by Peter Carlson | Jan 22, 2026 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk is part of a series reviewing the Four Noble Truths by April Koester, specifically focused on Right Mindfulness. During the talk she reads sections of the Satipatthana Sutta, which translates as the Four Foundations of Mindfulness a key teaching within Buddhism. Her comments are followed up by questions and comments from those attending the meeting.
Here are the notes April prepared for the presentation, including access references regarding important articles and books that are organized around the Satipatthana Sutta: Talk Notes_ Right Mindfulness as Strategic Agency (1)
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by Peter Carlson | Jul 7, 2016 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This talk continues to explore how Buddhist principles and practices can be beneficially applied during this contentious U. S. political season. There is a phenomenon called “negativity bias”, which predisposes a person to unconsciously be stimulated by potential dangers towards negativity in response to the circumstances. This applies to both Democrats and Republicans. Within both parties, negativity bias orients individuals and groups towards conservative positions, that is, becoming defensive/aggressive, with rigid thought processes. Liberal orientations promote more open-minded, adaptive and integrative dynamics, and these orientations can exist in both political parties, as well as those inclined towards registering as Independents or Libertarians.
This conversation will be continued with next week’s topic, provisionally entitled “How Mindfulness Cultivates Political Wisdom”. Here are the notes prepared for this discussion: MINDFULNESS AND POLITICAL JUDGMENT
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by Peter Carlson | Jun 30, 2016 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This seems to be a very conflicted year in our culture–economic and ecological upheaval, political divisiveness and hostility abound. This talk begins a series of explorations of how the Four Noble Truths are relevant to current circumstances. Peter proposed that as soon as tribalism developed in early human development, politics emerged, focused in two ways: between tribal groups and hierarchical structures within tribes. It seems that these more primitive functions still operate in contemporary society. Buddhist emphasis on training the mind to be presently aware of how environmental circumstances are represented in consciousness, combined with an emphasis on empathic attunement in the form of lovingkindness, represents an effective way to “turn poison into medicine”, that is, political turmoil into deeper, more adaptive wisdom.
Here is the document prepared for this talk: MINDFULNESS EVOLUTION AND POLITICS
Next week’s talk will continue to explore these topical areas, with emphasis on how neuroscience suggests certain traits are associated with political orientations and how mindfulness practices are beneficial in supporting more effective responses to political pressures.
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by Peter Carlson | Jun 24, 2021 | Listen to Dharma Talks
This guided meditation provides suggestions for practicing the contemplations put forward in the Second Foundation of Mindfulness. It is meant to accompany the Dharma talk of the same evening entitled ” Mindfulness Of Feelings Review”.
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by Peter Carlson | Feb 26, 2026 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Allie Vaknin provides a review of the second of the four foundations of mindfulness, vedanupassana, traditionally translated as mindfulness of feelings. Her comments include references to how feelings can be understood not only as emotions, but also as craving pleasant experiences orexperiencing unpleasant feelings with aversion. The goal of practice is to directly know a feeling as just a feeling, not a person, without impulsive reactivity.
Here is the Emotion Wheel illustration she refers to in the talk: Feeling Wheel
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