“Who is Buddha? I am Buddha.”—The motivations and experiences of Chinese young adults attending a Zen meditation camp in Taiwan
Yang-seop Song, Libo Yan
August 7, 2020 DOI: 10.1080/15470148.2020.1814471 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Population | Chinese young adults without a religious belief participating in a Zen meditation camp in Taiwan |
| Intervention | Zen meditation camp |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Key findings | Nonreligious Chinese young adults participate in a Zen meditation camp due to self-motivation, family pressure, or friendship, and they experience feelings, enlightenment or transformation, and sensory awareness. |
Abstract
Abstract Religious tourism is not limited to believers, and those without a religious belief could also be interested in religious sites and participate in various forms of religious activities and events. Previous studies have explored the motivations and experiences of religious and nonreligious tourists. However, the spirituality-seeking of nonreligious people participating in religious tourism events remains under-investigated. This study employed a Zen meditation camp in Taiwan as a case of a religious tourism event, and examined why Chinese young adults without a religious belief participate in the meditation camp and what experiences they obtain from participation in such an event. Analyses of data collected from formal interviews revealed three types of motivations: self-motivated, pushed by family members, and to be with friends. This study also found three types of inner experience of the mediation camp participants: feelings, enlightenment or transformation, and sensory awareness. Theoretical and practical implications and future research directions are also discussed.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- ‘I had more time to listen to my inner voice’: Zen meditation tourism for Generation Z Tourist Studies August 4, 2023
- On the Practical Philosophy of the Nuns’ Buddhist Academy at Mount Wutai Through “One-Week Intensive Buddha Retreats” Religions October 3, 2025
- Ritual Resilience through Full-Moon Meditation: Reclaiming the Sacred Value of Sojiwan Temple in a Commodified Heritage Landscape. Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science March 7, 2026