The Strangers to the World: attitudes on solitude and compassion in Orthodox and Buddhist monasteries
Timisoara Universitatea de Vest, Adrian Schiffbeck
New Europe College Yearbook July 15, 2024 DOI: 10.58367/necy.2024.2.3.67-94 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Nuns from an Eastern Orthodox convent in Romania and monks from a Buddhist monastery in Scotland |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Keywords | Solitude Compassion Gautama buddha Religious studies Psychoanalysis Theology Psychotherapist |
| Key findings | Nuns and monks from an Eastern Orthodox convent and a Buddhist monastery perceive solitude and compassion similarly, with these concepts being transposed into their daily lives. |
Abstract
In the last decades, research has focused increasingly upon differences and similarities between Buddhism and Christianity. The geographical distance and different views on tradition, culture, spirituality and philosophy are often understood as dissociative elements. However, there are various characteristics bringing them closer. We explore these similarities with a particular focus on monasticism. By means of a qualitative analysis, we look at an Eastern Orthodox convent in Romania and a Buddhist monastery in Scotland. The research is meant to reveal the manner in which nuns and monks perceive solitude and compassion, and how these concepts are transposed in their daily lives.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists Western Buddhist meditation practitioners and experts in Theravāda, Zen, and Tibetan... | 2017 | Qualitative study with mixed-methods | |
| A phenomenology of meditation-induced light experiences: traditional buddhist and neurobiological perspectives American Buddhist practitioners | 2014 | Qualitative study | |
| Common Core Thesis and Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Mysticism in Chinese Buddhist Monks and Nuns Chinese Pure Land and Chan Buddhist monks and nuns | 2011 | Mixed-methods study | n = 139 |
| Anger regulation in traumatized Cambodian refugees: the perspectives of Buddhist monks. Buddhist Cambodian monks in Massachusetts | 2011 | Qualitative study | n = 6 |
| The Lived Experiences of Experienced Vipassana Mahasi Meditators: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Experienced Vipassana Mahasi meditators | 2018 | Qualitative study |