by Peter Carlson | Jan 11, 2024 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Peter provides a brief speculative review of Siddhartha Gautama’s life experience, before he became known as the Buddha. The intention here is to consider the sociocultural stresses of his time in comparison to the stresses of contemporary life. He lived in what were the most comfortable and hedonistic circumstances of the day, which pale in comparison to what conditions our self-identities and expectations currently. Despite all the lifestyle securities and comforts, he decided to dedicate his life to spiritual development rather than self-indulgence. How might this apply to our current life circumstances and motivations for spiritual development? This is followed by Peter’s description of what motivated his interest in Buddhist meditation when he began practicing and what continues to motivate him currently. Others present also contributed their motivations for meditating.
The topic for next week’s talk will be an overview of the Four Noble Truths, the core teaching within all the various Buddhist traditions. This will be an introduction to an extended exploration reviewing each of the Four Noble Truths over a series of talks throughout the year.
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by Peter Carlson | Aug 1, 2024 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Allie reviews the elements of the Noble Eightfold Path and then describes the transition of Right Understanding to Right Knowledge and Right Intention to Right Release, in effect changing the Eightfold Path to the Tenfold Path. Her comments are supplemented by Peter, who describes this direct subjective confirmation of the concepts within the Eightfold Path as the result of the perfection of the Seven Awakening Factors. Right Knowledge and Right Release can manifest ultimately as Nirvana, but each time the mind is momentarily freed from craving and clinging, the benefits of this Knowledge and Release bring momentary relief.
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by Peter Carlson | Oct 17, 2024 | Listen to Dharma Talks
We live in trying times, and it may be useful to increase our ability to observe and effectively manage the levels of distress and confusion that are termed Dukkha from a Buddhist perspective. The comments during the guided meditation provide ways to recognize and contemplate three aspects of Dukkha–the physical experience of pain and muscle tension, the uncertain and unpredictable nature of the rapid cultural and ecological changes of this time, and the vulnerability to dysfunctional beliefs and behaviors that humanity is confronted with. The foundational concepts and practices that Buddhism provides can, with dedicated meditative training, support our efforts to not be so afflicted by Dukkha, and this contemplation includes suggestions about how to apply these practices.
This guided contemplation is intended to support the Dharma talk that followed this recording entitled “Understanding Dukkha”.
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by Peter Carlson | Jan 9, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks
At the core of consumerism we find the “three poisons” that causes suffering–greed, hatred and delusion. During this talk, Peter provides some background information about the history and adverse sociocultural and ecological effects of contemporary consumerism, emphasizing that, although we have all benefited from modern production and distribution technologies, we are persistently conditioned to want things and status, and fear what seems to threaten our self-identity. The conditioning, beginning at a very early time in a person’s life, not only involves material objects, but also includes conditioning through TV shows, the internet, and other modalities that have established our self-image. After providing this information, a description of the Four Noble Truths, and particularly the Noble Eightfold Path, is suggested as a way to effectively identify the distress and confusion that occurs as a result of consumerism. The challenge of this era in human and planetary life is to find effective ways to cultivate a different lifestyle, and Buddhist principles and practices support this evolution. Peter recommends reading a book by Duane Elgin titled “Voluntary Simplicity–Toward a Way of Life That Is Outwardly Simply, Inwardly Rich”, particularly the revised addition published in 2010 as a resource that often refers to Buddhism as an effective way to live a simpler life.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Consumerism and the Dharma
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by Peter Carlson | Apr 17, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks
One time per month, Peter provides the opportunity for those participating in the meeting to ask questions about Buddhist concepts and meditation practice. He also provides a brief review of the relationship between each of the Four Noble Truths, emphasizing that different subjective experiences require different focusing on each of the Truths. During the meeting, Peter also provides comments about his understanding of emptiness, the absence of an enduring/autonomous self. He describes his experiences of awareness that is disinterested in defining bodily boundaries and is inclusive of the totality of sensory and cognitive “flow” without interest in differentiating objects within the flow experience. During the description, he recalls hearing Joseph Goldstein talk about the importance of “effortless effort”, and the benefits of just letting go of any resistance or attachment during the out-breath, when the mind is stable and tranquil. He also suggests that these qualities of awareness are not “created” by a meditator, that liberating states of mind are ever-present, and that cultivating the Seven Awakening Factors frees the mind from hindrances that obstruct direct awareness of emptiness.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:09:08 — 63.3MB)