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.
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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)
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.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:04:33 — 118.2MB)
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.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:58 — 41.2MB)