This talk provided by April reviews how skillful insights from Buddhist teachings as realized through dedicated meditation practice supports a healthy level of self-respect and self-compassion. The talk is followed by comments from those participating in the meeting.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Non-Self – What’s Self-Love Got to Do with It
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:01:49 — 56.6MB)
This talk focuses on the importance of intentions, which are present in every moment of consciousness, either wholesome or unwholesome. The ability to quickly and accurately note the formative function of intentions just as a moment of self-organization occurs is a key skill to cultivate on the path to Awakening. The concept of karma basically describes the latent capacity of memory, which is activated through the function of intentions. Preceding this talk, the “Guided Intention and Karma Contemplation” recording, which is posted in the Guided Meditation archive on this website, is intended to complement this presentation.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Working With Intentions and Karma
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:02:13 — 57.0MB)
This guided meditation focuses attention on how to develop clear awareness of intentions, which organize and activate each moment of consciousness. It is intended to support the topic for the Dharma talk of the same evening, “Working With Intentions and Karma”.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:55 — 41.1MB)
During this talk, April describes the neurological and psychological research supporting the Buddhist concept of anatta, non-self, and how the flexibility provided by non-self facilitates the development of Right Action, supporting a virtuous lifestyle. Her review includes questions and comments from those participating in the meeting.
This document provides references to the research that April did to develop this talk: References for Dharma Talk on January 29 2025
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:04:40 — 59.2MB)
Each month Peter provides an opportunity for participants in the meeting to ask questions about Buddhist doctrine and meditation practice. During this talk, Peter and others provided suggestions in response to an inquiry that focused on how to cultivate and maintain a regular daily meditation practice. Another question focused on how to discern the difference between the phenomenon of thinking/internal narrative and the direct “knowing” that occurs with investigation of breath/body experience, which provides a stable and tranquil point of reference from which we can investigate whether the internal narrative is beneficial or not. There are other responses to questions found in the posting as well.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:55 — 49.4MB)
At the core of consumerism we find the “three poisons” that causes suffering–greed, hatred and delusion. During this talk, Peter provides some background information about the history and adverse sociocultural and ecological effects of contemporary consumerism, emphasizing that, although we have all benefited from modern production and distribution technologies, we are persistently conditioned to want things and status, and fear what seems to threaten our self-identity. The conditioning, beginning at a very early time in a person’s life, not only involves material objects, but also includes conditioning through TV shows, the internet, and other modalities that have established our self-image. After providing this information, a description of the Four Noble Truths, and particularly the Noble Eightfold Path, is suggested as a way to effectively identify the distress and confusion that occurs as a result of consumerism. The challenge of this era in human and planetary life is to find effective ways to cultivate a different lifestyle, and Buddhist principles and practices support this evolution. Peter recommends reading a book by Duane Elgin titled “Voluntary Simplicity–Toward a Way of Life That Is Outwardly Simply, Inwardly Rich”, particularly the revised addition published in 2010 as a resource that often refers to Buddhism as an effective way to live a simpler life.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Consumerism and the Dharma
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:15 — 61.6MB)