Buddhist Meditation and Generosity to Chinese Buddhists during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Ampere A. Tseng (曾安培)
Review of Religion and Chinese Society October 24, 2022 DOI: 10.1163/22143955-12340006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Chinese Buddhists in mainland China, Taiwan, the United States, and other countries |
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Key findings | Argues that meditation and generosity helped Chinese Buddhists maintain well-being and community resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
Abstract
This article studies the practices of meditation and generosity among Chinese Buddhists in 2020 during the COVID-19 outbreak to provide insight into the interplay of religion, faith, well-being, and the pandemic more broadly, as well as to understand the specific ways in which Chinese Buddhists may draw on their faith to combat the ill effects of the pandemic. In particular, we trace the experience of Chinese Buddhists in mainland China, Taiwan, the United States, and other countries, identifying two popular Buddhist practices: meditation and generosity. We study their motivation for those practices, and the different ways Buddhist sites have sought to remain active in offering services to followers. We explore the role of faith in nurturing resiliency in the Chinese Buddhist community and conclude with specific recommendations for the prosperity of Chinese Buddhism during a pandemic and for leveraging specific tenets of the faith to reduce pandemic risks.
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 2
Cites 11
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- Brief mindfulness session improves mood and increases salivary oxytocin in psychology students. Stress and Health October 1, 2020
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and 6 more in the library