by Peter Carlson | Apr 24, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, April describes how important it is to integrate the benefits of formal mindfulness meditation with walking, particularly while outdoors in nature. She shares her own experience and insights that emerge in a variety of settings during normal daily routines from this practice and invites others participating in the meeting to share their insights as well.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Stillness in Motion – Google Slides (002)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:01:55 — 56.7MB)
by Peter Carlson | Apr 17, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks
One time per month, Peter provides the opportunity for those participating in the meeting to ask questions about Buddhist concepts and meditation practice. He also provides a brief review of the relationship between each of the Four Noble Truths, emphasizing that different subjective experiences require different focusing on each of the Truths. During the meeting, Peter also provides comments about his understanding of emptiness, the absence of an enduring/autonomous self. He describes his experiences of awareness that is disinterested in defining bodily boundaries and is inclusive of the totality of sensory and cognitive “flow” without interest in differentiating objects within the flow experience. During the description, he recalls hearing Joseph Goldstein talk about the importance of “effortless effort”, and the benefits of just letting go of any resistance or attachment during the out-breath, when the mind is stable and tranquil. He also suggests that these qualities of awareness are not “created” by a meditator, that liberating states of mind are ever-present, and that cultivating the Seven Awakening Factors frees the mind from hindrances that obstruct direct awareness of emptiness.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:09:08 — 63.3MB)
by Peter Carlson | Apr 10, 2025 | News
During this talk, Lezlie Laws uses references to several books on contemplative stillness to develop greater conceptual understanding of the characteristic of the mind when unburdened by craving and clinging. She also shares the insights regarding stillness she realized while attending to the recent passing of her beloved dog Dash. This talk was preceded by a guided meditation entitled “Guided Stillness Contemplation”, which is posted within the Guided Meditation folder in the archives.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:31 — 61.8MB)
by Peter Carlson | Apr 10, 2025 | News
Lezlie Laws provides useful suggestions for cultivating insights regarding stillness, a stable and non-reactive characteristic of the mind during meditation practice. This recording is intended to provide support for discussion of stillness during the Dharma talk that followed this meditation titled “The Contemplation of Stillness”.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:10 — 41.3MB)
by Peter Carlson | Apr 3, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Peter, a retired psychotherapist, describes the intersection between core Buddhist concepts and a well-researched contemporary psychotherapy approach called Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy. He reviews the schema concept that categorizes various cognitive distortions and describes how Mindfulness of Feelings and Mindfulness of Mental Phenomena can be effectively applied to counter these distortions through the cultivation of Mindfulness, Investigation of Mental Phenomena and Right Effort. He suggests that the “selfing story” represents various aspects of the Five Hindrances, and that countering the dysfunctional schemas creates a process that clarifies the mind for further spiritual development, towards Awakening.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:06:04 — 60.5MB)