by Peter Carlson | Jun 20, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this discussion, emphasis was placed on how the Seven Awakening Factors are developed through the practice of mindfulness of breathing meditation. Starting with the Awakening Factor of Mindfulness, Peter linked the other factors into the process of overcoming the Five Hindrances, eventually maturing into the cultivation of the Awakening Factors to maximize the benefits from the practice of vipassana (vee-pah-sah-nah). Passadhi (pah-sah-dee) is typically translated as tranquility, and Peter suggested increased alertness regarding the experience of tranquility to avoid mistaking “subtle dullness”, a term developed by Culadasa in “The Mind Illuminated” as tranquility, manifesting a meditation that is “on cruise control”. Without diligence, cultivating tranquility during mindfulness of breathing can induce a state of calmness that lacks the investigative characteristics necessary for the practice of vipassana, which is necessary to realize the full potential of the Seven Awakening Factors. Peter also mentioned his preference to use the term samadhi/passadhi (concentration/tranquility) to describe the state of mind that is most supportive of vipassana practice. This explanation was followed by some clarifying discussions about practical applications of the information regarding tranquility.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: THE TRANQUILITY AWAKENING FACTOR
Next week’s talk will focus on samadhi, the concentration Awakening Factor.
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by Peter Carlson | Apr 4, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk focuses on the Fourth Tetrad of the Mindfulness of Breathing Discourse. Peter emphasized how the first three tetrads cultivate sufficient stability and tranquility in the mind to support the practice of vipassana, the goal of which is to realize the Three Characteristics, anicca (Inconstancy), dukkha (Dispassion) and anatta (Cessation). This practice can be realized on a mundane level, achieving mental clarity, emotional tranquility and behavioral effectiveness, as well as on the supramundane level through the experience of Relinquishment (the fourth characteristic mentioned in the Fourth Tetrad), that is, experiential realization of the Unconditioned, Nirvana. This explanation was followed by discussion regarding how mindfulness of breathing can be applied in the practice of vipassana.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Anapanasati and the Three Characteristics
Next week’s talk will focus on the next section of the Anapanasati Sutta regarding the application of anapanasati to the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.
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by Peter Carlson | Jun 29, 2023 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This guided meditation provides a “menu” involving sections of the Satipatthana Sutta, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse, which can be contemplated through the practice of mindfulness of breathing meditation. Examples include contemplating the Four Elements, Feelings, Consciousness, and the Seven Awakening Factors.
This recording is intended to accompany the Dharma talk of June 28, 2023 that provides an overview of the Satipatthana contemplative structure, accompanied by a review of anapanasati, the practice of mindfulness of breathing meditation.
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by Peter Carlson | Feb 5, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This week’s discussion focused on the stanzas in the Anapanasati Sutta related to the cultivation of piti and sukha, Pali words often translated as rapture and pleasure. During the talk, Peter related the commentaries that describe piti dramatically, associated with so-called “Visuddhimagga jhanas”, then suggesting an alternative view regarding “sutta jhanas”, which are more accessible and workable in regards to the process of awakening. Peter then reinforced the passage in the Anapanasati Sutta that describes the culmination of practice as being the maturing of the seven awakening factors, and that piti is one of those factors, generated by the skillful and persistent focus on the mind/body process set forth in previous stanzas of the sutta.
This talk is accompanied by Peter’s notes, posted after this posting.
Next week’s discussion will focus on the next stanza of the sutta, regarding the calming of mental fabrications.
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by Peter Carlson | Apr 17, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This meditation focuses on the Second Foundation of Mindfulness, Vedanupassana (vey-duh-nah-nu-pah-sah-nah), Mindfulness of Feelings. In Buddhist psychology feelings are not emotions per se, but are the urgency and impulsivity of the body in response to a stimulus; the modern psychological term affect is more appropriate, as it is the immediate response of the body/mind process to the experience. From a Buddhist perspective, feelings are the bridge between what the body senses and the meaning-making that the mind fabricates in response to the feeling. The more mindful and equanimous a person is as the feeling is investigated, the more opportunity there is to modify the meaning-making in more adaptive ways. This ability is essential for a person’s resilience to stressful, even traumatic experiences, such as the current pandemic. The topic for the Dharma talk which will be posted after this one is “Turning Poison Into Medicine” and develops what some contemporary researchers are calling Post Traumatic Growth (Look up the term on Wikipedia!), which is the ability to become more grateful regarding life and relationships and optimistic despite difficult circumstances. During the meditation, Peter made various comments that encourage investigating how the feeling of urgency (craving) is a different quality of experience than the meaning-making narrative that accompanies it (clinging); craving and clinging are core characteristics of dukkha. One can train attention to mindfulness of breathing or the body to interrupt the narrative, cultivating equanimity and increasing stress resilience.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:19 — 83.0MB)