Dhamma Talks
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...
The Bodhisattva Vow and Korean Zen
During this talk, Robert Lockridge, a dharma teacher in the Kwan Um school of Korean Zen, describes the four vows for fulfilling the Bodhisattva ideal: "Sentient beings are numberless; we vow to save them all. Delusions are endless; we vow to cut through them all. ...
Understanding Nirvana
This is the final dialogue focused on the Four Noble Truths for this year, culminating with a discussion of the various definitions of Nirvana and the difficulty with describing such an extraordinary experience. Here are the notes for the discussion: Understanding...
