by Peter Carlson | Aug 14, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks
We often provide an opportunity for those among us who have just completed a significant retreat to “think out loud” about the experience. This can be beneficial for that person and perhaps inspiring for those listening. This was the first retreat for Lezlie that involved the intense training provided by the teaching of S. N. Goenka, who has had a significant impact on many contemporary mindfulness meditators. She describes the structure of the retreat and some significant insights she realized about herself. Her presentation is followed by several comments and questions from participants in the meeting.
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by Peter Carlson | Oct 17, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks
It is our custom to provide an opportunity for someone who has recently completed a significant retreat to “think out loud” about the experience, as sharing important insights helps that person integrate what was learned and informs those listening about the benefits of the immersive training experience. Mitch attended a Black Heritage Retreat at the Shelbourne Falls retreat center in Massachusetts, following the teachings of S. N. Goenka, an internationally important teacher of mindfulness meditation. Mitch provides a review of how the retreat operates as well as how it has benefited his own practice. His comments were followed by questions and comments from those attending.
Here are the notes regarding Mitch’s retreat experience: https://orlandoinsightmeditation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/Mitch-Sullen-Retreat-Report.docx
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by Peter Carlson | Nov 20, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Lezlie Laws describes the acronym RAIN: Recognize, Accept, Investigate, Non-Self as a way to approach the challenges of everyday life. She is a proponent of spiritual journaling, and shares an excerpt from her personal journal entry to demonstrate how mindfulness, investigation and acknowledging the impersonal nature of our internal selfing process brings insight into our intrapersonal conflicts.
Here are two URL’s that provide descriptive content regarding RAIN:
https://www.tarabrach.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/TaraBrach_RAIN_A-Practice-of-Radical-Compassion.pdf
Here’s a link of Michele McDonald’s version of RAIN, including the second half – DROP. https://vipassanahawaii.org/resources/raindrop/
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by Peter Carlson | May 15, 2025 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Lezlie reviews four key liberating functions in the mind: diligence, mindfulness. clearly knowing what is emerging into awareness, supported by the integrative and unifying function of concentration–the persistent operation of the three qualities already mentioned. She describes how these qualities help her investigate and deny unwholesome views of herself and others left over from her childhood. Her comments are followed by comments from others participating in the meeting.
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by Peter Carlson | Jan 25, 2018 | Listen to Dharma Talks
Virtue is a basic component of any spiritual tradition found in the world. As regards Buddhism, virtue, that is Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood are key elements of the Noble Eightfold Path, and are derived from the Wisdom aggregate of the Path, particularly Right Intention. During this talk, Peter reviewed the multiple ways Buddhism cultivates virtue as an essential component during the process of Awakening. He also emphasized the contemporary psychological and social benefits derived from a virtuous lifestyle. This was followed by discussion focused on how virtue has improved the lives of those present during the talk, and how regular meditation practice fosters the shift from a conceptual understanding of virtue towards the experiential realization of virtue.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: UNDERSTANDING THE VALUE OF VIRTUE
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:03:44 — 116.7MB)
