Cultivating An Intentional Life

by Peter Carlson | Dec 16, 2021 | Listen to Dharma Talks

This last Dharma talk of 2021 builds on the previous week’s review, “Working With Intentions”, recorded on December 5th, 2021.  That talk emphasizes the core importance of intention, which can be associated with wholesomeness or unwholesomeness, depending upon the other conditioning factors involved.  This talk expands that view to include how we value what is important in life and whether the valued goals that we seek to realize are manifesting a life that is truly valuable from the Buddhist perspective of Virtue–Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood.  The Buddhist concept of Four Clear Comprehensions, combined with Right Mindfulness and Right Effort can be applied in various areas on one’s life: physical health and well-being, finances, relationships and the environment, the goal being a life that is healthy, financially secure, socially engaged and environmentally sound.  The goal of cultivating a well-integrated personality with a wholesome lifestyle creates the conditions that promote the process of spiritual Awakening.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  Cultivating An Intentional Life

There will not be another meeting or posting until January 5, 2022, as Peter will be on his annual 2-week self-retreat; the topic of the January 5th meeting will be a review of that retreat experience.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:01:48 — 56.6MB)

2023 Deerhaven Fall Retreat–Self-State Integration To Self-State Liberation

by Peter Carlson | Nov 20, 2023 | Listen to Dharma Talks

This talk provides a way to understand how one’s self-experience develops from what is termed “self-state conflict” through “self-state integration”, leading to “self-state liberation”.  We all experience conflict between how socially conditioned ideals of oneself and the world are conflicted, and how diligent, mindful, and clear knowing of Buddhist principles and practices cultivates an integrative process of personality organization–“good mental health”– and how this sets the conditions for spiritual Awakening.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  Self-State Integration And The Awakening Process

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:27:38 — 80.2MB)

Mike Maldonado Retreat Report

by Peter Carlson | Jun 12, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks

Our community finds value in providing opportunities for those among us who have recently experienced a significant retreat to “think out loud” about the experience.  The benefits of these reviews are associated with the support of informed listeners, along with information about retreat sites and teachers.  The descriptions of the experience might inspire those listening to commit to a retreat.  During this talk, Mike spoke about the teachers, Guy and Sally Armstrong and their suggestions and training to foster clear knowledge of awareness, a very subtle quality of the mind usefully developed on the path to Awakening.

the unfortunate humming sound during parts of the talk come from a neighbor mowing their yard.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  Mike Maldonado 2025

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:09:03 — 63.2MB)