Mindfulness in Schools: Learning Lessons from the Adults, Secular and Buddhist
Buddhist Studies Review July 8, 2011 DOI: 10.1558/bsrv.v28i1.79 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Citations | 61 |
| Key points | Argues that mindfulness in schools should be taught with a slight emphasis on Calm rather than Insight, nested within a 'scaffolding' of possibility, and that ethics and community play essential roles adapted from Buddhist contexts. |
Abstract
This paper explores the adult mindfulness landscape, secular and Buddhist, in order to inform an approach to the teaching of mindfulness in secondary schools. The Introduction explains the background to the project and the significant overlap between secular and Buddhist practices. I explain what mindfulness is and highlight a number of important practical differences between the teaching of mindfulness in the adult world and in schools. ‘Balancing Calm and Insight’ looks at mindfulness through a lens infrequently explored in the therapeutic literature, and suggests that a slight shift in the centre of gravity towards Calm might be appropriate. ‘Defining Objectives’ considers how difficult it is to clearly articulate the objective of mindfulness in schools given a new context in which it functions as neither clinical application nor spiritual practice. A range of alternatives is considered. ‘Building a Scaffolding’ explains the importance of context in both Buddhist and secular practice. To succeed, mindfulness should be nested within a broader framework of understanding, or what Kabat-Zinn calls a ‘scaffolding’. I suggest that perhaps the best ‘scaffolding’ for mindfulness in schools is its sense of possibility. ‘Ethics and Community’ describes how ethics are more important in secular mindfulness than they at first appear. The shape ethics might take in a school context is considered, then an assessment of the role of the teacher and what equivalent there might be for what Buddhists call sa?gha, or Community.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental balance and well-being: Building bridges between Buddhism and Western psychology. | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist Modernism and the Rhetoric of Meditative Experience | 1995 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist and Psychological Perspectives on Emotions and Well-Being | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Too Early to Tell: The Potential Impact and Challenges—Ethical and Otherwise—Inherent in the Mainstreaming of Dharma in an Increasingly Dystopian World | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From self to nonself: The Nonself Theory | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Mindfulness in Education: Insights Towards an Integrative Paradigm 2021
- When mindfulness is therapy: Ethical qualms, historical perspectives. American Psychologist 2015
- Kayanapussana Satipatthana and the Buddhist practices of Samadhi and Sati as foundational practices in the development of Thai musical skills International Journal of Music Education October 25, 2024
- Mindfulness Access Points in General Music: Singing, Breathing, and Self-Awareness Journal of General Music Education December 7, 2021
Cites 6
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression August 21, 2006
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy August 18, 2008
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression. Industrial Psychiatry Journal October 29, 2024
- Mindfulness with children and adolescents: effective clinical application. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry July 2008
and 1 more in the library