Dhamma Talks
Lojong Review
During this final review of the lojong mind training aphorisms, Peter described how the lojong tradition is a revisiting of the Four Noble Truths from a Mahayana perspective, with emphasis on tonglen, the practice of compassion. The last stage of the lojong listing...
Peter’s 2015 Year End Retreat
It is customary in this sangha to provide those members who have completed a significant retreat the opportunity to process the experience during a regular meeting. Peter annually experiences a two week self-retreat, this one lasting from December 18 until January 1,...
Avoiding Mental Rigidity
During this talk, Peter reviewed 3 lojong mind training commitments: "Don’t revert to magic", "Don’t reduce a god to a demon", and "Don’t seek pain as a component of happiness". The common theme of these three commitments is to be mindful of mental rigidity, which...
Overcoming Comparing Mind
During this talk, the lojong mind training commitment "Don’t aim to win" was related to the Theravaden concept of "comparing mind", that is, the tendency in this culture to emphasize competition and material acquisition, with the achievement of "Awakening" as the...
Releasing Unrealistic Expectations
During this talk, the lojong commitment "Don't Put A Horse's Load On A Donkey" was reviewed. The emphasis of the commitment is to avoid idealizing expectations of self or others, that is, to avoid perfectionism. One of the benefits of being relieved of the stress...
The Benefits Of Gratitude
Since our meetings are on Wednesday nights, each year on the eve of Thanksgiving, the discussion is organized around the Buddhist view of gratitude. Peter emphasized the interaction between generosity and gratitude, using examples from his own practice experience...
Compassionate Relationship
This discussion began with a quote from the Upaddha Sutta: "...Admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie is actually the whole of the holy life..." because the emphasis for this week focuses on the lojong commitments regarding interpersonal...
Working With Unpredictability
This talk focuses on the lojong commitment "Don't Rely On Consistency", which emphasizes how social norms put pressure on individuals to conform, even when such conformity violates the Buddhist principle of benevolent intention. One example would be the pressure to...
Avoiding Toxic Ego Food
During this evening's discussion, modern neuroscientific research was reviewed which suggests that activated neural pathways become more richly connected when "fed" by increased blood flow. When unwholesome self-organizations are repeatedly enacted, the result is...
Turning Humiliation Into Humility
This talk addresses the problems of perfectionism, which often manifest as internal narratives that are shame-based. Various lojong mind training aphorisms were reviewed to clarify how the applications of the aphorisms can support transforming feelings of shame and...
