Whenever the practitioner has a pleasant feeling, she is aware, ‘I am experiencing a pleasant feeling.’ The practitioner practices like this for all the feelings, whether they are pleasant, painful, or neutral, observing when they belong to the body and when they belong to the mind.
This is how the practitioner remains established in the observation of the feelings in the feelings, observation of the feelings from within or from without, or observation of the feelings both from within and from without. She remains established in the observation of the process of coming-to-be in the feelings or the process of dissolution in the feelings or both in the process of coming-to-be and the process of dissolution. Or she is mindful of the fact, ‘There is feeling here,’ until understanding and full awareness come about. She remains established in the observation, free, not caught in any worldly consideration. –Thich Nhat Hanh, Transformation and Healing: Sutra on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness (tricycle.org)
Getting Support at Maitripa College
Accessibility and Accommodations at Maitripa College
- Accessibility and Accommodations — Maitripa College Policy (Under Student Rights, Privacy, and Access)
- You don’t need to share a diagnosis to begin.
- To start, contact your advisor or studentservices@maitripa.org
- Approved accommodations are issued as a letter for instructors and renewed each academic year.
Neurodiversity 101, Carly Priest, Neurodiversity Alliance
Director Carly Priest introduces the Neurodiversity Alliance and core concepts of neurodiversity and neurodivergence. Covers common identities including dyslexia, dysgraphia, autism, and ADHD, plus supporting college students through disclosure, universal design, sensory access, executive functioning, and clear communication.
Neurodivergence and Buddhist Practice
Books and Articles
- Clare, Sylvia. 2025. “Building a Sangha for Neurodivergent-Friendly Practice.” The Mindfulness Bell, Issue 96. Parallax Press. (Read Online)
- Jarrell, Chris. 2024. “Autism and the ‘Satipatthana Sutta:’ A neurodivergent writer finds solace and equanimity through the writings and translations of the late Thich Nhat Hanh.” Tricycle. (Read Online)
- Jarrell, Chris, ed. 2023. Autism and Buddhist Practice: How Buddhism Can Help Autistic Adults Cultivate Wellbeing. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. WorldCat (Book Review)
- Scherer, Bee. 2016. “Buddhism and Disability: Toward a Socially Engaged Buddhist ‘Theology’ of Bodily Inclusiveness.” Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Universities 9, no. 1: 26–35. (Read Online)
- Woodford, Louise, et al. 2023. “On the Spectrum, On the Path.” Lion’s Roar, September. (Read Online)
Communities
- Smiling Sitters — plumvillage.uk
Plum Village UK (Zen, socially engaged Buddhism)
Monthly online sits, first of each month.
Specializing in PTSD, ADHD, and Neurodiversity-related conditions. - Sibling Yonten Phuntsok. UK Representative for Disability and Neurodiversity — plumvillage.app
Plum Village UK (Zen, socially engaged Buddhism) - Neurodivergent Sangha — neurodivergentsangha.org
Plum Village tradition (Zen, socially engaged Buddhism)
Online sangha for neurodivergent practitioners.
- Every Body Every Mind Sangha — eastbaymeditation.org
East Bay Meditation Center (Buddhist-based meditation and discussion group)
Open to anyone living with disabilities, limitations, differences, and chronic illness. Meets online; see the calendar on the homepage. - Treeleaf Neuro-Diverse Practice Group — treeleaf.org
Soto Zen discussion group for neurodivergent members. - Bhumisparsha Now — bhumisparsha.org
Community associated with teacher Lama Rod Owens.
Talks
Teaching and Learning
Teaching Toolkits
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- NESTL Toolkit. University of Oxford, 2024–2025 project — education.ox.ac.uk
Teaching resources for neurodivergent students. - Supporting Neurodiverse Students Through Course Design — delta.ncsu.edu
North Carolina State University, DELTA
Course design guidance for neurodivergent students. - Supporting Neurodivergent Student Success — searle.northwestern.edu
Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching, Northwestern University
Nine strengths-based learning and teaching strategies to support neurodivergent student success. - Understanding Neurodiversity in Higher Education — neurodiversityinhighered.ie
Maynooth University
Self-paced modules on autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia, for staff and students. Designed with neurodivergent students and reviewed by a student advisory group at each stage. - Warwick Neurodiversity Toolkit. University of Warwick — warwick.ac.uk
Teaching resources on neurodiversity.
- NESTL Toolkit. University of Oxford, 2024–2025 project — education.ox.ac.uk
Online Learning
- Le Febre, Elizabeth. 2026. Improving Access for Neurodivergent Learners in Online Courses. University of Michigan, 2025. (Read Online)
Online Teaching Interview: Neurodiversity and Online Learning
Sandy Zalmout & Dr. Matt Harrison
University of Michigan Online Teaching Interview (published October 9, 2026) with Sandy Zalmout, University of Michigan Neurodiversity Project lead, and Dr. Matt Harrison, co-founder of the Higher Education Neurodiversity Network, on neurodiversity in higher education and inclusive online learning.
Research
- Le Cunff, Anne-Laure, Vincent Giampietro, and Eleanor Dommett. 2024. “Neurodiversity and Cognitive Load in Online Learning: A Focus Group Study.” PLOS ONE 19, no. 4. Read Online
Compares the experiences of neurotypical and neurodivergent university students with online learning. - Reza, Fawzia. 2022. Diversity and Inclusion in Educational Institutions. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. JABL
Related Research: Meditation, Attention, and Alertness
These studies examine meditators in general rather than neurodivergent people.
- Amihai, Ido, and Maria Kozhevnikov. 2014. “Arousal vs. Relaxation: A Comparison of the Neurophysiological and Cognitive Correlates of Vajrayana and Theravada Meditative Practices.” PLOS ONE 9 (7). (Read Online)
Compares the physiological and cognitive effects of Vajrayana and Theravada meditation. - Chaudhary, Inder S., Gary Chon-Wen Shyi, and Shih-Tseng Tina Huang. “A Systematic Review and Activation Likelihood Estimation Meta-Analysis of fMRI Studies on Arousing or Wake-Promoting Effects in Buddhist Meditation.” Frontiers in Psychology, October 2023. (Read Online)
A meta-analysis of brain-imaging studies of alertness in Buddhist meditation, including one study of Tibetan practice. - Kozhevnikov, Maria. 2019. “Enhancing Human Cognition Through Vajrayana Practices.” Journal of Religion and Health 58 (3). (Read Online)
A review of the evidence on Vajrayana practice, arousal, and attention. The author argues these findings support traditional descriptions of these practices.
