by Peter Carlson | Dec 17, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Peter reviewed 3 lojong mind training commitments: “Don’t revert to magic”, “Don’t reduce a god to a demon”, and “Don’t seek pain as a component of happiness”. The common theme of these three commitments is to be mindful of mental rigidity, which produces “magical thinking” (Misperceiving one’s beliefs to be “things”, that is, accurate personality defining characteristics). This consequence of craving and clinging can create a rigid, doctrinaire, “holier than thou” approach to life, comparing and judging others harshly for their beliefs. This rigidity can manifest as a punitive approach to life, that is, relishing the suffering of others.
The review was followed by discussion by various persons attending regarding how this rigidity is experienced and what aspects of the Four Noble Truth can bring resolution to the rigidity and harshness.
This review is the last focused on the commitments of lojong mind training. Peter will be on a two-week self retreat over the holidays. The first meeting in January will review the retreat process he experienced. The following meeting will summarize the lojong mind training with a review of the remaining aphorisms, which emphasize the importance of various elements of the lojong mind training system.
Here are the notes prepared for this discussion: AVOIDING MENTAL RIGIDITY AND HARSHNESS
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by Peter Carlson | Dec 3, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, the lojong commitment “Don’t Put A Horse’s Load On A Donkey” was reviewed. The emphasis of the commitment is to avoid idealizing expectations of self or others, that is, to avoid perfectionism. One of the benefits of being relieved of the stress and confusion of the five hindrances is the release of energy into the process of awareness. This can manifest as overreaching one’s capabilities, or displacing responsibility on others, thereby expecting too much of their capabilities. This leads to contempt and a feeling of disconnection from self and others. A goal of this practice is to become clearly aware of how self-organization either leads to clarity or to confusion, and eventually understanding how to release the “hardened” expectations that result from craving and clinging.
Here are the notes for the discussion: MANAGING THE BURDEN OF RESPONSIBILITY
Here is the worksheet provided for those attending the meeting: Relationship Responsibility Worksheet
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by Peter Carlson | Nov 5, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this evening’s discussion, modern neuroscientific research was reviewed which suggests that activated neural pathways become more richly connected when “fed” by increased blood flow. When unwholesome self-organizations are repeatedly enacted, the result is toxic. A distinction was emphasized regarding external and internal “ego food”, that is, how modern entertainment and distractions provide external stimulation, while internal processes are either enhanced or depleted in their power by the amount of attention given to them in the mind. Peter read the excerpt from the Four Foundations of Mindfulness discourse that describes being aware of the transitory nature of self-organizations (fourth foundation, regarding the arising and passing of the five aggregates of clinging). These principles support the awareness qualities found in the lojong mind training commitments.
This review was followed by a lively discussion regarding the prevalence of external “junk food media” and how being mindful of how the internal processing of the stimulation can be used to practice tonglen, that is, the ability to transform internal processes with compassion.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk: BENEVOLENT EGO FOOD
Next week’s discussion will focus on the lojong aphorism “Don’t rely on consistency.”
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by Peter Carlson | Oct 29, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk addresses the problems of perfectionism, which often manifest as internal narratives that are shame-based. Various lojong mind training aphorisms were reviewed to clarify how the applications of the aphorisms can support transforming feelings of shame and humiliation into humility. Humility can be understood as recognizing the enormous complexity of external and internal conditions that are part of life, and how this recognition can reveal the interdependence/selflessness that is a core realization of Buddhist practice. The internal transformation from humiliation to humility is accomplished with the practice of tonglen, which reforms self-organization through compassion.
Here are the notes prepared for this presentation: LETTING GO OF PERFECTIONISM
Next week’s topic will be the aphorism “Give Up Toxic Ego Food”.
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by Peter Carlson | Oct 8, 2015 | Listen to Dharma Talks
The focus of this talk is how the Four Noble Truths are manifested while applying the lojong mind training aphorisms. Reviewing aphorisms discussed in previous meetings, Peter described how the cultivation of internally stable focus and emotional balance creates the optimal “platform of awareness” for the practice of vipassana. Vipassana, in turn, reveals the physical, emotionally urgent driver of the internal narrative-the “selfing story”-and thi is the first Noble Truth, direct awareness of internal distress and confusion. This practice then reveals the “dreamlike” characteristics of the “selfing” process, distinguishing the difference between the internal narrative and the more fundamental experience of physical sensation, the craving and clinging characteristic of the second Noble Truth. The decrease potency of emotional reactivity provides detachment and relief from the distress and confusion, characteristic of the third Noble Truth, and the fourth Noble Truth, the Eightfold Path, provides the ways and means to accomplish this. This ability to combine clear awareness and benevolent intention fulfills the core teaching of lojong, tonglen, the Tibetan practice of compassion. Here are the notes prepared for the talk: Balancing The Changing Mind
Next week’s discussion will explore the importance of Right Speech in relationships.
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