Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) and Sati in the Nikāya Literature
Huong Quoc Nguyen
International Journal for the Study of New Religions September 16, 2026 DOI: 10.1558/ijsnr.35370 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Argues that while MBIs and Nikāya sati share present-moment awareness and non-judgemental attention, sati is embedded in the Noble Eightfold Path with ethical, concentrative, and wisdom dimensions oriented toward liberation, whereas MBIs are standardized secular curricula targeting clinical outcomes. Contends that integrating sati's broader context can refine MBI design, strengthen ethical frameworks, and deepen therapeutic impact. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have proliferated globally and demonstrably enhance mental health and wellbeing. Their relationship to sati, as presented in early Buddhist Nikāya literature, remains contested. This paper offers a systematic comparison of MBIs and sati across concepts, methods, and outcomes. Using a review of MBI protocols and textual analysis of key Pāli Nikāyas, it maps convergence, divergence, and synergy. Both emphasize present-moment awareness, non-judgemental attention, and the cultivation of insight. However, Nikāya sati is embedded in the Noble Eightfold Path, inseparable from ethics (sīla), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (paññā), oriented to liberation from suffering (dukkha). MBIs employ standardized, secular curricula targeting stress reduction, symptom relief, and wellbeing. By contrast, sati training is holistic, integrating ethical discipline, samatha, insight (vipassanā), and is a comprehensive worldview. MBIs’ aims are primarily clinical, whereas sati’s implications are soteriological, guiding insight into reality and cessation of suffering. The analysis argues that appreciating sati’s broader context can refine MBI design, strengthen ethical frameworks, and deepen therapeutic impact, responding to critiques of “McMindfulness”. The paper identifies future research directions for integrating foundational Buddhist ethical and wisdom traditions into contemporary mindfulness applications.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |