by Peter Carlson | Aug 8, 2024 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Peter reviews the characteristics of lovingkindness, one of the Four Divine Abidings within Buddhist doctrine. When lovingkindness is not clearly understood, one’s experience becomes contaminated by what are called either the “near enemy” or “far enemy”, both of which are manifestations of ignorance. The fourth of the Divine Abidings is equanimity, which is produced through the cultivation of mindfulness, investigation of mental phenomena and Right Effort, is explained during the talk. The review also includes a suggestion that the capacity for empathy, a fundamental characteristic of lovingkindness, is ‘hardwired” into our nervous systems, and that Benevolent Intention represents an evolutionary trend away from greed or hatred, emotionally potent instincts we all share, towards altruism and societal peace.
Previous to this talk, Peter provided a guided meditation titled “Integrating Lovingkindness With Equanimity”, which is intended to provide practical contemplative training that uses mindfulness, investigation of mental phenomena and Right Effort to protect the flow of lovingkindness from becoming contaminated by the near enemy or far enemy states of mind. This has been posted and can be found in the archives of the website in the category of Guided Meditations
Here are the notes prepared for this talk:Â Balancing Lovingkindness With Equanimity
The topics for the next two weeks focus first on the integration of equanimity with compassion, then next the integration of equanimity with sympathetic joy, the remaining elements of the Four Divine Abidings.
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by Peter Carlson | Aug 15, 2024 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk reviews the characteristics of compassion from a Buddhist perspective, including the “near enemy” and “far enemy” of this manifestation of lovingkindness which is focused on relieving the mind from distress and confusion. Compassion is described as the combined effects of cultivating the “hardwired” experience of empathy, supported by mindfulness, investigation of mental phenomena, and Right Effort, and associated with equanimity, which provides a balanced manifestation of this wholesome state of mind. Preceding this talk of August 14, 2024, Peter provides a guided meditation titled “Guided Compassion With Equanimity Contemplation”, the recording of which is posted within the Guided Meditations page of the website.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk:Â Integrating Compassion with Equanimity
The topic for the next meeting will provide a review regarding the integration of Sympathetic Joy with equanimity. Sympathetic Joy describes the empathetic enjoyment of the happiness and success of another, balanced by equanimity.
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by Peter Carlson | Aug 22, 2024 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Sympathetic Joy is one of the Four Divine Abidings, and this guided meditation provides instructions on how to integrate Mindfulness, Investigation of Mental Phenomena, and Right Effort to cultivate Equanimity, another of the Divine Abidings, which functions to bring balance and clarity to the experience of appreciating another beings happiness and success in unselfish ways. This recording is intended to provide experiential support for the Dharma talk delivered the same night entitled “Cultivating Sympathetic Joy With Equanimity”. Both recordings are posted within the archives of this website.
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by Peter Carlson | Nov 29, 2024 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This guided meditation revises the holiday of Thanksgiving through focusing on the interaction between gratitude (thanks) and generosity (giving), with emphasis on recognizing the physical and emotional components of gratitude. Participants are invited to reflect on times when they experienced gratitude as a result of another person’s generosity, or through recalling an event when witnessing beauty or some other outstandingly beneficial event. This contemplating is intended to complement the principles and practices described later in the meeting entitled “Thanks-Giving As A Contemplation”, also posted on the website.
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by Peter Carlson | Nov 29, 2024 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, which occurred on Thanksgiving Eve, Peter revises the holiday term Thanksgiving to emphasize the relationship between gratitude (thanks) and generosity (giving). During a guided contemplation entitled “Contemplating Thanks-Giving”, recorded prior to this talk and posted on the website, the characteristic physical and emotional elements of these two wholesome states of mind are described. Participants at the meeting are invited to share their personal experiences of both generosity and gratitude.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:34 — 45.4MB)
