This talk is accompanied by the preceding Lovingkindness meditation training that focuses on the fear and uncertainty which affects the world as a result of the pandemic. Peter reviewed how craving and clinging can be investigated and released through the training provided by regular meditation practice. He emphasized how we can become preoccupied with the long-term impact of the pandemic, which interferes with the ability to effectively cope with the uncertainty of our mortality. He reviewed Atisha’s Nine Contemplations on Mortality, a regular part of Tibetan Buddhist life. He also mentioned that many of the lifestyle choices we are conditioned into by consumerism will “die” as a result of the disruption of commercial and social norms.
Due to continuing unfamiliarity with the auditory recording process, the questions and comments of those participating were not recorded, and Peter apologizes for this mistake and this will be corrected for the next meeting, which will focus on what contemporary psychology calls resilience, the ability to effectively cope with conflict. This research also explores how individuals emerge from traumatic events with a heightened appreciation for life and an enhanced ability to find meaning through adversity; this view is very compatible with the goals of regular mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation practice. That meeting will also include a training meditation focused on Mindfulness of Feelings, the Second Foundation of Mindfulness.
This Lovingkindness meditation is set up to provide support for cultivating kindness and compassion for oneself and all the others affected by the Covid-19 Pandemic. It begins with a focus on one’s own well-being and then expands and includes all others experiencing the distress and confusion that we are confronted with.
This meditation is followed by a Dharma talk entitled “”Coping With Fear Of Dying April 8 2020”, during which Peter discussed how mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation provides support for reorganizing expectations and reducing anxiety regarding the uncertainties of the next period of this year.
We are living through what is likely the most trying time of our lives with the Covid-19 pandemic. This is not the only trial we are confronted with, as the upheaval caused by global warming is becoming even more evident. Both of these conditions require a degree of equanimity and creative adaptation to successfully live through. During this talk Peter described how meditation practices such as mindfulness of breathing, lovingkindness and the just posted Four Elements Contemplation can provide support for effective coping, using the Four Noble Truths as the conceptual structure for discussing the significant changes we must make in redefining what constitutes a good life, differing in several ways from the consumerism that is the characteristic conditioning in this culture. During the talk Peter described the importance of a book entitled “Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life That Is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich” by Duane Elgin in shaping his understanding and growth towards a good life. It can be found on Amazon as a revised edition. It is also useful to go to a site like http://simplicitycollective.com/start-here/what-is-voluntary-simplicity-2 to get more information.
In the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse, one suggestion for practice focuses on contemplating the Four Elements: Earth (feelings of hardness, softness, pressure, density, etc.), Air (movement in or of the body), Fire (variations in temperature sensations) and Water (awareness of liquidity or cohesion). When the discourse was being formed, that worldview suggested that all of reality was composed of these elements; current understanding can find the contemplation to be valuable subjectively as focusing on body sensations interrupts the intrusive and urgent demands of internal narrative processes. Successful contemplation of this sort cultivates stability of attention and internal tranquility. The recording below is a training meditation led by Peter inviting meditators to investigate the variety of Elements that can be perceived and felt during the meditation. This posting will be followed by the recording and notes prepared and delivered focused on “Mindful Coping And Cultivating An Adaptive Lifestyle”
This is the first attempt by Peter to facilitate a talk and discussion via Zoom and unfortunately he neglected to turn on either recording program so there is no recording of this talk; however, the training meditation was successfully recorded and is posted, even though there are intrusive sounds during the recording. This is a good example of how dukkha manifests as distress and confusion, as managing the Zoom program and both the recording devices represents confusion regarding the procedures; fortunately with minimal distress, as Peter practices turning humiliation into humility on a regular basis. Hopefully the next recorded meeting on April 1 will be successfully accomplished.
The talk was focused on how combining specific attention to the breath sensations can be integrated with peripheral awareness of other body sensations to provide a stabilizing platform from which to notice and let go of intrusive and disruptive internal narratives. This ability was related to the benefits of adapting to the increasingly stressful circumstances of the pandemic through the development of the Four Noble Truths.
Hi Fellow Travelers–Thanks to the causes and conditions provided by the Covid-19 virus there will no assemblies in our meditation cottage until the circumstances make it safe to assemble in groups. I hope this supports and maybe even expands the outreach of the Orlando Insight Meditation Group, the goal of which is to provide training in mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation and practical applications of the Wisdom found within these concepts that will support us as we go through these trying times. Last week’s recording was a first attempt at streaming and hopefully the recording of April 1 will be more effectively posted; the microphone will be muted until the Dharma talk so the meditation will not be interrupted by the sounds of folks entering into the group.
The meeting operates through the Zoom software (OIMG has subscribed for one year at a cost of $150). The URL for the meeting is: https://us04web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUuf-2srDMtnERzureO8f2K4iQeRCf-dQ and the meeting password is 620329. As I understand how it works, you must preregister at the site the URL in order to participate in the events and registering one time will provide access to all the upcoming meetings, as long as we continue streaming them (Which may become a problem when we resume meeting in the meditation building which has weak reception from the server in my home; hopefully sometime later in the Spring we can safely assemble again in the cottage). The meetings will be audio only and, once again as I understand the way it works, the meeting can be accessed by smartphone as well as any internet-connected computer system. The meetings will be recorded and posted on the website as usual. Please be patient with me as I find my way into the world of internet streaming and hopefully we can all benefit from this crisis.
The topic for the meeting on March 31 will combine a contemplation from the First Foundation of Mindfulness, The Four Elements, which involves using noting sensations of pressure, movement, temperature and liquidity to interrupt the narratives that accompany the hindrances; this interruption creates more stability, clarity and tranquility, which is of great benefit in these trying times. The talk will focus on how the pandemic relates to the Four Noble Truths and interdependence. i hope you will participate in the streaming meeting and I wish you well. Peter
