by Peter Carlson | Apr 10, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This Lovingkindness meditation is set up to provide support for cultivating kindness and compassion for oneself and all the others affected by the Covid-19 Pandemic. It begins with a focus on one’s own well-being and then expands and includes all others experiencing the distress and confusion that we are confronted with.
This meditation is followed by a Dharma talk entitled “”Coping With Fear Of Dying April 8 2020”, during which Peter discussed how mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation provides support for reorganizing expectations and reducing anxiety regarding the uncertainties of the next period of this year.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 46:19 — 84.8MB)
by Peter Carlson | Jun 3, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This meditation focused attention on how to contemplate Salayatana, the Six Sense Bases, a category within the Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness. The primary sense bases are the eyes and seeing, ears and hearing, tongue and tasting, body sensations and the mind with cognition. The first five bases are always processed by the sixth base, the mind, which functions to impose meaning on the raw data of sensory stimulation. The meditation student is encouraged to focus attention on the subjective difference between the sensory experience and the transitory and ephemeral nature of the mind’s operation in fabricating a self. This distinction is called namarupa in Pali, with nama representing the meaning-making function and rupa the unprocessed sensory stimulation. The goal of the contemplation is to nurture a mind that is not “enchanted” through craving and clinging to consider the conditioned nature of the mind with being an enduring and autonomous self.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:56 — 82.3MB)
by Peter Carlson | Jun 3, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk focuses on reviewing Salayatana (sah-lah-yah-tuh-nah), the Six Sense Bases, a concept for contemplation found in the Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness: the eyes and seeing, ears and hearing, nose and smelling, tongue and tasting, reflected in the mind with cognition. All sensory stimulation is processed through the functions of the mind, referring incoming stimulation with categories relating to prior experience. This process manifests as the subjective experience of being a self relating to the world, and this whole process is to be understood and deconstructed, discovering the absence of an enduring and autonomous self. Skillful attention is cultivated to investigate the distinction between the sensory stimuli and the transient and insubstantial fabricating function of the mind, a concept called namarupa, with nama representing the meaning-making process and rupa the sensory stimuli. The This talk is meant to be supplemented by the recorded “Guarding The Sense Doors” meditation found in the audio archive.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Salayatana, The Six Sense Bases
During the talk Peter referred to another important concept for contemplation, paticca samuppada, (pah-tee-chah sahm-ooh-pah-dah), translated as dependent origination; the title here reflects a different approach to understanding the concept: Contingent Provisional Emergence
Next week’s talk will focus on the next conceptual topic in the Fourth Foundation, the Five Aggregates With Clinging.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:08:37 — 125.6MB)
by Peter Carlson | May 14, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Peter described the nature of one of the Five Hindrances, vicikiccha, translated as skeptical doubt. This hindrance interferes with the ability to cultivate confidence in the principles and practices of Buddhism, either by doubting the concepts or one’s ability to master the practices involved. During the talk various tactics for understanding, investigating and setting aside skeptical doubt were reviewed. The review was followed by discussion among those participating in the Zoom meeting about the topic.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Setting Aside Skeptical Doubt
Next week’s practice will review another category of concepts and practices found in the Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness, the Six Sense Bases.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:06:30 — 121.8MB)
by Peter Carlson | Jun 26, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This contemplation focuses attention on how the energy of attention is managed in the mind’s creation of a self. During the meditation, Peter suggests how mindfulness and investigation are associated with the energy awakening factor to reduce the likelihood that attention will be captured by any of the five hindrances, then applied to activate the remaining Awakening Factors, Joy, Tranquility, Concentration and Equanimity.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:58 — 82.3MB)