by Peter Carlson | Jun 4, 2026 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Peter provides an overview of the four Brahma Viharas, with focus on how lovingkindness mantra repetition can be integrated with mindfulness of breathing meditation, adding additional attention to the middle of the chest as part of the practice. He describes how the vagus nerve connects the brain with various organs in the body, including the heart, linking what happens emotionally with the selfing story. He also describes how contemporary integrative research regarding the interactions between mindfulness and lovingkindness is beneficial for well-being.
Here are the notes accompanying the talk: Reviewing The Brahma Viharas
This talk can be associated with a guided meditation that preceded the presentation entitled “Guided Wisdom of Lovingkindness Meditation”, found in the audio archive.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:24 — 50.7MB)
by Peter Carlson | Jun 4, 2026 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this contemplation, Peter makes meditation practice suggestions that are intended to integrate the two components of the Wisdom Aggregate of the Noble Eightfold Path, Right Understanding and Right Intention. Right Understanding uses mindfulness of breathing meditation to investigate what the mind creates and Right Intention focuses through the lens of lovingkindness to support the cultivation of Wisdom. This meditation is intended to support the topic reviewed during the Dharma talk that occurred after the meditation: “Lovingkindness and Wisdom”.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:56 — 41.1MB)
by Peter Carlson | Dec 7, 2017 | Listen to Dharma Talks
During this talk, Peter described lovingkindness as an expression of the Wisdom aggregate of the Noble Eightfold Path, that is, Right Intention (which he renames Benevolent Intention). The four Divine Abidings were described: lovingkindness, compassion, empathetic joy/generosity and equanimity. The first three focus on overcoming greed and hatred, and the fourth, equanimity, aligns with insight practice (vipassana) to investigate and bring balance to the first three. Peter also read a translation of the Metta Sutta, then placed emphasis on current psychological research the indicates that the degree of kindness that a mother manifests towards her child brings great benefit to the development of a healthy personality structure. This was accompanied by an explanation of the psychological and neurological impact of sincere silent repetition of a metta mantra.
At the end of his explanations, he read an excerpt from an editorial article by the Dalai Lama published in the New York Times recently advocating the benefits of compassionate action in the midst of current cultural and environmental turmoil. This was followed by general discussion among those attending on the benefits of lovingkindness practice.
Here are the notes prepared for this talk, including the Metta Sutta, the metta mantra, and the NYT excerpt by the Dalai Lama.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00:42 — 111.2MB)
