2025 Deerhaven 3rd Night–Cultivating a Concentrated and Tranquil Mind

During this talk, Peter describes the development of Access Concentration, the quality of consciousness that is not affected by the Hindrances.  This is cultivated through developing the procedure of aiming/sustaining attention intentionally to develop stability and tranquility in the mind, preparing for the practicing vipassana, insight into the conditioned nature of the mind.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  Unifying A Dull And Distracted Mind

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2025 Deerhaven 2nd Night Dharma Talk–Overcoming the Hindrances

During this talk, Peter reviews the 5 Hindrances, which he describes as “energy dumps”–setting them aside frees up energy for further development of the 7 Awakening Factors, creating more opportunities to liberate the mind from dukkha, the distress and confusion resulting from the action of the Hindrances.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  The Five Hindrances

The next evening’s discussion recording focuses on how the cultivation of concentration and tranquility overcomes distractedness, agitation and dullness in the mind, preparing for the cultivation of the Awakening Factors

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2025 Deerhaven Retreat 1st Night Dharma Talk

During this talk, Peter refers to the main themes of the retreat a a refuge from the stress of these times and the importance of developing “diligence, mindfulness and the intention to clearly know how to awaken the mind from greed, hatred and delusion.  He emphasizes that Awakening rather than Enlightenment is a better term to use for the ultimate goal of this way of living, in that we “wake up” from craving and clinging every time attention is brought back to breath awareness from the distress and confusion that is experienced as the result of the dominance created by one or more of the 5 Hindrances.

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