by Peter Carlson | Nov 10, 2016 | Listen to Dharma Talks
The conclusion of the long and arduous 2016 election cycle was surprising, perhaps even alarming for many people. During the course of spiritual development, it is often the abrupt, unexpected event that can provide the greatest insights beneficial for maturing one’s practice. Despite any differences regarding political policies, the attitudes and behaviors of the future President Trump restimulated some of the emotionally charged karmic issues for many, whether male or female. The Dharma isn’t realized just while meditating–the real benefits of the practice come from practicing “Turning poison into medicine”.
Using the Four Noble Truths as a structure for consideration of one’s immediate experience is key to the Buddhist Path towards Awakening. Peter emphasized the value of mindful investigation of the distress and confusion many experienced to discover the causes and conditions conducive of dukkha; this awareness forms the First Noble Truth. He commented on many social factors that we’ve all been affected by in the course of living in this culture in this era as examples of what “fills out” craving and clinging, the essential condition described as the Second Noble Truth. He then suggested how the cultivation of the Fourth Noble Truth provides liberation from dukkha, and this liberation is the Third Noble Truth.
This was followed by a lively and emotionally authentic discussion among those who participated in the meeting. Here are the notes Peter used in preparation for the meeting: the-four-noble-truths-and-current-politics
Next week’s topic will be explaining and discussing the Seven Factors For Awakening.
by Peter Carlson | Feb 7, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
The last several talks investigated how the cultivation of anapanasati, mindfulness of breathing, creates the mental and emotional circumstances allowing for the onset of vipassana practice, that is, the ongoing observation of the ever-changing mental processes that constitute what we call a “self”. The identification with this emergent “selfing” process creates distress and confusion, as the fabrication process cannot reliably reflect the most appropriate understanding of and response to ever-changing life circumstances. During this talk, Peter describe the cetasikas conceptual structure as a way to understand the selfing process as made up through the action of sankharas (mental conditioning factors), which are “stored” through the combined manifestation of multiple elements stored in various cetasikas. This explanation was followed by discussion among those attending to clarify the concepts, in preparation for more detailed discussions of the cetasikas in the following weeks.
Here are the notes prepared for this discussion: Calming The Mental Formations
Next week’s discussions will cover the beginning cetasikas categories of Universal Cetasikas and Occasional Cetasikas.
by Peter Carlson | Oct 29, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This guided mindfulness of breathing meditation suggests a variety of tactics for cultivating mindful awareness of intention, the mind conditioning factor that coordinates every moment of self-organization in preparation for action. Meditators are invited to notice quickly and as precisely as possible the beginning of the in-breath and out-breath to establish stability of attention. Further suggestions bring attention to noting the intention associated with noting changes in physical sensations, alternating with noting the intentions associated with various mental formations such as alertness vs. dullness, stability vs. distractions, etc. This meditation is intended to accompany the talk entitled “Right Lifestyle In Trying Times”, which covers the cetasikas of Right Action and Right Livelihood.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:58 — 82.3MB)
by Peter Carlson | Mar 11, 2021 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This guided meditation provides training in the cultivation of highly persistent and detailed mindfulness of breathing meditation as recommended by the teachings of the Pa Auk Sayadaw, who is an acknowledged master of jhana practice. The goal of this practice is to cultivate unitary focused attention on the sensations noticed in the area around the rim of the nostrils in preparation for extraordinary states of mind called jhanas. This presentation is intended to accompany the Dharma talk of the same evening, March 10, 2021, entitled “Reviewing Exclusive Mindfulness of Breathing Meditation”, and which also reviews the characteristics of the Theravadan cultivation of the Four Jhanas.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:59 — 82.4MB)
by Peter Carlson | Mar 11, 2021 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk reviews the meditation practices represented in the Visuddhimagga, the common reference source for Theravada Buddhists. This approach to meditation is intended to lead to the extraordinary levels of consciousness called jhana, and which are only found in Theravada Buddhism. During the talk, the progression of practicing meditation from using intensive investigation of breath sensations to overcome the five hindrances, through what is called access concentration and on to the four jhanas of form. These four progressions of concentrated attention are described, related to the teachings and the personal experience of the presenter, Peter. The description also includes comments that assess the relationship between the high levels of concentration required in this practice to other systems developed by Buddhist teachers termed dry vipassana; these practices were described in recent previous talks. This was followed by opportunities for those participating to add comments or ask questions.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Review of Classic Theravada Mindfulness of Breathing Meditation Additionally, here is a document downloaded in preparation for this talk and which is referred to at the end of the talk: VIPASSANA AND JHANA
There is a guided meditation entitled “Guided Exclusive Mindfulness of Breathing Meditation” recorded the same night at this talk, which can be found in the archives.
The topic for next week will be a review of the ways the structure and functioning of the brain are changed by dedicated mindfulness of breathing meditation as discovered by contemporary neuroscientific researchers.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:02:14 — 113.9MB)
