Meditation in Contemporary Monastic Life
Caroline Starkey
The Oxford Handbook of Meditation August 12, 2019 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198808640.013.32 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Women who have taken Buddhist ordination within six different Buddhist groups and lineages in the British Isles |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Meditation among Buddhist monastic women in Britain serves a communal role, challenging assumptions about its individualistic nature in the contemporary West. |
Abstract
Abstract This chapter examines the multiple roles that meditation plays in the lives of contemporary Buddhist monastics. Specifically, and drawing on rich ethnographic data, it focuses on the experiences of women who have taken Buddhist ordination within six different Buddhist groups and lineages in the British Isles. This chapter provides a brief history of the lived experience of meditation among emerging and established Buddhist monastic groups in Britain and an analysis of the role, function, and value of meditation practices, particularly among women. It makes comparisons between women of different Buddhist traditions in their approach to meditation and considers the implications of this for understanding the function of meditation in the Buddhist monastic tradition. Underpinning this approach is a challenge to assumptions about the individualistic nature of meditation in the contemporary West, emphasizing its communal role among monastic women in Britain.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.