Contemplation: Its Cultivation and Culmination Through the Buddhist Glasses.
Frontiers in Psychology 2021 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.800281 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism |
| Keywords | Bhūmi Bodhisattva Brahmavihāra Dhyāna citta Magga citta Samatha Vipassanā Śrāvaka |
| Citations | 17 |
| Key points | Argues that Buddhist meditation aims at a transformation of personality from self-centeredness to a compassionate, wisdom-based outlook, culminating in the Bodhisattva ideal. |
Abstract
Buddhist account of consciousness provides a new way of looking into contemplation, where absorption into meditation does not only bring in changes in the neural level but in the very personality of the individual, turning him into a good human being. The Buddhists recommend the practice of vipassanā, literally meaning insight but actually standing for the realization of the supreme enlightenment breaking off all the internal fetters through the practice of seven different types of purity, such as purity of morals, mind, views, and insight, etc. In early and later Buddhist literature, it has been categorically emphasized that one should not practice solitary mindfulness but should practice enriching the higher qualities of the mind such as compassion, friendliness, etc. The point is that the contemplated individual, the Bodhisattva, should possess the perfection of wisdom (prajñā-pāramitā) and be equipped with the skill of upāyas. The practice of these upāyas, however, will not create any new bondage for the contemplative mind. When the individual is able to attain this broad outlook, he will be said to achieve the highest contemplation - this is the ultimate objective of Buddhist meditation. Meditation is needed for this change of outlook - transition from "I" to "we". This is the only way to bring peace of mind and peace to the whole world.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental balance and well-being: Building bridges between Buddhism and Western psychology. | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist Modernism and the Rhetoric of Meditative Experience | 1995 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist and Psychological Perspectives on Emotions and Well-Being | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Too Early to Tell: The Potential Impact and Challenges—Ethical and Otherwise—Inherent in the Mainstreaming of Dharma in an Increasingly Dystopian World | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From self to nonself: The Nonself Theory | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- Expanding the scope of "trans-humanism": situating within the framework of life and death education - the importance of a "trans-mystical mindset". Frontiers in Psychology April 23, 2024
- Mindful Apocalypse: Contemplative Anthropology Investigating Experiences of World-Loss in Deep Meditation Religions July 21, 2023
- Language and Consciousness in Early Buddhist Thought: On the Early Reflections on the Theme of Language and the Perception of Reality in the Pāli Canon Philosophies April 25, 2025
- Using life and death education to guide the teaching and research of mindfulness. Frontiers in Public Health June 16, 2025
- Multidimensional Analysis of Twin Sets During an Intensive Week-Long Meditation Retreat: A Pilot Study. Mindfulness 2025
and 4 more in the library