by Peter Carlson | Oct 7, 2021 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This meditation is intended to focus attention on the impermanence of feelings, either related to physical sensations or mental phenomena. Cultivating skillfulness in this practice facilitates the ability to realize the benefits suggested in the concept of paticca samuppada, typically translated as dependent origination, but also to be understood as contingent provisional emergence, the focus of the Dharma talk presented the same evening “Reviewing Contingent Provisional Emergence”, which is a thorough review of paticca samuppada from a contemporary perception informed by complexity theory and neuroscientific research.
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by Peter Carlson | Mar 14, 2014 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This is the second of two talks about the importance of the practice of mindfulness of feelings. During this talk, Peter reviewed paticca samuppada, usually translated as dependent origination. A new rendering of the term was explained, that is, contingent provisional emergence, with clarification of the non-linear, mutually influential functions that affect how the mind overlays a provisional interpretation of raw sense data input, thereby creating a “selfing moment”. In this creative process, attention becomes fixated on a particular feeling and perception, creating the craving and clinging dynamic that is the driving force of our distresses about life. Mindfulness of feelings as feelings allows the skilled meditator to avoid “personalizing” the emerging self-organization, providing relief from craving and clinging.
by Peter Carlson | Feb 26, 2013 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this rather extensive Dhamma talk, Peter reviewed the concept of paticca sammupada, usually translated as dependent origination. He explained why he prefers to name the process “contingent provisional emergence”. This concept is key to the Buddhist understanding of karma, the law of cause and effect. The formation of a momentary self-state, it’s fulfillment as a moment of “selfing” in awareness, then the dissolution of that composite of conditioning factors was described in depth. Emphasis was placed on how important mindfulness of sense inputs is for the practice, and the critical emphasis placed on understanding the emerging self-state as provisional and the value of dispensing with unwholesome states as soon as possible. This furthers the process of personality integration, which is followed by nurturing wholesome states to fruition. The concepts of craving and clinging were described, with tanha, unquenchable thirst for craving and upadana, fuel or nutriment, for clinging. Peter described the “glue” of craving and clinging as raga, passion, heat or fire. The antidote for raga is viraga, dispassion, or the absence of fueling the fire. This was followed by a lively discussion of this process and it’s implications for alleviating distress.
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