Comments for Dharma Treasure

Comment on Light on Meditation: A Stillness and Insight Retreat, April 19–23, 2012 in Murrieta, California by catherine eaton

catherine eaton — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:52:59 +0000

please sign me up for this Michael!!
i’m excited to have another opportunity in Murietta.

Comment on Stronghold 5 February 2012 by shelly hubman

shelly hubman — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:14:25 +0000

topics;

taking refuge

re-birth/reincarnation

happiness through helping others

Comment on TCMC Thursday Night Conversations 7 Jan 2010 part 1 by Matthew

Matthew — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:53:53 +0000

This is a very brief Q&A session in which Culadasa talks briefly about “grounding in the body” as a part of meditation practice. Culadasa also briefly discusses his own skepticism about chakras and energy channels in the body that came from his training in physiology and neurology, and then how that was overthrown as he began to directly experience this subtle energy in his practice.

Comment on Stronghold: 3 Jan 2010 by Matthew

Matthew — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:34:13 +0000

Questions and Answer
The first question in this Q&A session is about personal and collective purification, and whether we can see the current crises we face as part of this purification process. Culadasa answers this question by discussing the role of keeping the virtues (patience, loving kindness, etc) as well as the possibility that such virtues can transform both personal and collective life and bring us back from our own destruction. Other interesting reflections include a discussion on biological and cultural evolution of humans, the environmental crisis and the way in which the role of the self contributes to individual and collective problems.

The second question is about how to incorporate practice into everyday life. Culadasa explains that we must understand the purpose of practice. Rather than merely stress relief or some other psychological benefit, practice is an effort to understand the nature of the mind. With this understanding, we can practice looking at the mind throughout the day.
The third question is raised by someone having a specific meditation problem. This person has been practicing with the breath for a number of years, but still feels frustrated that her attention is not 100% on the breath. She doesn’t tend to loose the breath completely, but some other object takes up most of her attention (80% other object, 20% on breath.). What should she do in this situation?

Comment on Lecture at the University of West (Jan, 2009) by Matthew

Matthew — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:18:42 +0000

“No-Self as the Philosophical Core of Buddhism”
This lecture starts with a question and discussion of the benefits of both the practice of virtue and meditation. Keeping of virtue (right speech, patience, etc) will have direct personal, psychological and social benefits. But the ultimate aim for maintaining a virtuous life is awakening, and, such awakening must be seen as an achievable goal.

The majority of this lecture Culadasa discusses “no-self” as the primary philosophical core of Buddhism. He discusses the two predominant positions of eternalism and nihilism during the Buddhas time, which are also present today. The Buddha transcended these two positions by positing a self that neither continues into the future nor one that is annihilated at death. In other words, there is no-self in the first place. Culadasa continues by dividing the self into its conceptual and experiential components. Conceptually we can deconstruct the self fairly easily. But even with such an intellectual deconstruction, there remains a deeper level of “feeling” like a self. The practice of meditation, Culadasa states, allows us to directly see how the mind produces this feeling and thereby undermine this illusion to see clearly.

Some follow up questions discussed are the relationship between no-self and moral behavior; the levels of realization of no-self at each Path Attainment (stream enterer, once returner, etc); a brief discussion about the physiological transformations that happen with practice and Path Attainment; and how the narrative about ourselves as individuals that need to maximize pleasure and minimize suffering is also a collective narrative that is bringing us to the brink of collective ruin. Many individual having enlightenment experiences may be our only hope to override such deep biological programming of ignorance, craving and aversion

Comment on Lecture at the University of West (Aug, 2009) by Matthew

Matthew — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:57:09 +0000

“Threshold of Awakening ”
In this lecture at the University of the West, Culadasa discusses what happens leading up to the awakening experience. Much of the discussion is about Stream Entry and whether it is a dramatic moment or if it can be a gradual, even unnoticed transformation. “Once Returner” and “Non-Retruner” are also discussed as well as the fetters that are overcome at each stage. There is some discussion about the type of “reprogramming” of the mind that happens with each level of attainment and insight and the type of corresponding behavioral changes that demarcate the authenticity of this transformation. Last, the benefit of Buddhist meditation, as Culadasa states, is the systematic training of the mind that allows you to consistently attain these profound insight experiences and thereby radically alter one’s being. (Pali Terms discussed Maga-Phala).

Comment on Stronghold 11 December 2011 by Roger Lee

Roger Lee — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 07:08:02 +0000

The summary of the talk:
0:31 Views on Feminality,
15:13 Kamma and Emptiness : Appropriate actions,
17:57 Power to End the suffered animals Live,
23:31 How to Balance the two ; Sensitivity/ Receptivity and Equanimity,
37:50 Practices that lead to Insight.

Comment on TCMC Thursday 07 October by DT Editor

DT Editor — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 23:10:18 +0000

Thanks, it has been fixed.

Comment on TCMC Thursday 07 October by Lyn Pass

Lyn Pass — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:30:10 +0000

I am unable to download 7 Oct Part 11. Says “Not Found”

Comment on Sleepiness and Dullness by Jim

Jim — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:17:39 +0000

Very useful, thank you! I’m a beginner and have recently noticed ”dullness” would set in when i meditate for prolonged periods, but I’m going to try these tips and hopefully it won’t be a bother anymore