How Does Buddhist Contemplative Space Facilitate the Practice of Mindfulness?
An-ning Chen, Nicole Porter, Yue-Zhong Tang
Religions May 13, 2022 DOI: 10.3390/rel13050437 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Mixed methods case study Qualitative Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Mindfulness practitioners at Kagyu Samye Dzong London, UK |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Key findings | Quiet, solitude, and nature facilitate mindful practice, but intangible qualities like The Three Jewels and blessings are equally or more important for sustaining mindfulness. |
Abstract
This paper examines the spaces where Buddhist spiritual activity—specifically mindfulness practice—takes place, exploring how contemporary urban Buddhist contemplative places may benefit people’s mindful experience. Historical Buddhist contemplative places are examined through a literature review of Buddhist philosophy and Buddhist architecture and landscape. A case study of Kagyu Samye Dzong London, UK (KSDL) in the contemporary western context is then presented, drawing upon mixed methods (qualitative spatial analysis, questionnaires with mindfulness practitioners, and an in-depth interview with the director of the Buddhist center). This study investigates the relationship between the Buddhist spiritual activity of mindfulness practice and one specific physical space, exploring how the KSDL has been designed and is used to facilitate such mindfulness awareness and insight. Results suggest that quiet, solitude, and the presence of nature are three tangible spatial qualities that can facilitate mindful practice to some extent. However, additional relational or intangible qualities, namely the presence of The Three Jewels and blessings, are equally if not more important when sustaining mindfulness for Buddhist practitioners, and these contemplative qualities are more than “spatial”. Both the physical tangible qualities and intangible qualities are indispensable in the contemplative space and in influencing one’s practice. Findings evidence the importance of physical design and space for supporting contemporary mindfulness practitioners, whilst acknowledging that mindfulness emanates from—and can ultimately be discovered from—within.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Integrating Time-Limited Dynamic Psychotherapy and a Buddhism-Inspired Aversion/Attachment Model of Client Suffering: The Cases of "Beth" and "Amy" Two psychotherapy clients, "Beth" and "Amy" | 2016 | Case study | n = 2 |
| The DSC Triangle Model of Buddhist Palliative Care: Doctrine, Spiritual Pillar, and Community at Wat Kham Pramong Five care-team informants and five terminal cancer patients at Wat Kham Pramong, Sakon... | 2026 | Qualitative case study | n = 10 |
| Model Implementasi Spiritual Mindfulness untuk Penguatan Mental Health Remaja di Sekolah Islam Adolescents in two Islamic high schools in Gresik, Indonesia | 2026 | Qualitative multiple case study | |
| “Science” in Huayan Buddhism: The Apologetic Discourse of Zhong Maosen (b. 1973) | 2026 | Case study | |
| IMPACTS OF MINDFULNESS ON CONCENTRATION: A SELF-REPORT OF A 20-DAY PRACTICE OF MEDITATIVE WALKING A single practitioner | 2025 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- The role of the physical environment in formal and informal mindfulness: the sensory retreat experience The Senses and Society September 2, 2025
- Against the current: Sole authorship as method in contemplative and conceptual scholarship. Accountability in research August 10, 2026
- Designing for Mindfulness and Global Public Health: Where Inner Awareness Meets the External Environment Mindfulness March 1, 2025
- Exploring the Facilitating Environment for Mindfulness Meditation: Establishing a Framework through Analysis of Means and Exploratory Factor Analysis Mindfulness October 1, 2024
Cites 12
- An Exploration of Formal and Informal Mindfulness Practice and Associations with Wellbeing Mindfulness May 21, 2018
- Mindful Aging: The Effects of Regular Brief Mindfulness Practice on Electrophysiological Markers of Cognitive and Affective Processing in Older Adults Mindfulness December 27, 2015
- Zen meditation, Length of Telomeres, and the Role of Experiential Avoidance and Compassion Mindfulness February 22, 2016
- Coping With COVID-19: Mindfulness-Based Approaches for Mitigating Mental Health Crisis. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2021
- The benefits of meditation and mindfulness practices during times of crisis such as COVID-19 Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine May 14, 2020
and 7 more in the library