Dhamma Talks
Why Breath Awareness Is Important
This is the second in a series of discussions regarding the Anapanasati Sutta, (mindfulness of breathing), a core teaching for Buddhist meditation practitioners. During this talk, Peter described several aspects of mindfulness of breathing that supports increasing...
Guided Walking Meditation
This guided meditation was recorded on January 10, 2015 during a one day mindfulness retreat led by Peter. During the recording, two alternative walking meditations were described: walking with breath awareness and walking tracking the changing sensations noted in...
Anapanasati and Community
During this first dhamma dialogue of the new year, Peter began a series of explorations of one of the core teachings of Buddhism, the Anapanasati Sutta, the discourse on mindfulness of breathing (See notes.) It was pointed out that this discourse is perhaps the only...
Peter’s 2014 Year-end Retreat Report
During this talk, Peter reviewed his experience on the recently completed 2 week self retreat. Emphasis was placed on consistent breath awareness, using the notion of "channeling energy" to the breath, rather than trying to "make the internal narrative stop". This...
Weekend Meditation Retreat Report
It is the custom of the Orlando Insight Meditation Group to provide the opportunity for those of us who have participated in a retreat to talk about the retreat experience. Much of what transpires in a retreat is subtle and out of conscious awareness, so talking...
Weekend Meditation Retreat Day 2
During this second evening of the weekend retreat at the Franciscan Center, Peter summarized the previous talks and instructions during the retreat, fostering increasing skill in the practice of anapanasati, mindfulness of breathing. He read an excerpt from the...
Weekend Meditation Retreat Day 1
This recording was made during the first night of the weekend retreat at the Franciscan Center, a delightful retreat facility on the Hillsborough River in Tampa, Florida, from December 5th to the 7th. This recording is extraordinarily long, almost 95 minutes. The...
Practice Questions II
During this dialogue, Peter described the basic principles and practices associated with cultivating lovingkindness, as a manifestation of the Noble Eightfold Path factor of Right Intention. Following this, the practice of vipassana (insight) was described as the...
Thanks Giving
Since we meet on Wednesday evenings, the night before Thanksgiving has been focused on a Buddhist perspective on gratitude and the increasing spirit of generosity that emerges from dedicated mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation practices. The participants in the...
Practice Questions
During this talk, Peter answered questions from the sangha members attending the meeting, with an emphasis on practical applications of mindfulness meditation to daily life routines, particularly the benefits of slow walking meditation. Next week's talk is on...
