by Peter Carlson | Nov 7, 2013 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this dialogue, Peter reviewed previous dialogues on The Power Of Commitment and the Five Precepts, hoping to foster a different perspective on the precepts. In the history of Buddhism, the precepts are worded as “abstentions”, that is, behaviors that are to be avoided. In this rendering, we are asked to consider positive aspects of them as commitments to manifest clear awareness (Right Understanding) and benevolent intentions (Right intentions). In the course of the dialogue, participants were urged to realize that regular meditation practice is essential for the cultivation of the virtues that the precepts represent. A one page summary reviewing the usefulness of working with the precepts as commitments is posted on the site for review. Next week, the dialogue will begin to explore the practice of Right Mindfulness, which include the four foundations of mindfulness (satipatthana).
See also accompanying text: A New Approach to Fostering Buddhist Principles
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by Peter Carlson | Nov 1, 2013 | Listen to Dharma Talks
It is our custom to provide some opportunity for most retreat participants to talk about their experience in the group, as this allows them the chance to “think out loud” with others who understand the retreat process. This helps to integrate the experience and makes the insights gained during the retreat to be more clearly understood and accessible for daily use. It also can serve as an inspiration for others who might consider a retreat experience. During the dialogue, Peter emphasized the value of the way the mind is trained on a retreat, comparing this to similar trainings in the practice of musicianship, sports, and writing, for example. (sorry for the typo in the title). Next week, Peter will talk about the use of commitment (discussed in an earlier talk) with the precepts, to empower spiritual progress.
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by Peter Carlson | Oct 24, 2013 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this dialogue, the classical five precepts of Buddhist practice are reviewed, with an intention to explore their relevance in this culture, which is much more complex than that of the eras during which Buddhism was developed initially. The core of the precepts is a commitment to manifest benevolent intention and promote clear awareness during daily life routines.
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by Peter Carlson | Oct 17, 2013 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this dialogue, Peter reviewed how certain of the cetasikas (mind conditioning factors) can be associated with the word “commitment”. The purpose of these comparisons is to set the stage for revisiting the Buddhist precepts in order to understand the core virtues they represent and develop a contemporary usage. The cetasikas reviewed are cetana (volition), vitakka (applied attention), vicara (investigative attention), adhimokkha (determination), viriya (energy), piti (enthusiasm), and chanda (zeal).
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by Peter Carlson | Oct 10, 2013 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This dialogue initiates several discussions of the practice of Right Effort on the Eightfold Path. During this talk, Peter described the classical rendering of the Four Noble Efforts, placed into the context of 21st century neuroscience. He quoted the statements of Dr. Dan Siegal, who describes the importance of integrating different neural pathways-emotional, cognitive and behavioral-in the process of transforming “energy into information”. Peter then described the characteristics of the five hindrances of classical Buddhist teachings in the context of neural “dys-integration” as a way to understand the nature of suffering. Next week’s planned dialogue focuses on revisiting the Buddhist precepts with contemporary terms such as “commitment”.
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by Peter Carlson | Oct 3, 2013 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this dialogue, Peter described the extraordinary complexity of our material culture, compared to the time of the Buddha. He also emphasized how easy it is to just think about pollution, global warming, and resource scarcity in the abstract, at a distance from the daily choices we make. He described the history of his developing concerns regarding the environment, beginning with such books as “Silent Spring”, “Diet For A Small Planet” and “Voluntary Simplicity”. The inspirational and informative quality of the books combined with the development of his Buddhist practice. He presented this as a realistic model of how the Four Clear Comprehensions (satisampajjana) can provide ways to make concrete decisions that are beneficial for the environment (in a small, personal way) and one’s sense of meaningful action in the world. During the ensuing discussion, examples from the persons attending the meeting were analyzed through the lens of satisampajjana.
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