by Peter Carlson | Apr 30, 2014 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This dialogue follows on the previous one, which focused on the nature and function of aversion and ill-will. This week the focus is on how to recognize and interrupt the development of this hindrance. During the discussion, the experience of aversion was explored to increase process awareness as to the first signs of the aversion, how it actually manifests, how to set it aside, and how to minimize its re-occurance. Peter also talked of the importance of setting aside the hindrances in order to cultivate mental clarity and stability, and then to revisit the hindrances to realize the essential nature of experience, as impermanent, non-self, and subject to the suffering that arises from craving and clinging.
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by Peter Carlson | Apr 23, 2014 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this dialogue, Peter first described the classical way of understanding the hindrance of aversion and ill-will. He then provided a review of current neurobiological understanding of how various brain structures process incoming stimuli to assess for either threat or reward. During this phase, he explained the close association between the avoidance of unpleasant feeling and the onset of addictive behaviors. This was linked to the emphasis placed on serenity in the various 12-step organizations, particularly the 11th step regarding daily meditation and prayer. This was followed by a clarifying dialogue among the sangha members about this process. Next week’s talk will explore more directly how we can notice the arising of aversion , the nature of arisen aversion, how to dissolve aversion and how to avoid the future arising of aversion.
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by Peter Carlson | Apr 16, 2014 | Listen to Dharma Talks
It is customary in our sangha to provide the opportunity for a person who just completed a significant retreat to “think out loud” about the retreat experience, as this supports integrating the deep changes retreats foster into regular life routines more effectively. Robert just completed a three month retreat at the Providence Zen Center in Rhode Island. He spoke of his experience, followed by a question and answer period.
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by Peter Carlson | Apr 10, 2014 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This dialogue follows upon the previous week’s exploration of the hindrances, particularly sense desire. Peter described how MRI research shows that the more times a particular neural pathway is activated, the more enduring and “self-defining” it becomes. This was related to how much our consumer culture feeds unrelenting dissatisfaction and desire. Peter pointed out that hindrances not only interfere with meditation practice, but also disturb peace of mind and clarity during daily life routines. He also emphasized that spiritual enhancement is hindered when meditation practice is dominated by the intense mental preoccupations and energy turbulence arising from the action of the hindrances. This was followed by discussion of the impact that group members experience related to the hindrances.
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by Peter Carlson | Apr 2, 2014 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Peter described how stimulation through the “sense bases” is transformed into the disruptive and energy draining process Buddhism calls panca nivarana, the Five Hindrances. He described the nature of sense desire as a hindrance, focusing on the activities of the amygdala (fear orientation) and nucleus accumbens (associated with addictive behavior) are examples of craving and clinging from a classical Buddhist perspective. Setting aside sense desire frees up the internal energy flows, cultivating joy, one of the awakening factors, establishing an internal source of happiness, rather than the false promise of the objects of sense desire. Next week’s discussion will explore the hindrance of aversion and ill-will.
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by Peter Carlson | Mar 29, 2014 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk begins several weeks of exploration of the Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness, dhammanupassana. During the discussion, Peter pointed out that Mindfulness of the Body and of Feelings are projected onto the Third Foundation, that of consciousness, and that the culminating practice of this teaching is to notice the interactions between the foundations, Mindfulness of Mental Phenomena. He also suggested that the word “dhamma” conveys something static, a thing; however, a dhamma is transient, lasting a fraction of a second, and therefore is best considered as a dynamic process that commingles the four foundations. During the next several weeks, the dhamma called the five hindrances, the dhamma called the five aggregates, the dhamma called the six sense bases (which he terms “the six sense functions”, the dhamma of the seven awakening factors, and the dhamma called the full realization of the Four Noble Truths (which he called the Four Ennobling Truths) will be explored.
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