by Peter Carlson | Feb 25, 2021 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk reviews a mindfulness meditation practice protocol developed by a Burmese teacher named Mahasi Sayadaw, who had a great influence on the important contemporary American Buddhist teachers Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salsberg of the Insight Meditation Society. Elements of the practice that are reviewed include the importance of intention for cultivating a persistent “noting” of what is immediately occurring in awareness, with a primary focus of attention on the expanding and contracting of the abdomen while practicing mindfulness of breathing meditation. The goal of this practice is to create and sustain a “stream” of noting moments, directly knowing the characteristics of self-organization in order to reveal the nature of anicca, impermanence, one of the three basic characteristics of Buddhism. This streaming process is termed momentary concentration and is expected to produce calmness and clarity in the mind without having to previously cultivate very high levels of fixed concentration. The review is followed by a question and comment period among those attending.
A guided meditation entitled “Guided vipassana With Noting Meditation” was posted for February 24, 2021 in the Guided Meditation Archive and is intended to supplement this talk.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: The Mahasi Sayadaw Method
The focus for the next meeting will be a guided body scan meditation modeled on the teachings of S. N. Goenka followed by a talk that will review the concepts and practices for this form of mindfulness meditation.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:08:06 — 124.7MB)
by Peter Carlson | Feb 25, 2021 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This guided meditation follows the insight meditation system promoted by Mahasi Sayadaw and through the Insight Meditation Society that practices “noting” briefly what arises in consciousness as a way to cultivate vipassana, insight into the the impermanence of subjective experience. The primary object of meditation in this method is noting the expanding and contracting of the abdomen while practicing mindfulness of breathing. During the guided meditation, various suggestions are provided to prompt the noting process, which is intended to cultivate a rapidly sequenced moments of direct knowing, known as khanika samadhi, momentary concentration, to advance the practice of vipassana.
This recording is intended to supplement the talk of February 24, 2021 entitled “Mahasi Sayadaw Vipassana With Noting Review”.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:58 — 82.3MB)
by Peter Carlson | Feb 18, 2021 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk continues a series of reviews of the development of Buddhism from the time of the Buddha forward, as Buddhism was influenced by various historical eras. The focus for this review builds on the talk on February 3, 2021 that explored how Western colonialism, particularly Christian missionary activity, initiated a revitalization of the various Buddhist traditions around Asia. The presentation in this talk describes how, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries various teachers began to create more meditative practices that could influence the general population, and, during and after WWII, Americans in Asia began to be interested in and trained by Buddhist monks and lay teachers; these American teachers brought contemporary vipassana practices to the U.S., largely avoiding the traditional rites and rituals of Asian traditions. The talk was followed by a period for questions and general discussion.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: How Buddhism Encountered the West
Next week’s talk will review the various concepts and meditation practices Peter has been trained in.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:41 — 123.9MB)
by Peter Carlson | Feb 18, 2021 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This guided meditation does not represent Zen shikantaza, translated as “just sitting”; instead using persistent mindfulness of breathing practice to stabilize focused attention on the cycle of inhalation/exhalation, with emphasis on exhalation, to facilitate expanding awareness gradually and systematically to areas of the body. Beginning with the head, you carefully investigate whatever sensation might be discovered, then moving attention to the shoulders, etc., down to the feet, with the goal of integrating the concentration developed through mindfulness of breathing to eventually include the entire body.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:57 — 82.3MB)
by Peter Carlson | Feb 11, 2021 | Listen to Dharma Talks
It is customary for our Sangha to provide opportunities for those who have completed a residential retreat to have the opportunity to share their experience, as this integrates what they learned for themselves and offers inspiration for those not on retreat to further their practice with a residential retreat. Andy Quinn is the founding teacher of the Lakeland Insight Meditation Group and has been on dozens of retreats. He completed a two-week self-retreat recently and shared his experience with those participating in the meeting. During the talk, Andy spoke favorably of the value of Analayo’s book “Mindfulness of Breathing” as a resource during the retreat to guide his practice.
Next week’s talk will resume a review of the history of Buddhism, focusing on how the various Buddhist traditions entered into American culture over the last century. The intention of this review is to create a cultural context regarding the creative mixing of various Oriental traditions within contemporary American Buddhism, which will be reviewed during the next few talks.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:10:25 — 128.9MB)
by Peter Carlson | Feb 11, 2021 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This recording focuses on letting go as part of effective meditation practice; various suggestions are offered periodically to foster relinquishing attachment to mental objects that arise as the result of craving and clinging. One suggestion for practice is to recall the drag that is experienced when immersing the hand into a stream of water–you are encouraged to become clearly aware of the stress of clinging to a thought as being like the drag of the stream and to simply release that holding in the same way you remove your hand from resisting the stream. There are reminders that there is no “drag” when attending to the breath sensations, and to notice the difference between the stress of craving and clinging compared to the ease of just observing the breath.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:58 — 82.3MB)
