by Peter Carlson | Jun 19, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Once a month, Peter provides an opportunity during the meeting for those participating to ask questions regarding Buddhist concepts and practices. The questions posed during this meeting focus on the “Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse”, for example the “noting” method for cultivating insight, compared to practices that first emphasize the cultivation of high levels of concentration called jhana (jah-nah), before developing insight. He reviews the development and integration of the Seven Awakening Factors, facilitated through whole-body meditation practice. He also describes different approaches to cultivating and making use of concentration and the characteristics of what has been termed “big sky mind” and his way of using relaxed curiosity–letting go with every out-breath with a concentrated mind–to have a deeper understanding of sunnata (soon-yah-tah), translated as emptiness–the absence of a separate, enduring self.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:34 — 54.5MB)
by Peter Carlson | Jun 12, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Our community finds value in providing opportunities for those among us who have recently experienced a significant retreat to “think out loud” about the experience. The benefits of these reviews are associated with the support of informed listeners, along with information about retreat sites and teachers. The descriptions of the experience might inspire those listening to commit to a retreat. During this talk, Mike spoke about the teachers, Guy and Sally Armstrong and their suggestions and training to foster clear knowledge of awareness, a very subtle quality of the mind usefully developed on the path to Awakening.
the unfortunate humming sound during parts of the talk come from a neighbor mowing their yard.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Mike Maldonado 2025
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:09:03 — 63.2MB)
by Peter Carlson | Jun 5, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, April describes how our inability to investigate and effectively manage our resistance to using mindfulness to beneficially apply the principles and practices from a Buddhist creates suffering, using various quotes from Buddhist teachings. Her review is followed by questions and comments about this topic from those participating in the meeting.
Here are the notes prepared for the talk: What You Resist Persists
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:04:28 — 59.0MB)
by Peter Carlson | May 29, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Allie Vaknin reviews Buddhist concepts regarding mortality, referring frequently to the Bardo, a descriptive term for the states of birth, death and rebirth from a Tibetan Buddhist perspective. Her report is followed by comments from participants regarding their views of mortality, often referring to the impact after witnessing their witnessing of the death of loved ones.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 57:10 — 52.3MB)
by Peter Carlson | May 22, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this meeting, Peter responds to questions posed by those participating, such as describing the “Middle Way” as a dynamic balancing of mental energy–not too energized or too tranquil–along with mental acuity–not too rigid or too “sloppy”. He also commented on the benefits of deciding to cultivate equanimity when confronted with very noisy and variable social events.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:26 — 54.4MB)
by Peter Carlson | May 15, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Lezlie reviews four key liberating functions in the mind: diligence, mindfulness. clearly knowing what is emerging into awareness, supported by the integrative and unifying function of concentration–the persistent operation of the three qualities already mentioned. She describes how these qualities help her investigate and deny unwholesome views of herself and others left over from her childhood. Her comments are followed by comments from others participating in the meeting.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:01:28 — 56.3MB)