Mindfulness and Buddhism: Contributions of Buddhist philosophical and religious teachings to the fields of psychology and education (original) (raw)
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An analytical study on mindfulness in buddhist psychology
Buddhist psychology focuses primarily on analysing and understanding one's nature, and many of the positive effects of Buddhist psychology-based meditation practice have been pointed out by key Researchers. Our mind and its awareness of self can be hypothesized as a conscious mindfulness-of own reflection as well as and traits developed by synchronously assimilating and confounding the crux of the Psychological perspective of Buddhism into one' own self-system-mechanism. This paper will highlight that the mindfulness in Psychology may also be an applicable concept for describing and predicting the higher level of self-development of those who grow up in the culture of Buddhism or regularly engage in meditation over a vast span of the time since.
This article offers a comparative analysis on mindfulness from mindfulness-based therapies in the contemporary literature and from Buddhist meditation practices in the Pāli Canon. This includes a review of the presiding definitions of mindfulness, recent scientific findings in the literature and the current theories on the underlying mechanisms of mindfulness. The meditation practices from the Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme are compared to the origins of mindfulness of breathing meditations from the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (MN 10). Further, recent research into the cultivation of skilful states of mind including compassion, self-compassion, loving-kindness, equanimity and sympathetic joy are reviewed and compared to an anthology of texts from the Pāli Canon. Ethical issues emerging from the convergence of science and Buddhist philosophy are also discussed for further consideration.
Mindfulness: A Dialogue between Buddhism and Clinical Psychology
Mindfulness, 2010
Evidence for the effectiveness of mindfulness as a clinical intervention is quickly growing. Much of our current understanding and application of mindfulness within clinical psychology has arisen from dialogue with Buddhist traditions, with the notable exception of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. We wrote this article with two purposes: (1) to provide a concise review of mindfulness within the Buddhist traditions for interested clinicians and researchers and (2) to explore whether further dialogue between Buddhism and clinical psychology could enhance mindfulness as it is used within clinical psychology. We concluded that mindfulness, as it is understood and applied in Buddhism, is a richer concept than thus far understood and applied in psychology. In addition, within Buddhism the development of mindfulness must be understood in tandem with the development of wisdom, compassion, and ethics. We suggest an operational definition of mindfulness within Buddhism. We also explore implications for clinical psychology and possible future directions for mindfulness research and practice.
Ditrich 2017 The Conceptualisation and Practice of Mindfulness: Buddhist and Secular Perspectives
“Mindfulness and Education: Research and Practice, edited by Tamara Ditrich, Royce Wiles, and William Lovegrove. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing., 2017
Mindfulness, as a component of Buddhist meditation practice, was recontextualised and popularised in the twentieth century and eventually, through the process of secularisation, entered a range of new settings, especially in therapeutic contexts. This chapter aims to discuss the conceptualisation and practice of mindfulness from two different perspectives, i.e., Buddhist and secular. Firstly, it situates mindfulness within Buddhist discourse, outlines its definition, main roles and functions, and proposes some of the main indicators that point to the establishment, progress and efficacy of mindfulness. The chapter then outlines the process of the transplantation of mindfulness from the Buddhist context (specifically the Theravada) into Western paradigms, identifying some of the historical conditions that facilitated this transition. Some implications of the secular definitions and interpretations of mindfulness are outlined, and the main issues arising from the processes of cultural translation from ancient Asia into the global societies of the twenty-first century discussed. In the last section, the rapidly expanding modern research on mindfulness is commented upon, especially in terms of education, exploring how the different definitions and aims of mindfulness practice affect research models, methods and evaluations within the current scientific discourse.
On the Contemporary Applications of Mindfulness: Some Implications for Education
Journal of Philosophy of Education, 49(2), 170-186, 2015
Interest in the Buddhist concept of mindfulness has burgeoned over the last few decades as a result of its application as a therapeutic strategy in mind-body medicine, psychotherapy, psychiatry, education, leadership and management, and wide range of other theoretical and practical domains. Although many commentators welcome this extension of the range and application of mindfulness – drawing parallels between ancient contemplative traditions and modern secular interpretations – there has been very little analysis of either the philosophical underpinnings of this phenomenon or of its implications for education. This paper examines the new interpretations of mindfulness in the following areas – meaning and definition, ethical foundations and spiritual ethos – in an attempt to gain a clearer understanding of what is involved in the process of reconstructing the concept of mindfulness. In conclusion, some implications for learning and education are examined in the light of these recent re-interpretations of mindfulness principles and practices. A central thesis throughout is that – although there are many educational benefits of mindfulness in the areas of moral, affective and spiritual education – such potential gains require the maintenance of organic connections between contemporary practices and their foundations in secular Buddhism.
Mindfulness, the Buddha, and Naturalism Introduction: Buddhism, Mindfulness, and Science
Under review, 2020
The success of the Buddhist-inspired concept of mindfulness and of interventions based on it, both in psychological practice and in basic research, suggests that parts of the Buddha's teaching should be compatible with the results of contemporary science. Nevertheless, there has been considerable controversy regarding both the relationship between the Dhamma and supernaturalism, and between mindfulness, Buddhism, and science. In this context, the present paper first argues against claims that the supernatural is inextricably interwoven with the Buddha's teaching. It then considers two recent attempts to understand the dharma in a contemporary framework: a brief discussion of Johannes Bronkhorst's reading of the Buddha's teaching in psychoanalytical terms is offered, and a more extended discussion of Stephen Batchelor's `Secular Buddhism.´ Concerning the latter, it is argued that, despite a number of strong points, Batchelor's use of canonical texts is incoherent, and that he makes implicit psychological claims that are reflective of a number of cognitive biases including negativity bias and cognitive dissonance, a discussion which appears also relevant to the wider mindfulness community. The paper then takes a first step towards developing an alternative naturalistic approach by showing that the Ariyapariyesanā Sutta (which has been argued to be the oldest account of the Buddha's enlightenment) both can coherently be read without supernatural occurrences, and presents a dharma free from negativity bias. Finally, the paper sketches how this reading might relate to positive psychology and contemporary psychotherapy.
Mindfulness Revisited: A Buddhist-Based Conceptualization
Recent scholarship on mindfulness has narrowly focused on attention enhancement, present-moment awareness, and its stress reduction effects. Moreover, current operational definitions of mindfulness in the literature differ considerably from those derived from classic Buddhist canonical sources. This article revisits the meaning, function, and purpose of Buddhist mindfulness by proposing a triadic model of "right mindfulness." A Buddhist-based conceptualization of right mindfulness provides both a theoretical and ethical corrective to the decontextualized individual-level construct of mindfulness that has informed the organizational theory and practitioner literature. We argue that a denatured mindfulness divorced from its soteriological context reduces it to a self-help technique that is easily misappropriated for reproducing corporate and institutional power, employee pacification, and maintenance of toxic organizational cultures.