by Peter Carlson | Jul 14, 2022 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk provides an overview of what most Buddhist practitioners consider to be the most comprehensive teaching, the Satipatthana Sutta, typically translated as the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse. During the talk, the history of this discourse is reviewed, along with various key conceptual elements that are embedded within the context of the sutta. It is intended to provide an introduction to a series of talks that reviews each of the four foundations in more depth, including contemporary psychological and neuroscientific discoveries that validate the characteristics of the teaching.
There is a recording posted in the archives of this site entitled “Guided Satipatthana Contemplation” that is intended to complement this review.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Overview of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse
The topic for next week’s review will begin to address the First Foundation, Mindfulness of the Body, with particular emphasis on mindfulness of breathing.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:02:04 — 56.8MB)
by Peter Carlson | May 9, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Dhamma Vicaya, the Investigation of Mental Phenomena, is the second of the 7 Factors of Awakening. Peter described the progressive development of vitakka (aiming attention at the sensations of breathing) and vicara (sustaining focused attention on these sensations), combined with sati (mindfulness) and viriya (energy/persistent effort) into the capacity to maintain diligent awareness of the three characteristics of reality: anicca (impermanence), dukkha (the distress and confusion that is the consequence of craving and clinging) and anatta (the absence of an enduring and autonomous self). This alert and detached investigative process is vipassana, often translated as insight. Three meditation practices for cultivating dhamma vicaya were described: mindfulness of breathing, noting and body sweep. This description was followed by discussion by the attending group regarding the various practices.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Investigation of Mental Phenomena
There will be no posting of dharma talks for the next two weeks, as Peter will be on a self-retreat. He will report on the retreat experience on May 29.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:03 — 108.1MB)
by Peter Carlson | Mar 21, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk highlights the beneficial results of mindfulness of breathing meditation in terms of increasing the functionality of the cetasikas, translated as mind conditioners. The Wholesome Cetasikas, combined with the Universal and Occasional Cetasikas provide support for the manifestation of what are called the Six Beautiful Pairs as the interaction of the above-mentioned mind conditioners are reflected in consciousness. For example, the first pairing is Tranquility of Mind Conditioners and Tranquility of Consciousness. Peter reviewed the pairs, adding material downloaded from Shaila Catherine’s “Wisdom Wide And Deep” that expresses traditional commentaries on these mind conditioners. Peter suggested that during a one week residential retreat, participants can become aware of an increasing degree of functioning of attention and heightened sensitivity to what arises in consciousness through diligent and persistent practice of mindfulness of breathing–the Six Beautiful Pairs.
This talk includes extensive exploratory discussion among those attending to clarify the concepts and associated meditation practices that manifest these mind conditioners.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: The Six Beautiful Pairs
Next week’s talk will focus on the remaining six mind conditioners.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:08:25 — 125.3MB)
by Peter Carlson | Jan 31, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk focuses on how persistent investigation of the breath frees up “mental energy” from the hindrances, thereby releasing subjective awareness of piti (joy) and sukha (happiness). After describing the classical Buddhist definitions of these qualities of awareness, Peter discussed the characteristic of piti as an enthusiastic engagement of investigative awareness regarding what is emerging into consciousness and of sukha as a feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment. These qualities are supportive of vipassana, the investigation of the three characteristics of Buddhism; impermanence, the absence of an enduring and autonomous self and the distress and confusion that results from craving and clinging to a false view of self.
This was followed by discussion of how the experience of joy and happiness manifests among the participants in the meeting.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Mindfulness of Breathing and Joie de Vivre.doc
The topic for next week begins a series of discussions of how mindfulness of breathing cultivates more clear awareness of the practice of vipassana through analyzing the categories of the mind conditioners called cetasikas. The discussions elaborate on these stanzas from the Anapanasati Sutta (translation by Gil Fronsdal):
He trains himself, ‘I will breath in experiencing mental formation.’
He trains himself, ‘I will breath out experiencing mental formation.’
He trains himself, ‘I will breath in calming the mental formation.’
He trains himself, ‘I will breath out calming the mental formation.’
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:05:19 — 119.6MB)
by Peter Carlson | Jan 24, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk continues exploration of the Anapanasati Sutta, the Mindfulness of Breathing Discourse, with specific focus on the 3rd and 4th stanzas, describing how cultivating breath awareness integrated with full body awareness through a variety of methods, fosters tranquility in the body. Peter emphasized that a goal of these two of the sixteen steps in the sutta is to be able to cultivate alert physical relaxation in order to clearly discern the difference between sensory awareness and how the mind creates fundamental misperception, the fabrication of an enduring and autonomous self. In the process of Awakening, there is a stage called namarupa, with nama meaning what the mind creates and rupa meaning the unprocessed sensory data we all experience. As one’s practice matures through the remaining 12 steps of the 16 step anapanasati process, the focus of attention is increasingly on the three basic characteristics, as described by Buddhism: anicca (impermanence), dukkha (distress and confusion) and anatta (the absence of and enduring and autonomous self). Full awareness of this leads to full Awakening through deconstructing the view of an enduring and autonomous self.
The explanatory talk was followed by a lively discussion among the participants regarding the benefits of cultivating tranquility in the body.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Cultivating Breath Body Tranquility
Here is a copy of the Anapanasati Sutta, translated by Gil Fronsdal, that was posted earlier in the series of discussions: Anapanasati Sutta Fronsdal
Next week’s topic will be focused on how mindfulness of breathing cultivates piti (joy) and sukkha (satisfaction) in stanzas 5 and 6.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:33 — 109.0MB)
