by Peter Carlson | Jun 18, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk Peter discusses the characteristics of the second of the Seven Awakening Factors, Dhamma Vicaya (dah-mah vih-chah-yah), which he interprets as Investigation of Mental Phenomena. This awakening factor works in close coordination with the Mindfulness and Energy Awakening Factors (the energy factor will be the focus for next week’s talk). A careful reading of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse reveals that dhamma vicaya is repeatedly mentioned in regards to mindfulness of the body, of feeling, of the mind and of mental factors, so it is an essential aspect of how the process of Awakening is developed. The cultivation of this factor begins with mindfulness of breathing and involves the suggestion of directing attention to the beginning of the in-breath and sustaining this attention for the duration of the in-breath, then repeating this for the out-breath. This intentional process uses the sensation of breathing to increase the mind’s agility and insight into how the mind makes meaning from what primary sensations stimulate, and this skill becomes more and more important as it matures into the ability to notice the arising and passing away of self-state organizations, revealing the transient and essentially unstable delusion of an enduring and autonomous self. This explanation is followed by a general discussion to clarify the ways to cultivate dhamma vicaya.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Mindful Investigation for Awakening
Next week’s talk will focus on the Energy Awakening Factor
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:03:55 — 117.0MB)
by Peter Carlson | Apr 12, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
As exploration of the Anapanasati Sutta, the Discourse on Mindfulness of Breathing is reaching its completion, a section is dedicated to relating advanced stages of subtlety and discipline in breath awareness to the satipatthana, the four foundations of mindfulness. In this talk, Peter reviews the 16 steps of the Anapanasati development to the attributes of the Four Foundations: mindfulness of the body, feelings, the mind and mind fabricators. The highly cultivated stages of awareness of anapanasati are applied to increase internal sensitivity, the stability of attention and the ability to “depersonalize” those cetasikas (mind fabricators), preparing for the fulfillment of vipassana practice, the direct realization of anicca (impermanence), dukkha (distress and confusion) and anatta (the absence of an enduring and autonomous self). This analytical process discussion was followed by comments from those attending the talk about their understanding of this practice.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: ANAPANASATI AND SATIPATTHANA
Next week’s talk will focus on the first of several discussions regarding the Seven Awakening Factors, which are described at the end of the Anapanasati Sutta.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:03:59 — 117.2MB)
by Tim | Apr 14, 2011 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Peter continues his journey through the Satipatthana Sutta. Today, Peter examines the first stanza of “The Contemplation of the Body,” which discusses mindfulness of breathing.
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by Peter Carlson | Oct 22, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This meditation focuses on learning how to use mindfulness of breathing practice to perceive internal narratives–the “selfing story”–as transient, impersonal fabrications that are natural processes such as hearing, etc., and not constituting an autonomous, enduring self. Meditators are encouraged to note the difference between the here-and-now characteristics of sensory feelings and the flow of internal self-talk, which is often organized around reviewing the past or imagining the future. The meditation is intended to accompany the posted talk entitled “Right Speech For Trying Times”, which followed this training meditation.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:00 — 82.4MB)
by Peter Carlson | Jun 3, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
When beginning any mindfulness of breathing meditation, the recommendation is to focus with persistence and curiosity on the sensation of breathing in and out exclusively. As attention becomes stabilized and disciplined, an additional recommendation involves maintaining primary attention on the breathing process while expanding attention to also include peripheral sensational awareness, such as body sensations or sounds in the room. This becomes the basis for vipassana (vee-pah-suh-nah), insight meditation. This guided meditation is intended to facilitate this process. Peter suggests considering self-experience as the hull of a boat in the midst of the currents in a river and the breath sensations are like an anchor embedded in the bed of the river and persistent attention focused on the breath as the “rope” that connects the anchor with the bow of the hull. Other sensory stimuli are like objects floating past on the current, “bumping” into awareness; when simply noted as peripheral without attachment, the stimuli come and go and there is no craving and clinging, no dukkha (doo-kah). When attachment occurs, simply note the experience and “reset” the anchor of breath awareness into the bed of the stream of consciousness.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:11 — 82.7MB)