by Peter Carlson | Nov 6, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk reviewed the nature of the Five Hindrances: How they are triggered, the characteristics of each, how they can be set aside and how the re-emergence of them can be limited. Humans were described as “energy transforming organisms” and the hindrances represent “energy dumps”. Skillful practice doesn’t involve fighting to control the hindrances–rather, the intention is to understand how they function through “feeding the energy of attention” to them and denying that feeding through the practice of mindfully returning to the breath rather than indulging them, redirecting the energy of attention to more wholesome channels of awareness. This was followed by a discussion interlude in Noble Silence to clarify understanding through questions.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: PRACTICE NOTES FOR OVERCOMING THE FIVE HINDRANCES These notes are extensive, covering more than was discussed during the talk. Some areas have been highlighted for emphasis.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:24:59 — 155.6MB)
by Peter Carlson | Nov 6, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This first night’s talk focuses on a traditional introduction to Buddhist retreats: Taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. Peter described the Buddha as being the potential for Awakening from dukkha, the distress and confusion caused by craving and clinging, exemplified by the historical Buddha–if he and perhaps tens of thousands after him could realize Awakening, so can we. The Dharma is represented by commitment to the principles and practices provided by the retreat environment, particularly the Five Precepts, which was explained in a contemporary secular manner. The Sangha represents the cooperative effort of the 18 people present for the retreat.
This explanation was followed by discussion among those present regarding the practices during the retreat.
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by Peter Carlson | Oct 31, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
It is our custom to offer opportunities for Sangha members who have just completed a significant meditation retreat to “think out loud” about their experience as it is believed that this helps clarify and integrate what they gained from the retreat; it may also inspire those who listen to the talk to attend a retreat. This one-week retreat was themed around the “craft” of mindfulness meditation, using a sequence of talks during the seven nights to cultivate the skills for applying the concepts of Buddhism to their lives. There were 7 of the 17 folks who participated in the retreat who were able to show up for this talk and each shared what they learned and how they are applying the skills and insights at home. Here is the sequence presented during the retreat:
First night–Taking Refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha in contemporary terms.
Second night–Setting aside the Five Hindrances
Third night– Understanding the Five Aggregates
Fourth night–Developing the Seven Awakening Factors
Fifth night–Understanding Dependent Origination
Sixth night–The process of Awakening
Seventh night–Taking the practice home
Each night of the retreat was recorded and will be posted for review, with a few days between each posting to provide time for listening to the recording and reviewing the notes Peter prepared for most of the talks.
Next week’s Dharma talk will begin a series on the Four Noble Abidings: Lovingkindness, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy and Equanimity. The Emphasis for each talk will be on how the practices affect the mind and bring benefit to those who mindfully cultivate them.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:01:19 — 112.3MB)
by Peter Carlson | Oct 17, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This is the last of a series of talks about how current cultural stress affects us and what the principles and practices of Buddhism have to offer in reducing the dukkha of a particular topic. In this case it is the distress and confusion around how the environment is being affected by current population growth, which is producing global warming and degradation of the environment. Peter cited current observations about the unprecedented growth of human population since the onset of the industrial revolution early in the 19th century. The population of the world is predicted to grow exponentially (nearly a vertical track on a growth chart graphic) to 9 billion people by 2050! The earth’s environment is already strained by current pressures for resource extraction and utilization and is bound to be significantly more stressed over the next few decades. There are political stances about whether global warming is attributable to human CO2 production, but whether or not this is true, the impact of increasing population will continue to degrade the atmosphere, the earth and the water, and this has and will continue to create political and social stresses for the rest of our lifetimes on the planet. Many people respond either with denial about what’s happening or despair regarding whether humanity can survive what is coming. Peter suggested these views represent either aversion or skeptical doubt, and that we as individuals can commit two what we can do with our limited resources as gifts to the next generation, establishing role models of effective action in the face of adversity.
Peter talked about his decisions regarding the environment stemming from reading “Diet For A Small Planet” several decades ago and how the impact of this created a commitment to living a more environmentally responsible life as demonstrated by his current home life (You have to listen to the talk for more details) and how Buddhist principles and practices strongly supported whatever success he has realized. He then invited the participants in the talk to comment on what they might consider to be a commitment to “reduce the environmental dukkha” by their individual lifestyle choices–a form of Right Livelihood. Peter further invites those who are reading this and listening to the talk to consider what lifestyle choices they can commit to that can make an individual difference to the environment with the support of regular mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation practice.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: The Dharma And The Environment
Since Peter and others will be on retreat at Deerhaven next week there will not be a posted dharma talk for Wednesday the 23rd; Daniel Logan will provide a talk entitled “My Favorite Hindrance” at that meeting. Here is the description Daniel provides:
My Favorite Hindrance
Everyone experiences the hindrances, both on and off the cushion. In this week’s dharma discussion we’ll explore our own personal history with a hindrance of our choice through the lens of currere. Currere is an autobiographical method of reflecting upon one’s experience through a subjective and narrative framework. Participants will be guided through the process of reflecting upon past, present, and future experiences related to their experiences with a single hindrance (aversion, doubt, sensual desire, sloth & torpor, restlessness & worry / agitation & remorse) and they will be encouraged to frame these experiences in a manner that serves to strengthen their practice. So come prepared to share your story with a fellow meditator and perhaps with the group at large.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:19 — 97.6MB)
by Peter Carlson | Oct 10, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
The theme of previous talks has been reviewing how Buddhist principles and practices can be beneficially applied to the extraordinary stresses of contemporary life. The current political conflict in the U.S. warrants a review of how mindfulness can bring clear awareness and equanimity to our social interactions which seem to be conflicted by the larger issues of partisanship as political propaganda influences us through negativity bias and confirmation bias. These biases create a divisiveness that is distorting and impeding our democratic process. Peter emphasized that we all live our lives in a relatively small “circle of influence” and how the contentiousness prevalent in Washington D.C., conveyed through the ever-present impact of mass media, intrudes on our more important social, workplace and familial relationships in distressing ways. He described recent research that proposes a focus on psychological liberalism and psychological conservatism and suggests that politically liberal people can be psychologically conservative as well as liberal, and that politically conservative people can be psychologically liberal as well as conservative. The regular practice of mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation can bring clarity and equanimity as we experience mindful investigation of mental processes and these practices can significantly reduce the distress and confusion that result from these circumstances. The clarity and equanimity supports a more creative process that can overcome the systemic disturbances that afflict current life and sets the conditions for Buddhist liberation. The explanations were followed by participant discussion regarding how mindfulness practice has benefited meditation practitioners in coping with political conflict.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: The Dharma And Political Conflict
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by Peter Carlson | Oct 3, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
The essence of social cohesion is manifested through interpersonal communication. The impact of the ever-present media of this era causes distress and confusion among individuals as cultural leaders and those who comment on them exaggerate and distort what is occurring–this is commonly termed “fake news”. This phenomenon is not just expressed by populist political leaders; it is also embedded in the oppositional commentary in the mass media. For the vast majority of us, divisiveness and interpersonal conflict intrude on our attempts to cultivate harmony in our relationships–in families, business relationships, among friends and with others whose differences in skin color, country of origin or religious conviction are different. Because of the stresses of increased world population, ecological crisis and the migration of war and terror refugees, we are confronted with the challenge of finding ways to relate to others with a sense of kindness, compassion and charity, even with those who have radically different perceptions and intentions. During the talk Buddhist principles and practices related to Right Speech were described and related to what modern psychological and sociological insights have to offer regarding skillful use of listening and respectful speech to negotiate the new social norms required in a diverse cultural setting. This review was followed by discussion of applications of Right Speech in the lives of those attending.
Here are the notes prepared for this evening’s talk: Wholesome Speech In Trying Times
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:03:01 — 115.4MB)
