by Peter Carlson | Nov 5, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This meditation focuses on combining mindfulness meditation with compassion meditation, suggesting that the effective experiencing and expressing of compassion requires using Right Mindfulness and Right Effort to create the subjective clarity and serenity that supports the emergence of compassion. The ability of a person to empathize with the distress and confusion of others is emphasized, and the inter-relatedness of all beings is also included in the contemplation. This meditation is intended to accompany the posting entitled “Mindful Compassion In Trying Times”, recorded November 4, 2020.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:21 — 83.1MB)
by Peter Carlson | Oct 30, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk reviews the Wholesome Cetasikas “Right Action” and “Right Livelihood” in their classical rendering and then conjoins them into “Right Lifestyle” to reflect ways to be resilient to current stresses in these trying times. Contemporary lifestyles are deeply conditioned by indoctrination regarding consumerism and identification with roles and entitlements that are significantly challenged by the pandemic conditions and the ensuing unemployment and social disruption. The Four Noble Truths conceptual structure is reviewed as an effective resource for coping with the distress and confusion created by the pandemic, storms and fires created by global warming, as well as the current divisiveness in U.S. politics (the 2020 election is next week). There is an additional review of “The Four Clear Comprehensions”, part of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness commentaries that can be beneficially applied to decision making within the complexity of current life circumstances. This talk is meant to be accompanied by the “Guided Mindful Intention Meditation” posted on 10/29/20, which is intended to provide support for identifying and successfully adapting to lifestyle choices that are more adaptive to the changes required by current cultural stresses.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Right Lifestyle In Trying Times
Next week’s talk will focus on the importance of compassion in trying times.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:06:19 — 121.4MB)
by Peter Carlson | Oct 29, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This guided mindfulness of breathing meditation suggests a variety of tactics for cultivating mindful awareness of intention, the mind conditioning factor that coordinates every moment of self-organization in preparation for action. Meditators are invited to notice quickly and as precisely as possible the beginning of the in-breath and out-breath to establish stability of attention. Further suggestions bring attention to noting the intention associated with noting changes in physical sensations, alternating with noting the intentions associated with various mental formations such as alertness vs. dullness, stability vs. distractions, etc. This meditation is intended to accompany the talk entitled “Right Lifestyle In Trying Times”, which covers the cetasikas of Right Action and Right Livelihood.
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by Peter Carlson | Oct 22, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk reviews the Wholesome Cetasika of Sammavaca, translated as Right Speech, which is also an important element of the Noble Eightfold Path. The classical understanding of Right Speech is reviewed, which is coordinated with previously posted reviews of Hiri, Moral Shame and Ottappa, Respect for Consequences, two other Wholesome Cetasikas, those factors that condition the organizing of the experience of selfing. Additionally, insights are included that reference contemporary psychological concepts that help in understanding the manifestation of “Fake News” and “Misinformation” narratives that create much distress and confusion in contemporary life, particularly regarding politics and conflicts regarding global warming and how to protect oneself and others from covid-19. The goal of the talk is to support applying the insights and discipline that regular mindfulness of breathing meditation can provide for coping with these challenges. The hindrance of skeptical doubt is woven into the conflicted narratives and seeking the support of well-informed and trustworthy sources of information is encouraged.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Valuing Right Speech During These Trying Times These notes include references to websites that provide resources for checking the validity of what might be encountered within social media.
Next week’s topic will combine two of the remaining cetasikas, Right Action and Right Livelihood, particularly as applied to managing our responses to the demands of these stressful times.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:01:31 — 112.7MB)
by Peter Carlson | Oct 22, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This meditation focuses on learning how to use mindfulness of breathing practice to perceive internal narratives–the “selfing story”–as transient, impersonal fabrications that are natural processes such as hearing, etc., and not constituting an autonomous, enduring self. Meditators are encouraged to note the difference between the here-and-now characteristics of sensory feelings and the flow of internal self-talk, which is often organized around reviewing the past or imagining the future. The meditation is intended to accompany the posted talk entitled “Right Speech For Trying Times”, which followed this training meditation.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:00 — 82.4MB)
by Peter Carlson | Oct 16, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk reviews the benefits of coordinating the previously reviewed Universal Wholesome Cetasikas, resulting in the manifestation of the Six Beautiful Pairs: tranquility of mind and mental factors, lightness of mind and mental factors, pliancy of mind and mental factors, wieldiness of mind and mental factors, proficiency of mind and mental factors and uprightness of mind and mental factors. The “mind” reflects the reflective capacity of consciousness and “mental factors” represent those categories of mind conditioning factors called cetasikas; when these are skillfully coordinated, one’s consciousness operates at a higher level of clarity, discipline and accuracy in the process of Awakening. Each of these cetasikas is reviewed individually, with Peter describing the classical Buddhist rendering as well as his personal experience of them, typically fully realized during a residential retreat. This talk is meant to be accompanied by the recording of the guided meditation presented before this meeting entitled “Guided Alerting The Mind Meditation”, which can be found in the website archives.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: SIX PAIRS OF WHOLESOME CETASIKAS
Next week’s talk will focus on the Wholesome Cetasikas of Right Speech, Right Action and Right Mindfulness as they can be understood and applied in the context of current cultural distress and confusion resulting from the pandemic, political turmoil and environmental dysfunction.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:06 — 122.9MB)
