by Peter Carlson | Jan 24, 2014 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Much of the transformation in the brain during a retreat occurs outside of conscious awareness. We’ve realized over the years of retreat experience that talking about it, “thinking out loud”, with a group of well-informed people helps integrate the learning and insight, making it more clearly understood and accessible in daily life. This dialogue reviewed various retreat participant’s experience during the retreat and upon returning home.
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by Peter Carlson | Mar 22, 2018 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk on the last night of the retreat discussed how to integrate what was gained from the retreat into daily life routines, emphasizing daily meditation practice, participation in a sitting group when possible, and finding cues during the day to remind oneself to be mindful. This was accompanied by discussion of the suggestions.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: PRACTICING AWAKENING AT HOME
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by Peter Carlson | Mar 26, 2020 | Compassionate Action, Intro to Buddhism & Meditation, Listen to Dharma Talks, News
This is the first attempt by Peter to facilitate a talk and discussion via Zoom and unfortunately he neglected to turn on either recording program so there is no recording of this talk; however, the training meditation was successfully recorded and is posted, even though there are intrusive sounds during the recording. This is a good example of how dukkha manifests as distress and confusion, as managing the Zoom program and both the recording devices represents confusion regarding the procedures; fortunately with minimal distress, as Peter practices turning humiliation into humility on a regular basis. Hopefully the next recorded meeting on April 1 will be successfully accomplished.
The talk was focused on how combining specific attention to the breath sensations can be integrated with peripheral awareness of other body sensations to provide a stabilizing platform from which to notice and let go of intrusive and disruptive internal narratives. This ability was related to the benefits of adapting to the increasingly stressful circumstances of the pandemic through the development of the Four Noble Truths.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Cultivating Breath Body Tranquility
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by Peter Carlson | Apr 22, 2021 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk reviews a self-retreat recently experienced by Peter, which was intended to last 2 weeks but was ended after one week due to excessive fatigue. Peter describes the typical retreat routine, comparing the structure to the one he has followed for several years, which establishes 14-15 hours a day of meditation practice. The pros and cons of his practice routine was reviewed and several supportive suggestions were offered for future reference.
Next week’s talk will provide a review of the Three Characteristics within Buddhist doctrine: anicca (the rapidly changing subjective characteristics of experience), dukkha (the distress and confusion that we are all subject to in life), and anatta (the absence of an enduring/autonomous self). The intention will be to focus on how to identify and work with these characteristics skillfully. The following week will begin an extensive review of modern understandings and applications of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, a core Buddhist teaching. These foundations are Mindfulness of the Body (the subjective experience of physical sensations), Mindfulness of Feelings (the affect/emotional qualities of subjective experience), Mindfulness of the Mind (the characteristic levels of consciousness/mood upon which experience is projected) and Mindfulness of Mental Phenomena (the conditioning factors of the mind, which shape internal narratives and actions).
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by Peter Carlson | Sep 29, 2011 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This is the second in a series on the Seven Factors of Awakening, focused on mindfulness. The discussion reviews the classical commentaries on the nature and purpose of mindfulness, as well as the ways mindfulness can be cultivated through sitting practice and lifestyle choices. Additionally, Peter reviews current neurological research on how mindfulness is manifested in the brain. The concept of metacognition, currently being researched to understand the process of learning is also discussed.
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