The Oxford Handbook of Meditation
December 15, 2020
Harold D. Roth
Daoism, China's indigenous religious tradition, is built on a cosmology of the Way (Dao) derived from ancient meditative practices emphasizing focused attention and mental tranquility achieved by systematically emptying consciousness of its normal contents. Key texts like the Laozi and Zhuangzi, supplemented by newly excavated works, describe an 'inner cultivation' practice that develops concentration to empty the mind of thoughts, desires, emotions, and perceptions. This leads to self-transcending experiences of complete union with the non-dual Way, followed by a transformed cognition enabling spontaneous, harmonious action. These methods formed a contemplative stream within Daoism, with continuities detailed by Louis Komjathy.
The Oxford Handbook of Meditation
October 8, 2020
Masoumeh Rahmani
S. N. Goenka's Vipassana movement, though rooted in Theravada Buddhism, presents itself as non-religious through ten-day silent retreats. Based on qualitative research, the chapter identifies rhetorical strategies Goenka uses to distance the movement from religion, which shape distinct patterns of conversion and disengagement. It introduces "tacit conversion," where deeper involvement and adoption of the movement's language make conversion invisible to the member. The chapter also examines various pathways for disengaging from the movement.
The Oxford Handbook of Meditation
August 6, 2020
Doug Oman
Modern meditation research has progressed over the past fifty years through partly overlapping periods. Initially emphasizing physiological measurement and secular adaptations, the field expanded to link meditation to numerous health and well-being outcomes, with a focus on mindfulness as a unique psychosocial goal. Advances in empirical measurement, including physiological and questionnaire-based tools, accompanied growing public, corporate, and governmental interest. Concerns arose about the abandonment of ethical foundations and cultural context, leading to initial moves toward greater inclusiveness and integration of diverse methods and traditional perspectives. The chapter traces the evolving interplay between dominant conceptions of meditative practices under scientific study and critiques of those conceptions, research questions, study designs, measurement instruments, and public reception.
The Oxford Handbook of Meditation
November 6, 2019
Louis Komjathy
Meditation has been central to the Daoist tradition from the Later Han dynasty to the present. This chapter surveys five major forms: apophatic meditation, ingestion, visualization, inner observation, and internal alchemy. Ingestion and visualization were systematized in the early medieval period; inner observation, a Daoist adaptation of Buddhist insight meditation, became central during the Tang dynasty; internal alchemy developed in the late Tang and early Song. After that, apophatic meditation and internal alchemy became the two dominant forms. The chapter provides socio-historical background, technical specifics of each type, key texts, and informing views.
The Oxford Handbook of Meditation
August 12, 2019
Douglas E. Christie
Christian contemplative and meditative practices have grown and developed in the contemporary period through the retrieval of ancient traditions by figures like Thomas Merton, John Main, and Thomas Keating. The practice continues to thrive among new movements such as new monasticism, with emerging writers like Martin Laird, Richard Rohr, and Cynthia Bourgeault deepening its understanding. Latin American, African American, and feminist writers, including Gustavo Gutiérrez, Maria Clara Bingemer, and Howard Thurman, highlight the role of Christian contemplative practice in addressing social injustice.