by Peter Carlson | Mar 28, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This recording followed a guided body sweep meditation and provided an opportunity for the participants to discuss the experience and receive suggestions about their practice. Peter emphasized that the goal of this practice is to foster the maturing of vitakka and vicara (aiming and sustaining attention) into the awakening factor of investigation of mental phenomena. The practice also fosters the cultivation of mindfulness, persistent Right Effort, and concentration. These factors also foster the emergence of joy, tranquility and equanimity, the remaining factors of the seven awakening factors. This posting will be followed by the recorded body sweep meditation.
by Peter Carlson | Feb 5, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This week’s discussion focused on the stanzas in the Anapanasati Sutta related to the cultivation of piti and sukha, Pali words often translated as rapture and pleasure. During the talk, Peter related the commentaries that describe piti dramatically, associated with so-called “Visuddhimagga jhanas”, then suggesting an alternative view regarding “sutta jhanas”, which are more accessible and workable in regards to the process of awakening. Peter then reinforced the passage in the Anapanasati Sutta that describes the culmination of practice as being the maturing of the seven awakening factors, and that piti is one of those factors, generated by the skillful and persistent focus on the mind/body process set forth in previous stanzas of the sutta.
This talk is accompanied by Peter’s notes, posted after this posting.
Next week’s discussion will focus on the next stanza of the sutta, regarding the calming of mental fabrications.
by Peter Carlson | Jan 15, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This is the second in a series of discussions regarding the Anapanasati Sutta, (mindfulness of breathing), a core teaching for Buddhist meditation practitioners. During this talk, Peter described several aspects of mindfulness of breathing that supports increasing the frequency and stability of focus, both in the practice of samatha (cultivating concentration) and vipassana (cultivating insight into the conditioned nature of reality). The terms vitakka (aiming awareness at the onset of the in- and out-breaths) and vicara (thorough awareness of the experience of in-and out-breaths) were described as the initial stages for developing dhamma vicaya bojjhanga, (the investigation of mental phenomena awakening factor). Peter pointed out that cultivating sambojjhanga, (the seven awakening factors) is a major orientation in both the Anapanasati Sutta and the Satipatthana Sutta, (The Four Foundations of Mindfulness).
The teaching points of the Anapanasati Sutta will be explored over the next few months, with emphasis on the actual practice of mindfulness of breathing. To further this process, there will be training meditations provided during the normal 45 minute meditation practice period at 7 PM Wednesday nights. It’s uncertain whether the training meditations will be recorded. During next week’s meeting, January 21, meditators will be provided with Mentholatumto apply on the rim of the nostrils with Q-tips, to facilitate ongoing awareness of the cycle of breathing in and out.
by Peter Carlson | Jan 8, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this first dhamma dialogue of the new year, Peter began a series of explorations of one of the core teachings of Buddhism, the Anapanasati Sutta, the discourse on mindfulness of breathing
(See notes.)
It was pointed out that this discourse is perhaps the only one in the Pali Canon to include an extensive “prelude” to the actual teaching, during which the dedication and attainments of those attending were expounded upon by the Buddha. Why such emphasis? Peter quoted an exchange between the Buddha and Ananda in which the Buddha said that the Sangha is crucial for spiritual development (the quote is in the accompanying notes posted before this one).
This was related to modern social science which emphasizes that humans are essentially social animals, with the advantage of language and the capacity for abstract conceptual processing. This was also related to the recent development of peer “accountability partners”, using the extensive development of the various 12-step communities dedicated to the overcoming of addictive and compulsive behaviors. It was also noted that modern business organizations are using accountability partnerships to further professional goals. Peter wondered how this could effectively be applied for the Orlando Insight Meditation community. This was followed by discussion.
Next week will begin the more extensive exploration of the teachings within the sutta, emphasizing more refined breath awareness and increasing ability to integrate breath awareness into daily life routines.
by Peter Carlson | Jan 8, 2015 | Study Resources
Sangha and Mindfulness of Breathing
This is the first of several essays I want to produce as we study the Anapanasati Sutta, the discourse on the development of mindfulness through breath awareness. This teaching is the only one I’m aware of in the Pali Canon that has a fairly well developed “prelude” extolling the virtues and dedication of the sangha present as the Buddha talked about the cultivation of the four foundations of mindfulness and the seven awakening factors using breath awareness as the primary strategy.
This essay focuses on possible reasons for emphasizing the high quality of practice among the assembled men and women listening to the talk (I’m assuming women were present although this is not explicitly stated in the sutta).
The discourse begins by describing the site, Savatthi, the town where the Buddha lived during most of his years of teaching. At the beginning, he names several of his most senior monks who were teaching many students there at the time. He’s so impressed by their diligent practice that he announces he will remain there for another month.
Here an excerpt, downloaded from the website Access To Insight; the translation is that of Thanissaro Bhikkhu:
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