by Peter Carlson | Jan 19, 2023 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk reviews the characteristics and cultivation of compassion, which results from the developed application of mindfulness, investigation and Right Effort on the built-in capacity of humans for empathy. Contemporary research shows that the parts of the brain associated with internal awareness and interpersonal empathy, essential components of compassion, are developed and matured through ongoing mindfulness meditation practice. Following the talk, there was discussion about the usefulness of cultivating compassion in one’s life.
here are the notes prepared for this talk: Working With Compassion
The topic for next week’s review will focus on the intersection between empathetic joy and generosity.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:06:03 — 60.5MB)
by Peter Carlson | Feb 3, 2022 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk reviews the second of the four Divine Abidings, Karuna, which emerges from the cultivation of lovingkindness. Compassion involves developing mindful awareness of empathy regarding the experience of dukkha, distress and confusion, in one’s subjective experience. The characteristics of the “far enemy” and “near enemy” of compassion are reviewed, as well as how contemporary psychological research supports the personal and social benefits of cultivating effective actions to bring relief from dukkha for oneself and others. The Tibetan Buddhist practice of Tonglen is reviewed as a way to integrate mindfulness of breathing, investigation of mental phenomena and Right Effort with the expression compassion.
This talk is intended to be supplemented by the recording entitled “Guided Compassion Contemplation”, which can be found in the archives of this site.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Cultivating Compassion
The topic for next week’s talk will be on cultivating Sympathetic Joy, another of the four Divine Abidings.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 51:46 — 47.4MB)
by Peter Carlson | Nov 14, 2019 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk focuses on karuna, the Pali and Sanskrit term for compassion. Peter described compassion as a “subset” of metta, lovingkindness, with a focus on empathizing with the dukkha one is aware of in oneself and others. Contemporary research on mirror neurons (neural pathways we all have that allow us to “read” each other through mimicry and empathic attunement) and attachment theory (psychological research that strongly suggests the innate interpersonal dynamics of us that extends from infancy throughout life) are easily associated with Buddhist compassion meditation practices. The Tibetan Buddhist tonglen, a compassion meditation practice, was described as an effective way to practice compassion, both formally while meditating and informally during daily life routines. This description was followed by general discussion about how karuna can be integrated into one’s life.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk; they include some suggestions regarding various contemplations in the practice: THE VALUE OF COMPASSION
Next week’s topic will be mudita, sympathetic joy.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:03:08 — 115.6MB)
