by Peter Carlson | Mar 27, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This meeting involved a review by some of the participants in the nine day retreat from March 13 to the 22nd. First Peter reviewed the structure of the course, which blended practices found in the Anapanasati Sutta (mindfulness of breathing discourse) and the vedanupassana (body sweep) practice that Peter was trained in by his first teacher Ruth Denison and several retreats during which he was trained in the tradition taught by S. N. Goenka. The benefit of the body sweep was explained as a way to cultivate the seven awakening factors, especially mindfulness, investigation of mental phenomena, effort/persistence and concentration. the remaining three factors, joy, tranquility and equanimity, emerge more effectively as practice deepens.
Following this post, the dhamma talks recorded during the retreat will be posted as .mp3 files, along with some of the notes Peter referred to.
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by Peter Carlson | Jan 29, 2015 | Study Resources
This is a guided 45 minute training meditation to facilitate using breath body processes to enhance physical relaxation and emotional calmness, while also increasing mental alertness. It is accompanied by a recorded dhamma dialog describing the parts of the Anapanasati Sutta that promote calming the body: “…He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in sensitive to the entire body.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out sensitive to the entire body.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in calming bodily fabrication.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out calming bodily fabrication.'” In addition, the essay Peter prepared before the dhamma dialogue is posted prior to the posting of the .mp3 recording of the dhamma dialogue
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by Peter Carlson | Jan 29, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this dhamma dialogue, the exploration of the Anapanasati Sutta was continued, with a focus on the stanzas: “…He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in sensitive to the entire body.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out sensitive to the entire body.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in calming bodily fabrication.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out calming bodily fabrication.’
Peter described an ongoing debate as to whether “the entire body” simply refers to the totality of the in- and out-breath cycle without interruption, or whether “the entire body” relates the calming effects of enduring breath awareness is coordinated with relaxing “the bodily fabrication”. The accompanying .mp3 recording of the training meditation that immediately preceded this dialogue orients towards the latter interpretation, emphasizing that the out-breath can coincide with briefly sweeping attention through the body to release and relax any tension that is noted. This strategy allows the body to become increasingly relaxed, the emotions to become increasingly calm, while the degree of internal investigation of the breath and body tensions actually increases internal alertness.
This explanation was followed by dialogues regarding how those participating in the training meditation experienced the practice of mindfulness of breathing. It was noted that suggesting that attention is a flow of energy that is simply nourishing either wholesome or unwholesome self-states, and that the breath is a wholesome factor in that process, as it interrupts the escalation of self-talk and fosters calming.
The next scheduled talk will focus on the effects of this mindful calming, the release of energy into awareness as joy and happiness.
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by Peter Carlson | Jan 29, 2015 | Study Resources
Here are the notes I prepared for the dhamma dialogue .mp3 file which is posted next: “Calming The Breath Body”. The next posting after that is an .mp3 recording “Guided Calming The Breath Body Meditation”. I hope they are useful for your practice of anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing).
I’ve already explored in a previous posted essay “acquiring the breath”, the ability to bring attention to the breath (vitakka) and sustain active interest (vicara) in the changing sensations during the breath cycle. This essay will explore how to make use of the suggestions in the Anapanasati Sutta to promote deeper physical relaxation and emotional tranquility while still maintaining and even increasing alert inner awareness.
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by Peter Carlson | Jan 1, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Peter reviewed his experience on the recently completed 2 week self retreat. Emphasis was placed on consistent breath awareness, using the notion of “channeling energy” to the breath, rather than trying to “make the internal narrative stop”. This channeling process was associated with the scientific evidence that the neurons that are most activated elicit the most glucose “fuel”, and that shifting the flow of this fuel to body awareness is comparable to directing the flow of watered fertilizer through the hose, being careful to only feed the flowers, vegetables and fruits rather than weeds (the five hindrances).
This channeling strategy also applies to the practice of vedanupassana, mindfulness of feelings, called ”body sweep” meditation. Peter explained that the body sweep, combined with mindfulness of breathing, cultivates the seven awakening factors, particularly mindfulness, investigation of mental phenomena, energy/effort, and concentration. The emergence of the awakening factors of joy, tranquility and equanimity are manifestations of the process of awakening, enhancing the practice of vipassana, which is direct, clear awareness of impermanence, non-self, and the presence or absence of the dissatisfaction that arises due to craving and clinging.
Next week’s dhamma dialogue will begin a long series of discussions and trainings organized around the Anapanasati Sutta, the discourse describing the liberating capacity of mindfulness of breathing.
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