by Peter Carlson | Sep 26, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
The real benefits of mindfulness meditation are only realized through commitment; first to daily, diligent mindfulness of breathing (or lovingkindness) meditation, and then to the commitment to integrate the training results of such disciplined practice into daily life routines. During this talk Peter recalled the development of his “Right Livelihood” practice during his 37 years of Buddhist mindfulness and lovingkindness practice supplemented by a repeated commitment: “I’m not going to stop until I have my life set up just the way I want it, no matter what happens…and this means _______” This commitment is aligned with the topic of the recent talk of September 5th, focused on Clear Comprehension as a decision-making process and emphasizes the importance of setting a commitment for “Right Livelihood” through the actions suggested with “…and this means_____”. This description was followed by a lively discussion among those present regarding the potential benefits of applying the suggested commitment.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: The Dharma Of Commitment
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by Peter Carlson | Aug 29, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This discussion combines Peter’s 33 year history as a mental health professional, certified as an addictions counselor, combined with 37 years practicing mindfulness meditation. Addiction is described as a behavioral disorder that may or may not include substance dependency, laying out five criteria for a behavior to qualify as addictive, referring to the work of Anne Wilson Schaef that suggests American culture experiences addiction at an epidemic level. Peter also described addiction as a full rendition of Buddhist craving and clinging and as a maladaptive attempt to avoid or dull aversion, with desire as the enticement. The Four Noble Truths concept of Buddhism was reviewed to suggest effective intervention into the addictive process. The practice of mindfulness of breathing meditation is suggested as allowing a person to be aware of and tolerant regarding the urgency of craving and investigating the distorted beliefs that are always associated with an addictive process and then using detachment and renunciation to avoid acting out the addictive routine and instead understanding and modifying the distorted selfing story to address the root causes of the addictive process. Meditation is not the sole resolution of the problems of addiction; the practice is a foundational companion for practices such as the 12 step systems of various recovery groups (Meditation and prayer are step 11 of the 12 steps). The explanation of addiction was followed by discussion among those attending regarding the issues of addiction in the U.S.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Dukkha And Addiction Notes
The next talk will focus on sampajjana, the four clear comprehensions of Buddhist commentary as a valuable tool for understanding and adapting effectively to the complexity of current American culture. Please note that a major hurricane is predicted to pass over the Florida peninsula over the Labor Day weekend and this may postpone the usual meeting and posting for a week or so.
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by Peter Carlson | Aug 15, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk focuses on the arguably epidemic levels of anxiety Americans experience in these stressful times and what mindfulness of breathing meditation can offer as a way to manage the increasingly complex and uncertain aspects of contemporary life. Peter has implemented mindfulness strategies as a mental health professional to help clients cope with various anxiety disorders for over thirty years. The emphasis on the talk is on the correlation between the Buddhist concept of craving and the feelings of impulsive reactivity characteristic of anxiety disorders. Even though the core of Buddhist practice seeks liberation from the fundamental dukkha of life, modern research and clinical practice demonstrates the effectiveness of mindfulness and lovingkindness practices for overcoming anxiety as well as depression. The discussion was followed by discussion of how participants experience anxiety and how regular meditation practice has been beneficial.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Dukkha As Anxiety
Next week’s discussion will focus on Dukkha as Depression.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:43 — 109.4MB)
by Peter Carlson | Aug 1, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk is the first of two addressing the problem of dukkha in current life. The first talk addresses craving, using the term distress to relate to subjective experience in this media-saturated consumer culture. Stress has two forms emotionally: distress refers to unpleasant experience and eustress refers to the stress associated with pleasant experience; Peter pointed out that consumerism cultivates distress through comparing one’s current life with the “happiness” that will come from consuming whatever is being advertised. Both distress and eustress generate adrenaline and cortisol, two hormones that activate the body; chronically high levels of cortisol are associated with stress-related disorders of the body and to clinical anxiety. During the talk, Peter emphasized how daily mindfulness of breathing practice lowers both circumstantial levels of stress and the cumulative effects of chronic stress, using the image of “The last straw that broke the camel’s back”, comparing the accumulation of stress to all the straws that preceded the last straw. Mindfulness practices generally lower stress, making it less likely to accumulate the “straws” of current life.
This talk was followed by discussion regarding contemporary stresses such as economic worries, the threats of mass violence, ecological changes, political strife and racial tension, with commentary about how to apply mindfulness practice to alleviating the distress and confusion that results from being deluged by contemporary media.
Next week’s talk will emphasize clinging, which Peter refers to as confusion, relating this to the complexity of modern life and the conflict between the ideal self and the immediate experience of confusion and doubt when the ideal isn’t achievable, suggesting ways that mindful investigation can clarify experience.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk and include statistical data regarding the levels of stress experienced in U.S. lifestyles: STRESS AND THE DHAMMA
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00:07 — 110.1MB)
by Peter Carlson | Mar 14, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
The presentation title of this talk is “Starving the Demons, Feeding the Angels”, as part of the Anapanasati Sutta focused on “calming the mind conditioners”. Peter mentioned that during the first years of his vipassana practice he was “warding off the demons” and then began “feeding the angels”, that is, the wholesome mind conditioners. This discussion covers the first of the Wholesome Cetasikas: Confidence, Mindfulness, Moral Shame, Fear of Blame, Non-Attachment, Non-Aversion and Equanimity. These mind conditioners combine with the Universal Cetasikas: Feelings, Perceptions, Contact, Volition, Concentration, Vitality and Attention in every moment of self-organizing processes. They are often combined with the Occasional Cetasikas: Bringing attention to a focal point, Sustaining attention, Determination, Energy, Enthusiasm and Zeal.
Peter reviewed these mind conditioning factors, emphasizing that the ability to mindfully note the presence of them clearly as details of perception increases the ability to deconstruct the Wrong View of an enduring and autonomous self; the practice of vipassana incorporates these conditioners at high levels of insight, manifesting as liberation from dukkha, distress and confusion.
This was followed by discussion regarding how to use mindfulness of breathing practice to facilitate this investigation.
Here are the notes prepared for this discussion: WHOLESOME-MIND-CONDITIONERS
Next week’s discussion will explore the “Beautiful Pairs” of cetasikas, which are not universal and manifest as the result of increasingly activating the Universal Wholesome Cetasikas to a high level of functioning. Peter regards them as the results of intensive and persistent application of mindfulness meditation, most likely experienced first on a one-week or longer residential retreat.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:05:36 — 120.1MB)
