Consistency in meditation practice depends more on social networks than on individual motivation. A qualitative case study of six active practitioners used interviews, participant observation over 12 sessions, and community documentation, analyzed with thematic analysis and triangulation. Three key mechanisms supporting consistency were identified: structural accountability through scheduled practice and social expectations, shared narratives that strengthen the meaning of practice, and positive emotional contagion that enhances attachment and engagement. These findings align with the Buddhist concept of Kalyāṇamitta (spiritual friendship) from the Upaddha Sutta, suggesting that community-based models can support meditation training in spiritual education.
A systematic literature review of mindfulness in education from elementary to higher education suggests that mindfulness reduces academic anxiety and stress while improving concentration, cognitive performance, motivation, and engagement. It also strengthens self-regulation, emotional regulation, resilience, and psychological well-being. Integrating mindfulness into learning and character education supports ethical values, empathy, discipline, and responsibility. The authors position mindfulness as a psychological and pedagogical approach for holistic learning and recommend contextual integration with attention to cultural aspects and sustainability.
Loss and separation from loved ones are unavoidable human experiences, and Buddhism identifies them as a form of suffering (piyehi vippayogo dukkho). The Buddha taught that the path to ending this suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path, also called the Middle Way, which avoids self-mortification and sensual indulgence. This path—comprising right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration—can serve as therapy for coping with loss. It helps reduce the risk of self-indulgence and self-destructive behavior caused by emotional turmoil, offering a way to adopt a proper attitude and manage negative emotions.