Awakening The Four Noble Truths September 19 2018

This post represents the summation of the Satipatthana Sutta, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, in reviewing the stanzas relating to the fulfillment of the Four Noble Truths.  Each of the Truths is reviewed through three stages: conceptual understanding, experiential knowledge and integration into one’s life.  Through the maturing development of the Four Foundations competencies, the personality view moves from conflicted self-state organizations through a more balanced and effectively integrated self-state organizing process.  This sets the conditions for self-state liberation, represented by the “Noble Tenfold Path”, which revisits Right Understanding as Right Knowledge (Direct experience confirming the three characteristics: anicca, dukkha and anatta) and Right Intention as Liberating Insight.  This attainment fosters the experience of Nirvana, the Unconditioned.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  THE TRUTHS OF AWAKENING

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The Nature Of The Mind April 23 2018

The Third Foundation Of Mindfuilness is Cittanupassana, Mindfulness Of The Mind.  During this talk, Peter explained how the traditional understandings of cittanupassana foster the process of Awakening.  The mind is the receptive characteristic of human experience, and the “tone” of the mind can be affected by various conditions such as desire or aversion.  The cultivation of mindfulness clarifies the reflective quality of awareness in ways that provide greater stress resilience and sets the conditions for the practice of vipassana, the function of which is to reveal directly the three characteristics of human reality: impermanence, the absence of an enduring and autonomous self and the distress and confusion that comes about due to craving and clinging.  The participants in the meeting then discussed how they understand the nature and function of cittanupassana.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  THE NATURE OF THE MIND

Next week’s talk will begin the exploration of the Fourth Foundation Of Mindfulness, Dhammanupassana.

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Understanding The Four Elements

This talk is the last focused on the First Foundation of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse (Satipatthana Sutta), Mindfulness of the Body (Kayanupassana).   The Four Elements and the Nine Charnel Grounds Contemplations were read and discussed.  Peter provided a brief introductory meditation to facilitate using Earth, Air, Fire and Water as subjective contemplations, followed by discussion.  The talk then shifted to the Charnel Grounds Contemplations–Peter suggested these have no contemporary relevance, so the discussion then focused on how one can currently contemplate mortality in ways to motivate bringing mindfulness practices into one’s daily life routine.

Here are the notes prepared for this discussion:  Understanding The Four Elements

Next week’s discussion will begin a review of the Second Foundation of Mindfulness, Mindfulness of Feelings, (Vedanupassana).

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Four Tetrads And Four Foundations

During this talk, Peter reviewed the four groups of four stanzas in the Anapanasati Sutta as they relate to the four foundations of mindfulness.  The four groups of stanzas are called the four tetrads.  The intention in this presentation is to foster an integration of mindfulness of breathing with the four foundations as they appear in the sutta.

Next week’s discussion will explore practical applications of mindfulness of breathing to the cultivation of the four foundations.

The next post will contain the notes prepared relative to this talk