The Centrality of Mindfulness-Related Meditations in Early Buddhist Discourse
Mindfulness August 1, 2020 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-020-01381-y (opens in new tab)
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Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Pāli discourses in the first five chapters of the Majjhima-nikāya and their parallels |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Key findings | References to mindfulness-related meditations are ubiquitous in early Buddhist discourses, and such practices were not confined to monastics but included lay practitioners, with meditation situated within a wider doctrinal and cosmological context. |
Abstract
AbstractThis article surveys references to mindfulness-related meditations found in Pāli discourses in the first five chapters of the Majjhima-nikāya and their parallels, showing the ubiquity of a concern with contemplative practices in early Buddhist thought. Such concerns were, according to these texts, not confined to monastics, but also included lay practitioners. Overall, the impression emerges that meditation as a key element of early Buddhist thought stands within a wider doctrinal and even cosmological context.
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