by Peter Carlson | May 12, 2016 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, the topic of “process addiction” was reviewed, qualifying addiction with 5 criteria: 1) often activated or contemplated, 2) increases in frequency and intensity over time, 3) becomes a lifestyle organizing function, 4) acted upon and defended despite the negative consequences, and 5) discomfort and confusion occurs when access is denied or prevented. This process can apply to many actions that could also be benign or even healthy, with criteria 4 being the determining factor.
This was related to the first and second Noble Truths, that is distress and the craving and clinging that causes distress. Addictive behaviors were characterized as maladaptive ways to cope with distress that don’t address the underlying patterns of feeling, thinking and behavior that Buddhist practices and principles address. The serenity and clarity that emerges from dedicated mindfulness of breathing and lovingkindness practices was compared to the 11th step of the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, which is daily meditation and prayer for conscious contact with a higher power.
Peter referred to an article in The Lion’s Roar magazine (formerly Shambala Sun), written by Noah Levine, about attempts to create a parallel system to the 12 steps for those folks inclined towards Buddhist practice. The article is entitled “A Refuge From Addiction”. Here is the article posted on this site: A Refuge from Addiction
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: MINDFULNESS AND ADDICTIONS
Next week’s topic will be Mindfulness And Relationships
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by Peter Carlson | Feb 18, 2016 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Peter provided some background regarding the development of Buddhist precepts, in that in the Buddha’s time, ethical behavior involved following the dictates of one’s clan; the Buddha said that what makes a person “noble” involved an ethics supported by kindness, compassion, generosity and equanimity/tolerance. In current culture, the term “precept” doesn’t have the clarity or usefulness as an alternate term, “commitment”. Peter revised the “five precepts” into commitments that cover the same ethical concerns as the precepts, with additional focus on cultivating daily mindfulness practice and an increased sensitivity to how our behaviors impact the ecological balance of the biosphere.
Here are the notes prepared for this discussion: Revisiting Buddhist Precepts
Here is the handout presented that list the commitments suggested and a brief explanation of how each commitment is applied: COMMITMENTS FOR AWAKENING
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by Peter Carlson | Oct 22, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this discussion, Peter related the lojong aphorism, “Work on the stronger disturbing emotions first,” relating it to the second Foundation of Mindfulness, Mindfulness of feelings as feelings, not a self. The integrated operation of the lojong aphorisms was reviewed, emphasizing the importance of regular mindfulness meditation practice to cultivate the emotional self-regulation required to benefit from mindful investigation of feelings, separate from the narrative “selfing story”, which reinforces “buying into” a sense of self that is distressed and confused.
This approach to alleviating suffering is similar to a modern psychotherapeutic intervention, “Exposure Therapy”, which combines progressive relaxation with direct investigation of the distressed emotional tone that a person suffers from. This exposure, over time, reduces reactivity to the distress, provided the person does not align with a narrative associated with the distress.
After the discussion, there was a lively dialogue among the participants regarding concrete experiences that the practice of desensitization can be applied to.
Here are the notes prepared for the discussion: THE BENEFITS OF INVESTIGATING EMOTIONALLY POTENT ISSUES
Next week’s topic will explore the importance of non-judgmental reflection on the application of a lojong aphorism.
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by Peter Carlson | Mar 28, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
The topic of this talk is “What Is Awakening?” During the talk, Peter emphasized that awakening is a process that is not a place or a definable experience, but can be known as meditation practice matures. Every time the mind turns away from unwholesome self-states and re-engages in the cultivation of wholesome self-states, awakening occurs. He emphasized that the way to foster awakening is to use the skills manifested in the practice of the seven awakening factors to focus on process rather than content. Focusing on content is the manifestation of craving and clinging. Through attending to the process involved in the emergence of a momentary, contingent self-state organization, liberation is in operation.
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by Peter Carlson | Nov 27, 2014 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Since we meet on Wednesday evenings, the night before Thanksgiving has been focused on a Buddhist perspective on gratitude and the increasing spirit of generosity that emerges from dedicated mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation practices. The participants in the group each talked of their experiences related to their practice and this time of year.
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