This is the first attempt by Peter to facilitate a talk and discussion via Zoom and unfortunately he neglected to turn on either recording program so there is no recording of this talk; however, the training meditation was successfully recorded and is posted, even though there are intrusive sounds during the recording. This is a good example of how dukkha manifests as distress and confusion, as managing the Zoom program and both the recording devices represents confusion regarding the procedures; fortunately with minimal distress, as Peter practices turning humiliation into humility on a regular basis. Hopefully the next recorded meeting on April 1 will be successfully accomplished.
The talk was focused on how combining specific attention to the breath sensations can be integrated with peripheral awareness of other body sensations to provide a stabilizing platform from which to notice and let go of intrusive and disruptive internal narratives. This ability was related to the benefits of adapting to the increasingly stressful circumstances of the pandemic through the development of the Four Noble Truths.
Hi Fellow Travelers–Thanks to the causes and conditions provided by the Covid-19 virus there will no assemblies in our meditation cottage until the circumstances make it safe to assemble in groups. I hope this supports and maybe even expands the outreach of the Orlando Insight Meditation Group, the goal of which is to provide training in mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation and practical applications of the Wisdom found within these concepts that will support us as we go through these trying times. Last week’s recording was a first attempt at streaming and hopefully the recording of April 1 will be more effectively posted; the microphone will be muted until the Dharma talk so the meditation will not be interrupted by the sounds of folks entering into the group.
The meeting operates through the Zoom software (OIMG has subscribed for one year at a cost of $150). The URL for the meeting is: https://us04web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUuf-2srDMtnERzureO8f2K4iQeRCf-dQ and the meeting password is 620329. As I understand how it works, you must preregister at the site the URL in order to participate in the events and registering one time will provide access to all the upcoming meetings, as long as we continue streaming them (Which may become a problem when we resume meeting in the meditation building which has weak reception from the server in my home; hopefully sometime later in the Spring we can safely assemble again in the cottage). The meetings will be audio only and, once again as I understand the way it works, the meeting can be accessed by smartphone as well as any internet-connected computer system. The meetings will be recorded and posted on the website as usual. Please be patient with me as I find my way into the world of internet streaming and hopefully we can all benefit from this crisis.
The topic for the meeting on March 31 will combine a contemplation from the First Foundation of Mindfulness, The Four Elements, which involves using noting sensations of pressure, movement, temperature and liquidity to interrupt the narratives that accompany the hindrances; this interruption creates more stability, clarity and tranquility, which is of great benefit in these trying times. The talk will focus on how the pandemic relates to the Four Noble Truths and interdependence. i hope you will participate in the streaming meeting and I wish you well. Peter
Hi Fellow Travelers–Thanks to the causes and conditions provided by the Covid-19 virus there will no assemblies in our meditation cottage until the circumstances make it safe to assemble in groups. I hope this supports and maybe even expands the outreach of the Orlando Insight Meditation Group, the goal of which is to provide training in mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation and practical applications of the Wisdom found within these concepts that will support us as we go through these trying times. Last week’s recording was a first attempt at streaming and hopefully the recording of April 1 will be more effectively posted; the microphone will be muted until the Dharma talk so the meditation will not be interrupted by the sounds of folks entering into the group.
The meeting operates through the Zoom software (OIMG has subscribed for one year at a cost of $150). The URL for the meeting is: https://us04web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUuf-2srDMtnERzureO8f2K4iQeRCf-dQ and the meeting password is 620329. As I understand how it works, you must preregister at the site the URL in order to participate in the events and registering one time will provide access to all the upcoming meetings, as long as we continue streaming them (Which may become a problem when we resume meeting in the meditation building which has weak reception from the server in my home; hopefully sometime later in the Spring we can safely assemble again in the cottage). The meetings will be audio only and, once again as I understand the way it works, the meeting can be accessed by smartphone as well as any internet-connected computer system. The meetings will be recorded and posted on the website as usual. Please be patient with me as I find my way into the world of internet streaming and hopefully we can all benefit from this crisis.
The topic for the meeting on March 31 will combine a contemplation from the First Foundation of Mindfulness, The Four Elements, which involves using noting sensations of pressure, movement, temperature and liquidity to interrupt the narratives that accompany the hindrances; this interruption creates more stability, clarity and tranquility, which is of great benefit in these trying times. The talk will focus on how the pandemic relates to the Four Noble Truths and interdependence. i hope you will participate in the streaming meeting and I wish you well. Peter
It is customary for those who have been on a significant retreat to have the opportunity to “think out loud” about what they gained from the experience. Much of the learning and training is stored in the subconscious mind and having the opportunity to talk about it with people who understand the concepts and practices can help consolidate and integrate the insights and skills acquired. Additionally, this can be informative for those listening and perhaps inspire them to attend a retreat sometime themselves. The talks referred to by Peter are in the process of being uploaded to the site and will be found on the Audio Page in the 2020 folder.
Next week’s talk will continue to focus on the Satipatthana Sutta, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse, perhaps the most informative and transformative teaching in the Buddhist traditions. The focus will be on integrating persistent breath awareness with whole body awareness, which can provide a useful reference point from which to investigate the transient and insubstantial nature of thoughts and moods.
In order to realize the potential of vipassana practice, one must first identify the presence and effects of the Five Hindrances and cultivate ways to set them aside, cultivating Samadhi/Passadhi, Stable Attention/Tranquility. The Hindrances were reviewed with an emphasis on the importance of cultivating mindfulness of breathing persistently through the practice of vitakka/vicara, aiming attention to the beginning of the in-breath/sustaining attention for the duration of the in-breath and then repeating this practice with the out-breath. Peter then described how this fundamental practice matures into Dhamma Vicaya, Investigation of Mental Phenomena, one of the Seven Awakening Factors, the topic of another night’s discussion. Here are the notes prepared for this talk: PRACTICE NOTES FOR OVERCOMING THE FIVE HINDRANCES
The review was followed by a question and answer period for those seeking clarification of the topic. THIS RECORDING IS NOT THE SAME HIGH QUALITY AS USUAL DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH THE PRIMARY RECORDER. THE NEXT FOUR RECORDINGS ARE OF A HIGHER QUALITY.
