by Peter Carlson | Feb 29, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This is the first of a long series of in-depth reviews of the Satipatthana Sutta, known as the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse. Peter is using several of the books on this topic written by the German Theravadin Monk Analayo on the Sutta, including “Satipatthana-The Direct Path To Realization” and “Satipatthana Meditation-A Practice Guide”. Analayo is highly regarded as a scholar of Buddhism and is also a dedicated meditation practitioner, who is currently in residence at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. During this talk Peter described the history of the Satipatthana Sutta and important structural elements, required because the Discourse had to be memorized over many generations before it was written and preserved. Two categories described by Analayo were listed–Definitions and Refrains.
This was followed by discussion of the impact of the Sutta on the participants.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Satipatthana Via Analayo
Next week’s talk will begin the focus on the first of the Four Foundations, Kayanupassana, Mindfulness of the Body.
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by Peter Carlson | Feb 20, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk focuses on what is probably the most frequently used Buddhist term karma, which is often misunderstood. During the talk Peter explained the various complexities of this term that the Buddha described as “only understood fully by an Arahant”. Other terms were provided by Peter: karmaphala, vipaka, cetana and sankhara, all of which can be almost synonymous with karma, with subtle but practically useful differences. The karmic process was related to contemporary neuroscientific, psychological and sociological concepts. Peter then reviewed how cultivating mindfulness of breathing, applied to mindfulness of feelings can change the manifestation of karma in beneficial ways. This was followed by general discussion of how understanding karma can be beneficial to those attending the talk.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Working With Karma
Next week’s talk will begin and extensive exploration of what can be considered the most useful of all the Buddhist suttas, the Satipatthana Sutta, the Discourse On The Four Foundations of Mindfulness.
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by Peter Carlson | Feb 14, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk concludes two focused on the elements of Dukkha, craving and clinging; the talk on tanha, craving,was posted on February 6. Peter described the term Upadana as basically meaning fuel or nutriment, that which feeds the selfing process. Upadana is the “maturing” of craving when the mind is insufficiently alert and balanced. Contemporary research into how the brain transforms stimulation into a sense of self through what is termed the binding process. Peter described how mindfulness of breathing meditation can provide the stability of attention and the level of insight into the process of becoming as described in the concept of dependent origination. These explanations were followed by general group discussion regarding the applications of mindfulness to reveal and overcome the various manifestations of clinging.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: WORKING WITH CLINGING
Next week’s talk will focus on working with karma.
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by Peter Carlson | Feb 6, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This is the first of two talks on the primary causes of Dukkha, tanha (craving) and upadana (clinging). Tanha is typically translated as thirst, an unquenchable desire, either for pleasant feeling to persist or for unpleasant feeling to be eliminated. Peter talked about craving in the context of addiction, derived from his training as a Certified Addictions Professional, using neurological research results to describe how craving operates in the brain. This was followed by description of how the regular practice of mindfulness of breathing meditation alters the structure of the brain to reduce the urgency of craving, regardless as to whether it is involved in an addictive process or simply applies to everyday emotional reactivity to environmentally stressful circumstances. This explanation was followed by lively and extensive discussion among the participants regarding this topic.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: WORKING WITH CRAVING
Next week’s topical focus will involve upadana, the tendency of the mind to become attached to a particular thought or belief in maladaptive ways.
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by Peter Carlson | Jan 30, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk focuses on the third topic of a series on the Three Characteristics: Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta. Dukkha is the manifestation of craving and clinging to the misconception that there is an enduring and autonomous self. This topical focus is represented by the first of the Four Noble Truths and reflects the fundamental characteristics of Dukkha: the distress that comes with inhabiting a body, the transient nature of reality and the confusion that is manifested by sankhara, (Those factors which condition one’s subjective experience, producing the illusion of an enduring and autonomous self). Peter then emphasized the importance of direct experiential awareness of Dukkha from a perspective of dispassionate investigation to reveal the actions of sankhara and deconstruct the self. This was followed by interested discussion regarding how to use vipassana practice to investigate and awaken from the influence of craving and clinging, thereby reducing Dukkha.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Working With Dukkha
The focus of next week’s talk will be an in-depth exploration of tanha, translated as craving for pleasant experience or for unpleasant experience to be avoided or eliminated.
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by Peter Carlson | Jan 16, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This is the first of three talks exploring tilakkhana, the three basic characteristics of our subjective world, Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta. Tonight’s focus is on Anicca, the impermanent and transitory nature of reality. Impermanence occurs in two ways: externally, through the naturally transitory functions of organic and inorganic processes and internally, through one’s ongoing subjective […]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:06:38 — 122.0MB)
