Mindfulness and Modern Mindfulness: Considering Buddhist Communities and Personal Salvation from Depression
Brian D. Somers
Religions May 27, 2022 DOI: 10.3390/rel13050406 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Mindfulness 念 Mindfulness-based programs Individualism Interdependent origination 緣起 Isolation Mindfulness-meditation mindfulness Contemplation Awareness practice Mental-health depression Psychological wellbeing Emotional health Buddhist-philosophy interdependent origination |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key points | Argues that mindfulness-based programs' individualistic perspective may isolate practitioners, contradicting the communal emphasis of Buddhist practice and potentially hindering treatment for depression. |
Abstract
This thesis aims to consider some of the differences between mindfulness as a Buddhist practice and mindfulness-based programs. The primary difference considered is the individualistic perspectives taken by mindfulness-based programs. If modern mindfulness-based techniques are meant as a treatment for depression, and depression is in part caused by isolation then these programs must also consider mindfulness as a project, which does not accentuate the self as distinct from others. Personal salvation from deficits of the mind is a regular theme of modern mindfulness. This initial goal-oriented, self-interested perspective is potentially threatening to a depressed person who secludes her- or himself in a private world of the “fix it” self-project. With interdependent origination (緣起) as a tenet and the sangha (僧) as one of the three jewels (三寶), Buddhism emphasizes community where salvation is defined as the liberation of all beings from suffering. Therefore, this thesis suggests that mindfulness practices initiated from a self-help perspective are troubled to the extent that they isolate the practitioner. Therefore, a Buddhist interpretation of modern mindfulness, especially regarding individualism and isolation as a cause of depression, is desirable.
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
Cites 4
- Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse JAMA Psychiatry April 28, 2016
- What does mindfulness really mean? A canonical perspective Contemporary Buddhism May 1, 2011
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy: culture clash or creative fusion? Contemporary Buddhism May 1, 2011
- Emotional processing, three modes of mind and the prevention of relapse in depression. Behaviour Research and Therapy July 1, 1999