by Peter Carlson | Oct 27, 2022 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk reviews a system developed over several centuries after the life of the Buddha that describes various levels of conscious awareness that can be experienced during the process of Awakening. The Progressions of Insight, as they are often called, begin with developing an ethically integrated lifestyle and the cultivation of the basic skills of mindfulness, investigation and Right Effort. As the development of the process matures, insights of an increasingly subtle and profound nature are experienced that validate the Buddhist foundational concepts of impermanence (anicca), the distress and confusion that results from craving and clinging (dukkha), and the absence of an enduring and autonomous self (anatta). The final goal of this progression is direct experience of Nirvana (the ultimately unconditioned state of mind).
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: STAGES OF AWAKENING
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:04:49 — 59.3MB)
by Peter Carlson | Jan 5, 2023 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Typically, the meeting after Peter’s annual year-end retreat is dedicated to his recounting of the retreat experience, with the hope his review will help him integrate the experience as well as provide others more insights about what can happen on retreat. This retreat was significantly disrupted by the unusually 3-day freeze that occurred over Christmas, as the plants in the yard where the retreat cottage is needed to be covered, and then uncovered after the freeze. This created the opportunity for Peter to contemplate the nature of dukkha, the First Nobel Truth, a fundamental concept within Buddhism. There are three aspects of dukkha that are reviewed during the talk: The dukkha of inhabiting a body, the dukkha of experiencing unexpected changes, and the dukkha of how the mind fabricates a self. The third aspect is the primary focus of mindfulness meditation.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Understanding Dukkha
The topic for next week’s talk will focus on reviewing what is called Secular Buddhism.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:05:47 — 60.2MB)
by Peter Carlson | Jan 12, 2023 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk provides a review of a contemporary non-religious practice of Buddhism called Secular Buddhism, which represents an attempt to understand the original teachings of Buddhism without the cultural religious add-ons that have accumulated over the centuries that are not appreciated as relevant for these transitional times. It is well-known that the percentage of the population who identifies with current religious traditions is diminishing significantly, especially among younger people, while this population largely identifies with spiritual inclinations. An important aspect of this practice that is being reviewed includes the close association between contemporary concepts and practices involving mindfulness and lovingkindness that are being taught and current neuroscientific and psychological research that largely validates the beneficial effects of regular meditation practice for physical, mental and social well-being. Also reviewed is the impact of the internet on the world-wide dispersal of this information.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: What Is Secular Buddhism
The topic for next week’s talk will be a review of how Buddhism understands and practices cultivating compassion, including contemporary research that demonstrates the benefits derived from this training.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 57:23 — 52.5MB)
by Peter Carlson | Jan 26, 2023 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Sympathetic Joy, Mudita in Pali, is the quality of consciousness that happily celebrates the success and happiness of others, regardless of any material or status benefit for oneself. The cultivation of mudita involves integrating lovingkindness with the in-born capacity we all have for empathy. This talk reviews the classical understanding of mudita and how contemporary psychological research supports how this awareness is formed in the brain through the practice of mindfulness, investigation of mental phenomena and Right Effort.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Working With Mudita
Next week’s talk will be provided by Lezlie Laws, one of the teachers who is being mentored by Peter. The topic she reviews will focus on how the core teaching of Buddhism about impermanence affects our contemporary issues of time management.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:15 — 54.2MB)
by Peter Carlson | Jun 1, 2023 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk provides an overview of the Virtue Aggregate within the Noble Eightfold Path, followed by a review of Right Speech, the first of the three elements constituting virtue. The review reflects the traditional characteristics of Right Speech as well as providing a more contemporary psychological and cultural perspective on the topic, including the value of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), a well-researched practice of psychotherapy. The dualistic characteristics of any language are compared to the non-dualistic realizations that the Noble Eightfold Path is intended to cultivate.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: RIGHT SPEECH AND THE SELFING STORY
The topic for the next talk will include a review of Right Action, another component of the Virtue Aggregate
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:10 — 61.5MB)
