfulness, is perhaps the most important characteristic of the mind to be cultivated during the process of Awakening. Mindfulness as an awakening factor has the function of monitoring the presence or absence of the other six factors as well as supporting the most appropriate and effective coordination of these factors. Peter provides a brief history of the application of sati in Buddhist history and reviewes how it operates in relation to supporting the other factors, based on the practice of mindfulness of breathing meditation. Passages from the Satipatthana Sutta are read to emphasize the refrain in each of the four foundations that repeatedly urges atapi sati sampajanna (ah-tah-pee sah-tee sahm-pah-jah-nyah), diligent, mindful, clearly knowing what arises in the mind in an ongoing way. The explanations are followed by a brief question and answer period to clarify how mindfulness can be applied in the context of challenging decision-making, focused on two approaches: one is to be mindful of how the mind can be balanced as the information and solution stages are developed and the other is of monitoring during the process of applying a solution, alert to changes in circumstances that might alter the intended outcome and requiring a different approach.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Working With The Mindfulness Awakening Factor
The topic for next week’s meeting is the cultivation of dhamma vicaya (dah-mah vih-chah-yah), the investigation of mental phenomena, another of the Seven Awakening Factors.
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by Peter Carlson | Jun 11, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Mindfulness is a key characteristic of the mind for cultivating a present-moment, detached observational process that supports the development of mindfulness as an Awakening Factor. During this guided mindfulness of breathing meditation, several different approaches to understanding and accessing the process of mindfulness are suggested. There is an emphasis on diligent application of attention, clearly knowing the subjective difference between the physical stimuli that occur and the mental processes that make meaning of the sensational experience. As this is cultivated regarding the body/mind associations of the breathing process, the ability to notice mindfully the difference between the other stimuli that occur along with the breath with detached, mindful awareness of how the self is formed in an ongoing way.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:58 — 82.3MB)