Dimensions of the ‘Body’ in Tranquility Meditation

Bhikkhu Anālayo

doi:10.1007/s12671-021-01659-9

Dimensions of the ‘Body’ in Tranquility Meditation

Bhikkhu Anālayo

Mindfulness October 1, 2021 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-021-01659-9 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract

Characteristics	Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed
Topics	Meditation
Key points	Argues that the early Buddhist term kāya denotes a continuum of somatic experiences ranging from gross materiality to subtle embodiments, including immaterial experiences.

Abstract

AbstractA perusal of selected forms of early Buddhist tranquility meditation brings to light the complexity of the roles assumed by the Indic term kāya, usually translated as “body,” which corresponds to the domain of the first establishment of mindfulness. The present exploration of such complexity, which proceeds in critical dialogue with positions taken by Eviatar Shulman, covers the significance of the supernormal feat of conjuring up a mind-made body, the mindful contemplation of the somatic dimensions of absorption attainment, and the transition from these to the immaterial spheres. The patterns of early Buddhist thought that emerge in this way make it preferable to understand the compass of the term kāya to cover a continuum of somatic experiences that can range from gross materiality to more subtle types of embodiments. Even immaterial experiences, based on the complete transcendence of materiality, can still be conceptualized with the help of the term kāya in a phrase that serves to convey direct and personal experience.

Comparable studies

Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.

Study	Year	Design
Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition.	2004	Theoretical or philosophical paper
Mechanisms of mindfulness	2005	Theoretical or philosophical paper
How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective	2011	Theoretical or philosophical paper
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression	2006	Theoretical or philosophical paper
Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness	2012	Theoretical or philosophical paper

Citations in the library

Cited by 4

Cites 1

Somatics of Early Buddhist Mindfulness and How to Face Anxiety Mindfulness June 1, 2020