Dhamma Talks
Deerhaven 2016 Third Night Talk
This talk focuses on cultivating samadhi/passadhi more consistently, with the intention of manifesting access concentration, the flow of internal experience that is unburdened by the Five Hindrances. Access concentration is an optimal self-state organization for...
Deerhaven 2016 Second Night Talk
This talk focused on recognizing and overcoming the Five Hindrances: sense desire, aversion/ill-will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and worry and skeptical doubt. The main strategy for this is persistently aiming attention at the onset of breathing in, sustaining...
Deerhaven 2016 First Night Talk
This was the introductory talk for the annual one week retreat. Traditionally, Buddhist retreats begin with "Taking refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha" and "The Five Precepts". Peter described the intention of "taking refuge" and "the precepts" through a...
The Awakening Process
This talk summarizes the series of of explorations of Buddhist psychology with discussion about what are called "The Progressions of Insight", which describe observable mental experiences that show progress in the the process of liberation from distress and confusion,...
Right Understanding And Wisdom
This is the last talk that focuses on the mind conditioners called the cetasikas. The Topic is the last of the cetasikas, Right Understanding, frequently termed Wisdom. The previous wholesome cetasikas were briefly reviewed to provide a conceptual context for...
The Virtuous Cetasikas
This talk focused on the mind conditioners associated with virtue, that is, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Compassion and Sympathetic Joy. The maturing of the wholesome cetasikas presents the virtues of the Noble Eightfold Path as being organized...
2016 Thanksgiving and Gratitude
It is customary for the Orlando Insight Meditation Group participants to reflect on the benefits of life revealed by practicing the Noble Eightfold Path, as our weekly meetings occur on Thanksgiving Eve. This discussion has periods of reflective quiet time...
The Seven Factors for Awakening
During this talk, Peter described overcoming the five hindrances as "warding off the demons"; cultivating the Seven Factors For Awakening represents "feeding the angels" of liberating awareness. Each of the seven was described and explained as to their function in...
The Dharma and the 2016 Election
The conclusion of the long and arduous 2016 election cycle was surprising, perhaps even alarming for many people. During the course of spiritual development, it is often the abrupt, unexpected event that can provide the greatest insights beneficial for maturing one's...
Six Pairs Of Wholesome Mind Conditioners
Continuing the exploration of the Wholesome Mind Conditioners that began with last week's posting "The Universal Wholesome Mind Conditioners", the twelve following cetasikas were listed as cooperative pairs--cetasikas, reflected in the mind: Tranquility of cetasikas...
