Working With Intentions and Karma

This talk focuses on the importance of intentions, which are present in every moment of consciousness, either wholesome or unwholesome.  The ability to quickly and accurately note the formative function of intentions just as a moment of self-organization occurs is a key skill to cultivate on the path to Awakening.  The concept of karma basically describes the latent capacity of memory, which is activated through the function of intentions.  Preceding this talk, the “Guided Intention and Karma Contemplation” recording, which is posted in the Guided Meditation archive on this website, is intended to complement this presentation.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  Working With Intentions and Karma

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Working With Intention

This talk reviews the function of intention, which coordinates and initiates each moment of self-experience, whether wholesome or unwholesome. The ability to monitor and effectively manage intention to promote liberation from greed, hatred and ignorance is considered to be one of the most important goals to master on the path to Awakening.  The talk reviews the concepts associated with intention as well as various ways to mindfully cultivate intentional awareness and action, primarily through mindfulness of breathing meditation, but also including various opportunities that might arise during daily routines.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  Working With Intentions

The end of the old year and onset of the new year can be a time of personal renewal as the solstice, occurring on December 21, signifies the transition from the past to the future, so the focus for next week’s talk will be on how intentions guide our daily life decisions, with emphasis on cultivating a wholesome lifestyle in the midst of contemporary consumerist and internet-oriented cultural conditions.

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Guided Mindful Intention Meditation

This guided mindfulness of breathing meditation suggests a variety of tactics for cultivating mindful awareness of intention, the mind conditioning factor that coordinates every moment of self-organization in preparation for action.  Meditators are invited to notice quickly and as precisely as possible the beginning of the in-breath and out-breath to establish stability of attention.  Further suggestions bring attention to noting the intention associated with noting changes in physical sensations, alternating with noting the intentions associated with various mental formations such as alertness vs. dullness, stability vs. distractions, etc.  This meditation is intended to accompany the talk entitled “Right Lifestyle In Trying Times”, which covers the cetasikas of Right Action and Right Livelihood.

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Working With Karma February 19 2020

This talk focuses on what is probably the most frequently used Buddhist term karma, which is often misunderstood.  During the talk Peter explained the various complexities of this term that the Buddha described as “only understood fully by an Arahant”.  Other terms were provided by Peter: karmaphala, vipaka, cetana and sankhara, all of which can be almost synonymous with karma, with subtle but practically useful differences.  The karmic process was related to contemporary neuroscientific, psychological and sociological concepts.  Peter then reviewed how cultivating mindfulness of breathing, applied to mindfulness of feelings can change the manifestation of karma in beneficial ways.  This was followed by general discussion of how understanding karma can be beneficial to those attending the talk.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  Working With Karma

Next week’s talk will begin and extensive exploration of what can be considered the most useful of all the Buddhist suttas, the Satipatthana Sutta, the Discourse On The Four Foundations of Mindfulness.

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