by Peter Carlson | Jul 16, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk introduces a new topic, the Tibetan Buddhist Lojong trainings. These trainings were developed around the year 1,000 C.E. to support integrating Buddhist principles and practices into daily life routines. The core of Buddhist teaching is compassion, that is, the path leading to liberation from distress. This core practice is integrated into Lojong through Tonglen, which is a Tibetan compassion meditation. The most famous contemporary representative of the benefits of Lojong is Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama.
The talk provides an overview of the training; over the next several weeks, different training points will be explored. Peter’s approach to this training is an attempt to make the archaic nature of the training aphorisms more understandable for contemporary American meditation students.
The notes prepared for this talk will be posted after this posting.
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by Peter Carlson | Aug 29, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This discussion combines Peter’s 33 year history as a mental health professional, certified as an addictions counselor, combined with 37 years practicing mindfulness meditation. Addiction is described as a behavioral disorder that may or may not include substance dependency, laying out five criteria for a behavior to qualify as addictive, referring to the work of Anne Wilson Schaef that suggests American culture experiences addiction at an epidemic level. Peter also described addiction as a full rendition of Buddhist craving and clinging and as a maladaptive attempt to avoid or dull aversion, with desire as the enticement. The Four Noble Truths concept of Buddhism was reviewed to suggest effective intervention into the addictive process. The practice of mindfulness of breathing meditation is suggested as allowing a person to be aware of and tolerant regarding the urgency of craving and investigating the distorted beliefs that are always associated with an addictive process and then using detachment and renunciation to avoid acting out the addictive routine and instead understanding and modifying the distorted selfing story to address the root causes of the addictive process. Meditation is not the sole resolution of the problems of addiction; the practice is a foundational companion for practices such as the 12 step systems of various recovery groups (Meditation and prayer are step 11 of the 12 steps). The explanation of addiction was followed by discussion among those attending regarding the issues of addiction in the U.S.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Dukkha And Addiction Notes
The next talk will focus on sampajjana, the four clear comprehensions of Buddhist commentary as a valuable tool for understanding and adapting effectively to the complexity of current American culture. Please note that a major hurricane is predicted to pass over the Florida peninsula over the Labor Day weekend and this may postpone the usual meeting and posting for a week or so.
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by Peter Carlson | Jul 10, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this first of several Dharma talks about important female teachers, April reviews the life and teachings of Upasika Lee Nanayon, a lay teacher in Thailand. First she describes the determination of a person whose teaching comes from a simple lifestyle and deep meditation practice dedicated to providing women with unbiased access to the Dharma. The presentation includes several quotes from Nanayon’s teaching. Here description is followed by comments from a very large attendance, in person and online.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk, including the URL that accesses a free .pdf translation download of Nanayon’s teaching: Final Upāsikā Kee Nanayon notes
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by Peter Carlson | Dec 4, 2014 | Listen to Dharma Talks
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 more mature application of the Seven Factors of Awakening. The process of vipassana was then associated with the cultivation of lovingkindness, and, more particularly, with Tibetan Buddhist Lojong and Tonglen (compassion) practice.
Next week’s dialogue will provide participants with an opportunity to report on their retreat experience (There is a retreat December 5-7). The comments of the participants help them review and integrate what was experienced during the retreat as well as providing inspiration for those who weren’t on the retreat to consider the benefits of the intensive practice experience.
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by Peter Carlson | Jul 25, 2024 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, participants got feedback from Peter regarding their meditation practice and understanding regarding Buddhist concepts. Peter intends to provide opportunities for these reviews on a monthly basis in the future.
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