by Peter Carlson | Jun 19, 2014 | Listen to Dharma Talks
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 a zone of clarity and non-reactivity, preparing for the investigation of emerging self-states that vipassana practice cultivates. The demons are the hindrances and the angels are the manifestations of the freed up energy. These manifestations are recognizable as the increase of compassion, generosity, patience and internal happiness.
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by Peter Carlson | Feb 26, 2013 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Pursuing the development of a more integrated personality prior to spiritual transcendence, Peter described sentient beings as “energy transformation” beings, emphasizing that the five hindrances (sense desire, aversion and ill will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and worry, and skeptical doubt) are “energy dumps”. The first steps on the path involve developing the ability to focus attention on breath awareness to concentrate and calm the mind, combined with the ability to be mindful of distractions away from breath awareness and to turn attention away from the distractions and back to the breath. Each hindrance was described as to characteristics and impact on the body/mind processes. Classical antidotes for the hindrances were also described. The freed up energy from ongoing breath awareness can then be available for cultivating vipassana, which is the ability to note the emergence, fulfillment, and dissolution of self states, in order to further personality integration.
[s3mm type=”audio” files=”wp-content/uploads/2013/02/11130559/Second Night-Five Hindrances.mp3″ /]
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by Peter Carlson | Jun 18, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk Peter discusses the characteristics of the second of the Seven Awakening Factors, Dhamma Vicaya (dah-mah vih-chah-yah), which he interprets as Investigation of Mental Phenomena. This awakening factor works in close coordination with the Mindfulness and Energy Awakening Factors (the energy factor will be the focus for next week’s talk). A careful reading of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse reveals that dhamma vicaya is repeatedly mentioned in regards to mindfulness of the body, of feeling, of the mind and of mental factors, so it is an essential aspect of how the process of Awakening is developed. The cultivation of this factor begins with mindfulness of breathing and involves the suggestion of directing attention to the beginning of the in-breath and sustaining this attention for the duration of the in-breath, then repeating this for the out-breath. This intentional process uses the sensation of breathing to increase the mind’s agility and insight into how the mind makes meaning from what primary sensations stimulate, and this skill becomes more and more important as it matures into the ability to notice the arising and passing away of self-state organizations, revealing the transient and essentially unstable delusion of an enduring and autonomous self. This explanation is followed by a general discussion to clarify the ways to cultivate dhamma vicaya.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Mindful Investigation for Awakening
Next week’s talk will focus on the Energy Awakening Factor
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by Peter Carlson | Jan 29, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this dhamma dialogue, the exploration of the Anapanasati Sutta was continued, with a focus on the stanzas: “…He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in sensitive to the entire body.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out sensitive to the entire body.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in calming bodily fabrication.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out calming bodily fabrication.’
Peter described an ongoing debate as to whether “the entire body” simply refers to the totality of the in- and out-breath cycle without interruption, or whether “the entire body” relates the calming effects of enduring breath awareness is coordinated with relaxing “the bodily fabrication”. The accompanying .mp3 recording of the training meditation that immediately preceded this dialogue orients towards the latter interpretation, emphasizing that the out-breath can coincide with briefly sweeping attention through the body to release and relax any tension that is noted. This strategy allows the body to become increasingly relaxed, the emotions to become increasingly calm, while the degree of internal investigation of the breath and body tensions actually increases internal alertness.
This explanation was followed by dialogues regarding how those participating in the training meditation experienced the practice of mindfulness of breathing. It was noted that suggesting that attention is a flow of energy that is simply nourishing either wholesome or unwholesome self-states, and that the breath is a wholesome factor in that process, as it interrupts the escalation of self-talk and fosters calming.
The next scheduled talk will focus on the effects of this mindful calming, the release of energy into awareness as joy and happiness.
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by Peter Carlson | Dec 12, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This is the last talk of 2019 as Peter begins his year-end two-week self retreat December 13. During the talk, Peter described the early context of Christmas and the season associated with the Winter Solstice, the shortest and often among the coldest days of the year in the northern hemisphere–a time of reflection, companionship and renewal. This intention has been significantly altered by American consumerism and this has inspired Peter to dedicate this period of time towards the gift of meditation in an attempt to create a contemporary effort towards renewal. Participants were invited to contemplate interactions with others and the festivities that occur through the lens of the Four Noble Truths as an effort to cultivate more clarity regarding the potential of the season for kindness, compassion, generosity and tolerance. This was followed by general discussion about the current status of the holiday season and what those at the meeting might do to integrate mindfulness into their experience.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Four Noble Truths And The Holidays
The next talk will be on Wednesday January 8, as the first Wednesday is New Year’s day; there is likely to be an opportunity to sit together on that evening, but there will not be a talk. The focus of the January 8th talk will be on the insights derived from the just finished retreat.
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