by Peter Carlson | Jun 4, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This meditation is intended to provide ways to realize the potential of the satisampajanna (sah-tee-sahm-pah-jah-nyah) concept, translated as mindful clear comprehension. There are four contemplations involved: a worthy goal, suitable means for achieving the goal, monitoring the process of realizing the goal, and keeping the process aligned with Awakening. In the meditation, the worthy goal is to remain mindfully aware of what passes through one’s focus of attention; the suitable means is cultivating mindfulness of breathing, while continuing to investigate what is passing through one’s focus in order to maintain persistent clear comprehension mindfully, with the end goal being furthering the process of Awakening. This capability can be extended with training beyond formal meditation practice in order to integrate mindful clear comprehension into one’s daily life routines.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:59 — 82.4MB)
by Peter Carlson | May 7, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This is the second of three planned reviews of the Five Hindrances, which are the initial focus for contemplation in the Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness Discourse. Peter described the Buddhist concepts of Thina/Middha (tee-nah/mih-dah), Sloth/Torpor and Uddhacca/Kukkucca (ooh-dah-chah/koo-koo-chah), Restlessness/Worry as imbalances of the energy systems of the body and mind. Sloth/Torpor is an overactive parasympathetic system, producing too much tranquility, causing dullness and the inability to be clearly aware to dominate consciousness. Restlessness/Worry is an overactive sympathetic system, creating agitation, anxiety and worrisome, repetitive thought processes to dominate consciousness. The primary antidotes for these two hindrances is satisampajanna (sah-tee-sahm-puh-jahn-yah), mindful clear comprehension, cultivated through persisting present-moment awareness of the process of breathing. Earlier in the meeting, Peter provided a guided meditation for the cultivation of satisampajanna with mindfulness of breathing meditation; the recording of that practice can be found on the Audio page of the website. It is interesting to notice that steadfast investigation of the process of breathing can be beneficial in calming an anxious mind and alerting a dull mind. Other tactics for overcoming these hindrances were also reviewed. The review was followed by questions and comments by those attending the Zoom meeting.
Here are the notes prepared for this meeting: Notes For Overcoming Sloth and Restlessness May 6 2020
Next week’s topic will review the fifth hindrance, Skeptical Doubt.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:14:40 — 136.7MB)
by Peter Carlson | May 7, 2020 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This meditation focuses on practicing satisampajjana (sah-tee-sahm-puh-jahn-yah), mindful clear comprehension, alternatively termed knowing, which is part of the First Foundation of Mindfulness. It is reflected as “Breathing in long, he knows ‘I breath in long'”, and again “…”when walking, he knows ‘I am walking’; when standing, he knows ‘I am standing'”; this quality of knowing attention is found repeatedly throughout the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse. During the guided meditation Peter made several suggestions regarding cultivating a knowing awareness, that is, being mindful of the three characteristics essential to Buddhist concepts about subjective reality: anicca (ah-nee-chah), the transient nature of experiences, dukkha (doo-kah), the distress and confusion that comes from being ignorant about anicca, and anatta (ah-nah-tah), the absence of an enduring, autonomous self. Clearly knowing functions to deconstruct craving and clinging and allows the mind to be free from the five hindrances and, alternatively, able to bring the seven awakening factors to maturity.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:56 — 82.3MB)