Abstract
Original language | English |
---|---|
Article number | ISSN 2342-7256 |
Journal | Temenos : studies in comparative religion presented by scholars in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden |
Volume | 52 |
Issue number | 1 |
Pages (from-to) | 87-126 |
Number of pages | 40 |
ISSN | 0497-1817 |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2016 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Fields of Science
- 6160 Other humanities
- Study of Religion
- Buddhist Studies
- Mindfulness
- Meditation
Cite this
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On the Buddhist roots of contemporary non-religious mindfulness practice : moving beyond sectarian and essentialist approaches. / Husgafvel, Ville.
In: Temenos : studies in comparative religion presented by scholars in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, Vol. 52, No. 1, ISSN 2342-7256, 01.06.2016, p. 87-126.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - On the Buddhist roots of contemporary non-religious mindfulness practice
T2 - moving beyond sectarian and essentialist approaches
AU - Husgafvel, Ville
PY - 2016/6/1
Y1 - 2016/6/1
N2 - Mindfulness-based practice methods are entering the Western cultural mainstream as institutionalised approaches in healthcare, education, and other public spheres. The Buddhist roots of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and comparable mindfulness-based programmes are widely acknowledged, together with the view of their religious and ideological neutrality. However, the cultural and historical roots of these contemporary approaches have received relatively little attention in the study of religion, and the discussion has been centred on Theravāda Buddhist viewpoints or essentialist presentations of ‘classical Buddhism’. In the light of historical and textual analysis it seems unfounded to hold Theravāda tradition as the original context or as some authoritative expression of Buddhist mindfulness, and there are no grounds for holding it as the exclusive Buddhist source of the MBSR programme either. Rather, one-sided Theravāda-based presentations give a limited and oversimplified picture of Buddhist doctrine and practice, and also distort comparisons with contemporary non-religious forms of mindfulness practice. To move beyond the sectarian and essentialist approaches closely related to the ‘world religions paradigm’ in the study of religion, the discussion would benefit from a lineage-based approach, where possible historical continuities and phenomenological similarities between Buddhist mindfulness and contemporary non-religious approaches are examined at the level of particular relevant Buddhist teachers and their lineages of doctrine and practice.
AB - Mindfulness-based practice methods are entering the Western cultural mainstream as institutionalised approaches in healthcare, education, and other public spheres. The Buddhist roots of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and comparable mindfulness-based programmes are widely acknowledged, together with the view of their religious and ideological neutrality. However, the cultural and historical roots of these contemporary approaches have received relatively little attention in the study of religion, and the discussion has been centred on Theravāda Buddhist viewpoints or essentialist presentations of ‘classical Buddhism’. In the light of historical and textual analysis it seems unfounded to hold Theravāda tradition as the original context or as some authoritative expression of Buddhist mindfulness, and there are no grounds for holding it as the exclusive Buddhist source of the MBSR programme either. Rather, one-sided Theravāda-based presentations give a limited and oversimplified picture of Buddhist doctrine and practice, and also distort comparisons with contemporary non-religious forms of mindfulness practice. To move beyond the sectarian and essentialist approaches closely related to the ‘world religions paradigm’ in the study of religion, the discussion would benefit from a lineage-based approach, where possible historical continuities and phenomenological similarities between Buddhist mindfulness and contemporary non-religious approaches are examined at the level of particular relevant Buddhist teachers and their lineages of doctrine and practice.
KW - 6160 Other humanities
KW - Uskontotiede
KW - buddhalaisuus
KW - mindfulness-harjoitus
KW - meditaatio
KW - Study of Religion
KW - Buddhist Studies
KW - Mindfulness
KW - Meditation
M3 - Article
VL - 52
SP - 87
EP - 126
JO - Temenos : Nordic journal of comparative religion
JF - Temenos : Nordic journal of comparative religion
SN - 2342-7256
IS - 1
M1 - ISSN 2342-7256
ER -