by Peter Carlson | Sep 22, 2017 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk is a continuation from the posting of September 6 entitled “The Five Aggregates And Emptiness”. This discussion elaborates on a guided meditation, posted separately, that facilitates how to use body sweep meditation to cultivate a primary, holistic awareness of body sensations to “starve” the selfing process of attention and opening to the awareness of sunnata (shoon-yah-tah) during meditation practice. The intention of this practice is to reveal the essential “emptiness” of the internal narrative that constitutes the primary misperception of an enduring and autonomous “self” and realize the fullness of whole body awareness. As this awareness is perfected, all subjectively derived boundaries are diminished between embodied experience and the all-encompassing nature of sensory reality, including sounds, odors, flavors as well as body sensations, leaving and all-inclusive, universal experience that is stable and serene. This awareness, when sufficiently cultivated, creates the circumstances the facilitate realizing nirvana, unconditioned reality.
Here are the notes prepared for this discussion: Emptiness And Fullness
The guided meditation entitled “Emptiness And Fullness Meditation” will be posted separately.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:07 — 108.2MB)
by Peter Carlson | Sep 7, 2017 | Listen to Dharma Talks
The concept of emptiness (sunnata in Pali) is a core aspect of the Buddhist Awakening process. This is the first of two discussions of emptiness, with the focus on how the operation of the Five Aggregates, Form, Feeling, Perception, Mental Formations and Consciousness creates the false belief in a separate, enduring and autonomous self. Each of the aggregates is described, with the emphasis on how craving and clinging affect mental formations and consciousness, creating what the Buddha called “The tyranny of I, Me and Mine”. The ability to use mindful investigation with the underpinning of understanding the operation of the Five Aggregates to see through the illusory self was explained. Emptiness is the creativity that is available when a person deconstructs the process of craving and clinging.
This was followed by a lengthy and lively discussion of the evening’s topic.
Here are the notes prepared for this discussion: Emptiness And The Five Aggregates
Next week’s discussion will be organized around exploring how deepening one’s meditation practice provides a different way to recognize the reality of emptiness and benefits that can be realized from consistent daily meditation.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:44 — 124.0MB)
