Dhamma Talks
Sankhara the Self Maker
During this dhamma dialogue, Peter completed the exploration of the Five Aggregates, describing the function of sankhara, translated as the mind fabricator, the process of fabricating, and that which is fabricated. This concept is related to the paticcasamuppada,...
Domestic Vipassana Practice
While Peter's wife is away for a week, he decided to practice integrating mindfulness more thoroughly into daily life routines. The primary changes included more meditation periods and more reading about Buddhist practices; otherwise, the routines were the same as...
How Feeling And Perception Become Craving And Clinging
During this talk, Peter explained how feeling and perception function, transitional between raw sense data and higher cognitive processes. When the mind isn't well trained, feeling become craving and perception becomes clinging. There was a guided meditation to...
Grounding The Five Aggregates
This dialogue is a continuation of the previous week's discussion. During the discussion, Peter led a guided meditation on how to use the four elements contemplations to provide a consistent focus for interrupting the elaboration the mind creates in the "selfing...
Five Aggregates Affected By Clinging
Continuing the ongoing exploration of the Four Noble Truths, Peter described the concept of the Five Aggregates affected by clinging, which is referred to in the Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness teaching. Using a graphic illustration, he showed how the factors of...
Franciscan Center Retreat Report
As is our custom, after a significant retreat event, there's a dialogue about the retreat experience amongst the participants. Since much of what occurs is deeper than conscious awareness, having the opportunity to talk about the experience among other knowledgeable...
From Demons To Angels (Audio)
Following on last week's dialogue, Peter described how the mind "transforms energy into information", and that the hindrances are "energy dumps" that distort perceptions and create distress. The setting aside of the hindrances through mindfulness of breathing creates...
Resolving Skeptical Doubt
During this talk, the hindrance of skeptical doubt was discussed, using the Buddhist concept of panca bala, the five powers or five faculties to describe the dynamic balancing of energy/tranquility and faith/discernment through ongoing mindfulness practice. This was...
Calming Restlessness And Setting Aside Worry
During this dialogue, Peter and the sangha explored the characteristics of restlessness as an overactivated sympathetic nervous system process combined with rumination about a particular topic related to regret, remorse or possible negative consequences. Peter...
Peter’s Strange Retreat Adventure
It is our custom to dedicate a night's dialogue to reviewing a significant retreat experience by a member of the Sangha. This report is exceptional, as Peter's 2 week self-retreat was significantly altered by disease. During this talk, Peter described the onset of...
