Mindfulness and the Judging Mind in the Context of Buddhist Models of Mind
Manfred Seegers
Mindfulness February 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-024-02481-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Key points | Argues that understanding mindfulness as mere attentional training, as much psychological research does, cannot resolve deep-rooted problems arising from a deluded mind; a precise account of mindfulness and the judgmental mind from Buddhist models of mind, especially early Indian sources and Kagyu presentations such as the 3rd Karmapa's Distinction between Consciousness and Wisdom, is needed to apply mindfulness as a soteriological path and to integrate these models with modern cognitive psychology. |
Abstract
Abstract Psychological research on mindfulness has often focused on the effects of mindfulness training, such as clinical application, rather than on the meaning of mindfulness itself as taught in various spiritual, philosophical, and medical traditions. Mindfulness is often seen as a general training in attentional awareness. From a Buddhist perspective, this approach does not allow for the effective solution of deep-rooted problems arising from a deluded state of mind, which requires insight into the nature of mind. In order to apply the practice of mindfulness as a soteriological path, a precise understanding of the full range of functions of mindfulness and the judgmental mind is essential. To this end, this study explores the relevant definitions and levels of this practice in the context of Buddhist models of mind. This paper provides a profound analysis of early Indian Buddhist sources such as the Four Foundations of Mindfulness and later Tibetan Buddhist presentations, in particular those of the Kagyu lineage, such as the Distinction between Consciousness and Wisdom by the 3rd Karmapa Rangjung Dorje (1284–1339). Buddhist epistemology and meditation instructions offer various mind maps and discuss the steps in the process of perception, based on the application of mindfulness, to overcome deluded states of mind and develop highest wisdom. The theoretical and practical findings are intended to be helpful in integrating traditional Buddhist models of mindfulness and the judging mind, including issues of health and happiness, with our modern understanding of cognitive processes as described in applied psychology.
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 |