by Peter Carlson | Sep 3, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This week’s talk focuses on the value of building a lifestyle around daily meditation practice and integrating the lojong aphorisms into daily life routines. Peter talked of how his spiritual growth matured over the 33 years as a householder committed to realizing the Noble Eightfold Path. Peter mentioned the slogans from Alcoholics Anonymous, “One day at a time”, and “Progress, not perfection” as useful in the process of awakening.We live in a culture that does not foster monastic living, and must find a way to make use of the opportunities we have for spiritual development in a materialistic society.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: Dedicate your life to the process of awakening
Next week’s talk will begin to explore the aphorisms of lojong that increase proficiency in the development of clear awareness and benevolent intention.
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by Peter Carlson | Aug 27, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talks reviews the lojong mind training aphorism “In order to take unexpected conditions as the path, immediately join whatever you meet with meditation”. The emphasis of this practice is to train the mind to become quickly, mindfully aware of what is emerging in consciousness, and essential competency to cultivate in vipassana practice. Peter described recent research regarding which areas of the brain are associated with mindfulness, and how these neural pathways are enhanced to increase self awareness and the ability to regulate emotional reactivity. After these descriptions, ways that agile and accurate inner awareness can be cultivated, not only by regular meditation practice, but also through finding ways to remind oneself to be mindful during the day.
This talk followed a guided meditation just posted “Agile Mind Guided Meditation”.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: MAKING THE MIND AGILE AND ACCURATE
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by Peter Carlson | Aug 27, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This is a guided meditation to accompany the next posting on training the mind to be agile and accurate.
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by Peter Carlson | Aug 20, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk reviewed the progressive steps from initial establishment of stable focus and internal tranquility through to last week’s exploration of how to work with confusion. The new aphorism involves four applications to further spiritual development: cultivating a more integrated series of self-states motivated by lovingkindness and compassion, maintaining an ongoing investigation of emerging self-states, taking corrective action when a previous life experience has produced confusion and disturbance, particularly in relationships, and actively seeking and making best use of those whose studies and practices warrant trust and respect. This was followed by discussion of how these four applications can be developed and maintained.
Here are the notes Peter prepared for this discussion: FOUR WAYS TO TURN POISON INTO MEDICINE
Next week’s discussion will focus on the next aphorism: “In order to take unexpected conditions as the path, immediately join whatever you meet with meditation.” This involves learning how to remember and quickly bring the investigation of emerging self-states into daily life experience.
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by Peter Carlson | Aug 13, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, the Lojong training aphorism “Confusion is to be expected as the result of craving and clinging; use the quiet mind to resolve the confusion.” This was related to the progression from cultivating a quiet, stable state of mind, through the realization that thoughts are fabricated dependent upon prior experience, which may or may not be relevant to current circumstances. The fabricated thoughts are noted as provisional fantasies that can be modified through the practice of vipassana to thoughts and behaviors that are more conditioned by benevolent intention.
Here are the notes prepared for this discussion: WORKING THROUGH CONFUSION
Next week’s topic will focus on the Lojong aphorism: “Four applications to support spiritual growth”.
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