Asian Traditions of Meditation
October 31, 2016
Sarah Shaw
1 citation
In early Pāli Buddhist literature, meditation objects are not fixed but varied, reflecting a tradition that emphasizes a graduated path tailored to individual needs. Objects that induce calm and meditative states (jhāna) are typically recommended before those producing insight, though some objects can foster both. The Dhammapada narratives illustrate a flexible pedagogy that uses internal and external experiences, chance events, and skilled teacher interventions to guide practitioners. The key is how objects are given and used, prioritizing individual need over rigid structure.
The Oxford Handbook of Meditation
November 10, 2020
Sarah Shaw
In Southern (Pali) Buddhism, also called Theravada, the term "meditation" translates to bhāvanā, which encompasses chanting, devotions, offerings, and recollections, not just sitting practice. These activities support both samatha (calm) and vipassanā (insight) meditation. The chapter examines how sitting practice elements from calm and insight schools work together with these supports, and explores the complex relationship between the two modes. It emphasizes the tradition's focus on guided meditation and discusses adaptations as these practices have spread globally beyond their traditional homes in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar.
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion
August 31, 2021
Sarah Shaw
Meditation, historically central to many Buddhist traditions and once reserved for monastics, has become mainstream in both religious and secular contexts, including clinical and mindfulness-based therapies. The term "meditation" covers a range of activities beyond seated practice, such as walking, eating, devotional practices, offerings, prostrations, listening to teaching, debate, and chanting. In Buddhism, these are considered interdependent and mutually supportive, often selected and taught according to individual temperament and stage of practice. Buddhist traditions have adapted creatively to local customs, resulting in great diversity in meditative practice.
The Selfless Ego
June 4, 2019
Sarah Shaw
The paper examines why auto/biographical writing is rare in Southern Buddhism, citing monastic rules, customs against disclosing mental attainments, and the absence of formal lineage transmissions. It then explores a new tradition of life writing emerging from the Forest Tradition of Northeast Thailand, where Anglophone compositions and translations reveal literary qualities that embody the tradition's meditative style. As the movement gained global recognition, media for life stories diversified, including digital formats. Despite differences in location, authorial style, and media, these auto/biographical works share features that define and embody the Forest Tradition monastic ethos for an Anglophone audience.