Reviewing The Third Noble Truth

The Third Noble Truth describes the fundamental intention and goal of Buddhist principles and practices–the release from the bonds of craving and clinging–total and direct knowledge that there is no enduring, autonomous self.  This talk reviews how concentration–samadhi– and investigation–vipassana–lead to a progression of insights that are recognizable on the path towards Awakening.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  Reviewing the Third Noble Truth

The next talk will provide an overview of the Fourth Noble Truth–The Noble Eightfold Path–with an emphasis on the first of the eight concepts, Right Understanding.

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Notes For The Anapanasati Sutta Fourth Tetrad

These notes were written by Peter in preparation for the talks presented over the last several weeks.  The fourth tetrad of the sutta provides training for the practice of vipassana (insight), emphasizing awareness of impermanence, dispassion, liberation and letting go.  Here are the notes: ANAPANASATI SUTTA FOURTH TETRAD

The next recording posted will review all four tetrads as representative of the four foundations of mindfulness.

Liberating And Letting Go

During this talk, Peter continued to describe the elements of the fourth tetrad of the Anapanasati Sutta,  emphasizing the coordinating functions of examining impermanence, dispassion, cessation and renunciation through ongoing breath awareness. The process of awakening can be experienced on two levels: letting go of unwholesome self-states, and, ultimately, letting go of the process of craving and clinging.

Future discussions will describe how this integrating process fosters realizing the potential of the four foundations of mindfulness and the seven factors of awakening.

Awakening With Dispassion

This talk was recorded on April 8, 2015, and is the follow-up on the talk entitled “Anapanasati And Anicca April 1 2015.  During this talk, Peter described how mindfulness of the arising and passing away of mental fabrications leads naturally to a sense of decreased “energy” or “thirst” regarding craving and clinging.  Peter also emphasized how important samadhi/passadhi (concentration/tranquility) are to “draining away:” the potency of craving.  This was followed by a lively discussion of how to cultivate dispassion.  During next week’s talk, the topic of cessation will be explored as part of the Fourth Tetrad of the Anapanasati Sutta.