This guided meditation focuses attention on how to develop clear awareness of intentions, which organize and activate each moment of consciousness.  It is intended to support the topic for the Dharma talk of the same evening, “Working With Intentions and Karma”.

During this talk, April describes the neurological and psychological research supporting the Buddhist concept of anatta, non-self, and how the flexibility provided by non-self facilitates the development of Right Action, supporting a virtuous lifestyle.  Her review includes questions and comments from those participating in the meeting.

This document provides references to the research that April did to develop this talk:  References for Dharma Talk on January 29 2025

During this talk, Lili reviews contemporary psychological and neurological understandings about habit formation and how Buddhist concepts and practices support the ability to be mindful of, investigate, and alter unwholesome thoughts and actions that are habitual while reinforcing more wholesome habits.  Her comments were followed by questions posed by those participating in the meeting.

Here are notes prepared for the talk:  Habits and the Dharma- notes

Each month Peter provides an opportunity for participants in the meeting to ask questions about Buddhist doctrine and meditation practice.  During this talk, Peter and others provided suggestions in response to an inquiry that focused on how to cultivate and maintain a regular daily meditation practice.  Another question focused on how to discern the difference between the phenomenon of thinking/internal narrative and the direct “knowing” that occurs with investigation of breath/body experience, which provides a stable and tranquil point of reference from which we can investigate whether the internal narrative is beneficial or not.  There are other responses to questions found in the posting as well.

At the core of consumerism we find the “three poisons” that causes suffering–greed, hatred and delusion.  During this talk, Peter provides some background information about the history and adverse sociocultural and ecological effects of contemporary consumerism, emphasizing that, although we have all benefited from modern production and distribution technologies, we are persistently conditioned to want things and status, and fear what seems to threaten our self-identity.  The conditioning, beginning at a very early time in a person’s life, not only involves material objects, but also includes conditioning through TV shows, the internet, and other modalities that have established our self-image.  After providing this information, a description of the Four Noble Truths, and particularly the Noble Eightfold Path, is suggested as a way to effectively identify the distress and confusion that occurs as a result of consumerism.  The challenge of this era in human and planetary life is to find effective ways to cultivate a different lifestyle, and Buddhist principles and practices support this evolution.  Peter recommends reading a book by Duane Elgin titled “Voluntary Simplicity–Toward a Way of Life That Is Outwardly Simply, Inwardly Rich”, particularly the revised addition published in 2010 as a resource that often refers to Buddhism as an effective way to live a simpler life.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  Consumerism and the Dharma

During this talk, Peter follows a tradition in this community to provide opportunities for those who have recently completed a significant retreat experience to “think out loud” about the retreat.  Much of what is experienced during a retreat is not fully integrated without the opportunity to describe the retreat’s routine and any important insights that occurred during the experience.  This process supports integrating the practice insights into one’s lifestyle perceptions and meditative skills, as well as informing and inspiring others regarding the benefits of the immersive experience of participating in a residential retreat.  This retreat follows on the Dharma talk entitled “Anapanasati 16 Steps Review” that Peter presented on December 11, 2024, just prior to the retreat.  Peter quoted excerpts from Analayo’s translation of the Anapanasati Sutta and his book “Mindfulness of Breathing”, taking opportunities to describe how he realized some of the insights described during the retreat.  He also described how his extensive self-retreat experience was challenged by recurring back problems, forcing the end of a planned 2 week retreat after 8 days.

During this talk, Peter responds to questions, for example, the difference between concentration and insight, and the relationship between breath awareness and body awareness while practicing mindfulness of breathing meditaiton.

This talk provides a review of the Mindfulness of Breathing Discourse, the focus of a recently-completed course Peter participated in that used Analayo’s “Mindfulness of Breathing”.  The Anapanasati Sutta is one of the core teachings of Theravada Buddhism and the meetings of the course helped validate some meditative insights emerging from his practice.  The 16 steps of the sutta are reviewed and related to an .mp3 recording of the “Guided 16 Step Anapanasati Contemplation” that Peter provided prior to this meeting–it is posted within the “Guided Meditation” page of the website.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  OVERVIEW OF THE ANAPANASATI SUTTA

Here is Analayo’s translation of the Anapanasati Sutta:  Anapanasati Sutta translated by Analayo

This Mindfulness of Breathing meditation is intended to support a Dharma talk entitled “Anapanasati 16 Step Review”.  It provides a progression of practices beginning with persistent attention to mindfulness of breathing sensations through to the practice of “letting go”.

During this talk, which occurred on Thanksgiving Eve, Peter revises the holiday term Thanksgiving to emphasize the relationship between gratitude (thanks) and generosity (giving).  During a guided contemplation entitled “Contemplating Thanks-Giving”, recorded prior to this talk and posted on the website, the characteristic physical and emotional elements of these two wholesome states of mind are described.  Participants at the meeting are invited to share their personal experiences of both generosity and gratitude.