1st Night: Acquiring The Breath
During this talk, the importance of stabilizing and increasing the potency and precision of breath awareness was emphasized.
This more powerful insight can then be used to “dissolve” the contracted, rigid and urgent mind states that are called
“hindrances”, and represents how to prepare the mind for vipassana practice.
2nd Night-The Five Powers
This discussion described five mental qualities that, when cultivated, produce higher levels of mental sharpness,
agility and accuracy; these qualities are essential for the practice of vipassana.
3rd Night: How to Change Kharnma
Karma is what conditions our perceptions of life. The Buddhist concept of dependent origination was explained, and how to use vipassana
practice to change current perceptions in order to promote serenity and clarity.
4th Night, Constructing & Deconstructing the Self
Continuing the 3rd night’s discussion of how karma is formed and reformed, the concepts of the 5 Aggregates of Clinging and the Four Foundations of Mindfulness
were explored, providing ways and means for seeing through craving and clinging and finding relief from suffering.
5th Night, Moving Toward Awakening
Tonight’s discussion reviewed how the Seven Factors of Awakening integrate with the Seven Progressions of Insight Knowledge, moving the mind from
entrapment in greed, hatred and delusion through personality integration and towards the experience of enlightenment.
6th Night, Practicing At Home
This is a long and interesting dialogue about various elements of a wholesome life and how the practices
developed during the retreat can support spiritual life.
Lovingkindness Meditation to End Retreat
This guided meditation ends the retreat.
2010 Retreat Review
The custom of this Sangha is to provide the opportunity for members who’ve been on retreat to share their
experience with the group, in order to help integrate the meditative experience, and to inform and inspire others
who weren’t on the retreat to deepen their practice.
Lojong-Mind Training
What is Lojong?
American Buddhism brings together many different Buddhist Traditions. Tibetan lojong practice is described,
beginning a series of talks exploring the application of heightened awareness and non-attachment to everyday life.
The Usefulness of Awakening the Mind
During this discussion the relationship between the Theravadin Four Noble Truths and the
Mahayana cultivation of bodhicitta (awakened mind) are explored, preparatory to applying the mind training called lojong.
Opening to Bodhicitta
This dialogue explores the first 4 training slogans, useful in opening the
mind to spaciousness, revealing the transient, dream-like and provisional nature of mental events
Tonglen-Sending & Receiving
Tonglen-Sending & Receiving recorded December 8, 2010
Turning Adversity Into Opportunity
The lojong practice was discussed further, particularly the benefit of gratefully accepting adverse situations
as opportunities for applying tonglen practice, that is, transforming suffering into benevolence.
We're All In This Together
This discussion follows our custom of reviewing one of Peter’s retreat experiences to help others understand
what being on retreat can be like. This topic reflects lojong practice, which has been discussed during previous
meetings, and will be explored further in the upcoming weeks.
Transforming Confusion Into Salvation
he word confusion has its origin in Latin, and can be understood as with blending. Peter pointed out that one of the
major causes of suffering is ignorance, which in this case means confusing an arisen mind
state as being self-defining. The practice of tonglen transforms the confusion into wisdom through a series of steps
that were outlined during the talk.
Maximizing the Benefit of Lojong
This talk discussed the cultivation of clear awareness of impermanence, non-self and renouncing
craving and clinging through deep, introspective meditation practice, even when the mind is
clouded with confusion and distraction.
Three General Principles
This discussion explored the importance of virtue, including guarding against a “holier than you” mindset.”.
Living From The Inside Out
The discussion covered the training points 23 through 26, emphasizing the importance of not becoming
attached to the judgments or opinions of others, and not becoming self-critical
Food For Thought-The Value Of Unpredictability
Tonight’s discussion focused on how the neural pathways in the brain develop what Buddhism calls “karma”.
There is also dialogue about how attachment to self-states creates rigidity, and the value of opening the
mind to different ways of being in the world.
Compassionate Silence
This talk discusses the value of creating bodhicitta as an expansive, non-reactive
tranquility, which supports interrupting urges to speak harshly or bring pain to others.
Pacing Your Practice
This talk emphasizes the importance of monitoring the energy released by increased
concentration to avoid expecting too much of self and others, becoming overconfident
and impulsive.
Avoiding Spiritual Arrogance
This evening’s discussion focused on how to avoid conflicts with others with different faith traditions, political affiliations and so on.
Keeping In Mind Why We Do This
This discussion covered the first of the Lojong guidelines, regarding keeping the commitments in mind and
resolving to practice throughout the day. Emphasis was placed on the unexpected nature of life, related to the unfolding
tragedy in Japan regarding earthquakes, tsunami and nuclear reactor meltdowns.
Supporting Vitality In Practice
“During this discussion, the topic of integrating Buddhism into 21st century American culture was explored, with
emphasis on developing the teacher-student relationship.
Lojong Review
In this talk we reviewed the elements of lojong practice, relating them to understanding and applying the Four Noble Truths.
Guest Speakers
K.C. Walpole, Women And Children In Prisons
K.C. Walpole, who runs the Gateless Gate Zen Center in Gainesville, Florida, spoke with
clarity and compassion about this major problem in our culture. He presented a Powerpoint show,
with the alarming statistics regarding the suffering endured by women, children and men in the Florida prison system.
He’s undertaking a 14,000 mile speaking tour by motorcycle around the USA this summer to raise support to build a
residential center for women and children, providing a safe, meditative environment for women to transition from a
life of drugs and prostitution to being productive in our culture and be good parents. I hope this inspires all who listen
to this recording to help K.C. with this project.
Buddhism and the Twelve Steps
Buddhism & 12 Steps-1-3
Robert and Peter discuss the mutual support that Buddhist practice and the 12 Steps of Alcoholics
Anonymous provide for spiritual development. This is the first of 3 sections, and Robert calls these first
steps about a Higher Power “Keep Faith”, while Peter talks of the Noble Truths of suffering and craving & clinging.
Buddhism & 12 Steps-4-10
Robert and Peter talk about the middle range of the 12 steps, emphasizing the importance of honest self-inquiry,
making amends and humility as part of a spiritual path. Robert calls these steps “Clean House”, while
Peter relates this to Right Speech, Right Action and Right Livelihood.
Buddhism & 12 Steps-11-12
Robert and Peter talk of how the practice of meditation and prayer are essential for overcoming compulsive behaviors,
with an emphasis on the value of service to others. Robert calls these steps “Pass It On”, while Peter describes the
benefits of cultivating self-awareness, self-discipline and compassion through the practice of mindfulness of breathing.
The Buddha's Discourses
Thanksgiving Eve 2010 Gratitude
This talk was a reflection on how Buddhist practice supports an increasing gratitude for what
life has to offer, whether is is pleasant or unpleasant.
Why We
Practice
This talk explores the factors that create the wish to deal with
our distress; participants discussed what prompted their
interest in Buddhist meditation.
First Noble Truth For The 21st Century
We explore the interesting interplay between what Western
Psychology is discovering about stress reactivity with the
ancient wisdom of Buddhism
Second Noble Truth--The Kilesas
The Kilesas are the mental states that cause suffering. We
talked about how to identify them as feelings, not just
concepts.
Third Noble Truth--What Is Awakening?
Awakening isn't just experiencing Nirvana; it is the process of
discovering mental distortions and releasing from the bondage
they create. We explored how this is practiced.
How Do I Know I'm On The Path?
Exploring the ways we can recognize more productive practice
experiences.
What Is
Wisdom?
We discussed the difference between conceptual knowledge and
activated wisdom.
Skillful Understanding--What Is Real?
We discussed Right Understanding as the law of cause & effect.
What Is A
Peaceful Abiding?
First night Franciscan Center retreat
How Do We Support Community?
First discussion on topic of building community
Right Intention-Feeling The Mind
First discussion on how feeling and intention influence thoughts
How To Use Wisdom To Change The Mind
Discussed how breath awareness supports Right Understanding and
Right Intention in redirecting the mind to wholesome states
Peter's IMS
Retreat
Discussion of 16 day retreat at the Insight Meditation Society
combining lovingkindness and insight meditation practice, with
emphasis on what it's like to be on a longer retreat.
Psychological and Spiritual Value of Virtue
Discussed the virtue aggregate of the Noble Eightfold Path,
first as virtue sets a platform of emotional and relationship
stability, then as the accumulation of more altruistic attitudes
and behaviors.
The Power of Narrative
We discussed how important our internal narrative in defining a self, and how the narrative
is just a construct, while the feeling states that accompany the narrative are more
real than the story. Cultivating mindfulness of feelings is more liberating than
identifying with the narrative.
Listening Through The Mind Door
This discussion points out that listening isn't just about what the ear hears,
but also about watching the other person's face, checking tone of voice,
with an empathic intention.
Mindful Speech
We discussed how important words are for self-organization,
and some ways to regulate speech towards more wholesome mind-states.
Mindful Action
We talked about how behavior is more fundamental in humans than speech,
and the value of organizing behavior around doing no harm in terms of social
behaviors. Next week's discussion will cover the Paramis, the wholesome
behaviors that are to be cultivated instead.
What Is A Good Life?
We talked about how cultural pressures create unwholesome expectations of "the Good Life",
requiring lots of stylish material possessions,
little physical activity, and a strongly reinforced wanting and fearing.
We began to discuss what different ways "the Good Life" could be conceived,
organized around the principles of doing no harm and cultivating a clear awareness.
The discussion is to be continued at our next meeting, August 11.
Building A Wholesome Lifestyle
We continued discussing how Buddhist principles and practices can cultivate a happier and more bountiful life.
Buddhist Cultivation of Character-The Paramitas
This is the first of a series of dialogues between Robert, discussing the Mahayana traditional
training of the virtues of a Bodhisattva, and Peter, responding from the Theravada tradition. More to come next week.
Buddhist Cultivation of Character, Part 2
This is the second of a series of dialogues led by Peter and Robert on the Paramitas, which are wholesome qualities of mind, to be cultivated
on the path to enlightenment. This discussion explores the benefits of virtue.
Buddhist Cultivation of Character-The Paramitas #3
This is the third of a series of dialogues about the qualities to be perfected in the process of awakening. This discussion focused on
cultivating tolerance and patience.
Buddhist Cultivation Of Character-Paramitas #4
This is the concluding dialogue involving Robert and Peter. The focus is on cultivating effort, meditative awareness and wisdom.
Turning The Dharma Wheel
In this dialogue, we explored how the mental training aggregate of the Noble Eightfold Path, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness,
and Right Concentration, enable the awakening process to move from the conceptual level to actual lived experience.
The Wisdom aggregate, Right Understanding and Right Intention, are manifested when the mind is well trained.
Beginning next week, we will explore in detail how mindfulness of breathing, anapanasati, is cultivated.
The Anapanasati Sutta-Mindfulness of Breathing
I In this dialogue, Peter read Bhikkhu Bodhi's translation of this important teaching of the Buddha.
We began to discuss the middle section, which includes step-by-step instructions on how to develop great
tranquility and sharply focused attention through breath awareness. This is the first in a series of talks about
mindfulness of breathing as a vehicle for cultivating tranquility and insight.
Anapana-How To Watch The Breath
Furthering discussion of the Anapanasati Sutta, Peter describe ways to progressively
develop aiming and sustaining attention to the breath sensations, to cultivate tranquility and one-pointed attention
Keeping The Breath In Mind
Peter describes the ways that breath awareness can be cultivated in an ongoing way, to promote highly concentrated
mind states called jhanas, or to coordinate breath awareness with insight meditation practice, called vipassana.
