Reviewing and setting aside the five aggregates is described as the first of the contemplations found within the Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness.  Lezlie provides quotes and comments that explain the characteristics of these obstacles to a mind that is alert and serene enough to support insights that liberate the mind from craving and clinging.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk, including references to useful books:  Hindrances dharma talk

Considering the Third Foundation of Mindfulness as if it were a sheet of paper, and the First as a pen, then the Second as ink; the Fourth Foundation, mindfulness of mental phenomena, is what is written on the paper, creating our experience of being an enduring/autonomous self.  During this talk, Peter reviews the categories of the Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness and the role they play in the development in the process of Awakening, dissolving one’s belief in an enduring/autonomous self.  During subsequent talks, each of the categories within the Fourth Foundation will be reviewed individually as to their functions and how to work with them skillfully.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  Creating A Self

The focus of next week’s talk will be a review of the Five Hindrances and how to effectively set them aside to further the process of Awakening.

The Third Foundation of Mindfulness focuses attention on investigating the characteristics of a person’s consciousness–alert or dull, filled with desire or free from desire, among other categories.  During this talk, Peter reviews the various categories, supplemented by current neurological research that supports the views developed by Buddhist practitioners and scholars over a thousand years ago.  How mindfulness of breathing practice supports investigation of the mind is also reviewed.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  Reviewing Mindfulness Of The Mind

The next talk will begin a review of the Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness, focusing on identifying and setting aside the Five Hindrances.

Mindfulness of Feelings is the Second Foundation of Mindfulness, and during this talk, Peter provides a review of the various categories of feelings, which are not emotions, but rather the impulsive reactivity we all experience that precedes craving and clinging. Managing feelings skillfully is key for developing  the process of Awakening.  Some of the current neuroscientific research findings that are found in different areas of the brain that identify how feelings arise, associated with thoughts and then regulated are reviewed that seem to validate aspects of human experience as described in Buddhist teachings.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk, which provide a more extensive review than from Peter’s verbal comments:  Skillfully Managing Feelings

There is a recording posted in the Audio section of the website under Guided Meditations entitled “Guided Contemplating Feelings Meditation” that is intended to support this talk and to build ways to skillfully manage feelings.

This recording provides supportive suggestions for recognizing the various manifestations of feelings–pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral, both worldly and unworldly.  The goal of this meditation is to learn how to let go of unwholesome feeling tones–impulsive reactivity in the mind–to skillfully develop insight into the transitory and impersonal nature of subjective experience.

This meditation is intended to supplement the conceptual knowledge contained in the Dharma talk that followed it, and which is posted in the Archives as “Skillfully Managing Feelings”.

This talk focuses on cultivating a deeper and more useful understanding of two important Buddhist concepts: Non-self and Emptiness.  The concepts don’t translate well into English from the original Pali teachings, so Peter uses various contemporary scientific and psychological research results to clarify the terms.  Non-self is a way to understand what contemporary neuroscience calls neuroplasticity, while Emptiness is better understood as the quality of attention that is not dominated by the urgent demands of craving and clinging–a maturation of the quietness and stability that can be associated with the development of neutral feeling towards equanimity.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  Fullness or Emptiness

The focus of next week’s talk will be on the Second Foundation of Mindfulness, which focuses on understanding and working with pleasant, unpleasant and neutral feeling tones more skillfully.

Mindfully contemplating the subjective experience of the Four Elements: Earth, Wind,Fire, and Water is mentioned in the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse as part of the category “Mindfulness of the Body”.  During the talk, Peter describes the characteristics of each Element, along with how they can be useful for interrupting internal “selfing stories”.  This talk is meant to be accompanied by the recording in the archives entitled “Four Elements Contemplation”.  Those present for the meeting shared their experiences during the meditation and sought clarification regarding the topic.

Here are the notes prepared for this talk:  Working With the Four Elements Contemplations

This guided meditation provides suggestions for contemplating what are called the Four Elements: Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water.  These contemplations are embedded within the Four Foundations of Mindfulness Discourse.  Peter describes the subjective characteristics of each of the Elements and suggests different areas of the body to mindfully investigate their nature.  This guided meditation is intended to accompany the Dharma talk entitled ” Working With The Four Elements Contemplation”, which explains how developing proficiency in this training exercise interrupts hindering internal chatter and supports differentiating the separate characteristics of physical sensational awareness and co-occurring fabricating function of the mind.  This understanding increases one’s ability to “deconstruct” belief in an enduring/autonomous self.

Short Moments, Many Times a Day.

In this meeting of our sangha, we learn a variety of ways to incorporate moments of meditation throughout the day.  This is not a substitute for our daily sitting practice, but a way to extend that practice throughout our daily activities.  The format of the session will veer from our usual practice, as we practice a 4-5  short meditations.  So make sure to join us at 7:00 for a brief commentary on mindfulness which will be followed by a variety of short-form practices.  This session was facilitated by Lezlie Laws.

This week’s dharma talk explores the 7th step in the teaching of the Buddha called “The Noble Eightfold-Path.”  This 7th step is Right Mindfulness. We will explore this key practice that has been described as the watch guard of the mind and an aid to recognize, prevent and release craving and clinging that causes suffering. We will also present an overview of the four foundations of mindfulness discussed in the Buddha’s teachings that are documented in the Satipatthana Sutta. Each of these foundations will be explored in further depth in the upcoming weeks. April Koester gave this talk.