by Peter Carlson | Jan 12, 2017 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Peter provided the participants with a worksheet: MOTIVATIONS FOR MEDITATION. On this sheet, folks were invited to note three considerations: the benefits of meditation, ways to reinforce commitments to daily meditation practice, and ways to integrate those benefits into daily life routines. Peter then talked of his experience in regards to these considerations: PETER’S MOTIVATIONS FOR MEDITATION. This was accompanied by discussions among the participants regarding these topics. You are invited to download the worksheet and create your own notes, perhaps discussing them with other like-minded people (See comments on “accountability partner’s” in Peter’s Motivations document).
Next week’s discussion will address the fundamentals of mindfulness of breathing practice, including some of the suggestions offered in the book “The Mind Illuminated”, along with Peter’s practice experience during 35 years of practice.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:02:54 — 115.2MB)
by Peter Carlson | Oct 7, 2021 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk provides a thorough review of the core Buddhist concept Paticca Samuppada, typically translated as Dependent Origination. A different rendering of the concept is provided, including reference to a contemporary concept, complexity theory which led to the term Contingent Provisional Emergence. The Theravadin tradition describes 12 elements to the concept and each is reviewed, with emphasis on the nonlinear aspects of how the moment-by-moment process of self organization operates.
This talk can be accompanied by: “Guided Investigating Feelings Meditation”, found in the archives, to reinforce the importance of mindfulness of feelings to realize the potential of the paticca samuppada concept.
Here are the extensive notes prepared for this talk; it is recommended to download and read them to more thoroughly understand the concept: Contingent Provisional Emergence Review
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:03:20 — 116.0MB)
by Peter Carlson | Mar 28, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Peter described the Five Hindrances, the primary afflictions that distort our perceptions about reality. They are sense desire, aversion and ill-will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and worry, and skeptical doubt. Peter described how, in the Satipatthana Sutta, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness discourse, there are instructions to notice the presence, absence, causes and solutions for the hindrances. He mentioned the Seven Awakening Factors as antidotes for the hindrances. He emphasized that experience is a process, and energy flow that can be free and adaptive, while the hindrances operate as “energy dumps”.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download ()
by Peter Carlson | Oct 8, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk reviews the Universal Wholesome Cetasika of Upekkha (ooh-peh-kah),Equanimity, which provides balanced functioning in the mind that is free from dukkha, distress and confusion. The review emphasizes the balance of energy–avoiding too much excitement or too much tranquility–with attention, avoiding too much identification or too much skepticism–producing the quality of mind that supports the process of Awakening. Equanimity is also described as the factor that brings balance to lovingkindness, compassion and sympathetic joy. Peter relates upekkha to another important and synonymous concept, tatramajjhattata (tah-trah-muh-jah-tah-tah), which literally is translated as “that which is found in the middle”, emphasizing the development of mindfulness, investigation of mental phenomena and Right Effort to foster this balancing. There is an accompanying recording entitled “Guided Cultivating Equanimity Meditation” found in the archives of this site that suggests the practice of mindfulness of breathing for this cultivation. This description is followed by a question and answer period to clarify the concept and practice.
Here are the notes accompanying this talk, including a graphic illustrating the interactions between energy and cognition that are reviewed during the talk: Cultivating Equanimity
The topic for next week’s talk is the realization of the “Six Beautiful Pairs” of Wholesome Cetasikas.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:09:55 — 128.0MB)
by Peter Carlson | Apr 6, 2017 | Listen to Dharma Talks
It is customary for an evening’s discussion to be dedicated to a review of a significant recent retreat experience. Peter spent the month of March at the Forest Refuge, part of the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts. The retreat’s theme involved what is called “The Gradual Training” in Theravada Buddhist terms, with a major focus on cultivating high levels of concentration. The leaders of the retreat were Shaila Catherine, a well-respected teacher and the author of “Wisdom Wide And Deep”, accompanied by Sayadaw U Jagara, a well-respected Buddhist monastic and teacher of French Canadian background. Peter described the retreat routines and provided a handout regarding the Gradual Training produced by the teachers. During the retreat, great emphasis was placed on cultivating persistently vivid mindful awareness of breathing, leading up to the highly concentrated states of jhana, or preparatory to the practice of vipassana, that is, insight into impermanence, the dissatisfaction resulting from craving and clinging and realization of the absence of an autonomous self. This was followed by a lively discussion of the topics by the participants in the meeting.
Here are the notes prepared by Catherine and the Sayadaw in .pdf format: 2017 Forest Refuge Samatha Retreat docs
Next week will begin a series of talks about what are called the Paramis (Paramitas in Sanskrit), the qualities of mind to be cultivated for perfecting the process of awakening.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:01:52 — 113.3MB)
