This study addresses a lacuna in Buddhist modernism scholarship, which has extensively examined Buddhists’ employment of science as an instrument for Buddhist apologetics across Theravada, Yogacara, Zen and Tibetan Buddhist traditions, yet has largely neglected Huayan Buddhism. Taking an influential contemporary Buddhist adherent, Zhong Maosen (b. 1973), as a case study, it analyzes his...
Buddhism provides a comprehensive and detailed approach to human suffering and the wellbeing in general. Based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha, Buddhist philosophy focuses on compassion, mindfulness, and ethical living which are heavily congruous with the universally-recognized values of social work, such as social justice, dignity, service, and empowerment. Buddhism offers a philosophical...
The teachings of Mahatma Buddha, rooted in the philosophical and spiritual tradition of Buddhism, have significantly influenced modern understandings of mental health and psychological well-being. This paper explores the psychological dimensions of Buddhist philosophy, particularly focusing on the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, mindfulness, and meditation practices. It critically...
Vietnamese university students are experiencing profound moral and psychological challenges amid rapid urbanization, globalization, and digital transformation. While higher education institutions increasingly prioritize technical competencies and employability, moral education and character formation remain underdeveloped. In response, Buddhist institutions across Vietnam have expanded retreat...
February 27, 2026Lourdu Mary, Adhikari Prabha, K. Udayakumara et al.
A written communication in response to Kwok et al., (2025) recent article 'Enhancing Whole-Person Care Through Mindfulness: Qualitative Insights from Patients with Parkinson's Disease' published in Mindfulness, and commend their qualitative insights on mindfulnessbased rehabilitation in Parkinson's disease (PD). The study's three emergent themes "reshaping illness experience through...
Abstract Objectives To compare the efficacy, acceptability, and feasibility of traditional Buddhist mindfulness (TBM) versus secular mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for residual depressive symptoms, and to examine whether TBM is non-inferior to MBCT in improving depressive symptoms and psychological wellbeing. Methods In this pilot randomized controlled trial, Buddhist adults with...
BACKGROUND: A cancer diagnosis presents significant psychological challenges, often resulting in lasting distress and dis-ruption to daily life. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are increasingly recognized as vital components of supportive oncology care. Second-generation MBIs (SG-MBIs), such as Meditation Awareness Training (MAT), integrate Buddhist wisdom principles such as...
This article examines the theoretical and practical frameworks surrounding liminal states of consciousness—specifically lucid dreaming and out-of-body experiences (OBEs)—within Indian religious and philosophical traditions. Through a comparative analysis of Vedāntic, Yogic, Buddhist, and Jain systems, the article argues that these states are not merely anomalous psychological events but...
This paper offers a redefined, self-management through the lens of ethics, drawing on the early Buddhist canonical texts. By employing a qualitative thematic methodology from focused studies of the, Dīgha Nikāya; Majjhima Nikāya; and, Aṅguttara Nikāya, this study seeks to define self-management as a cohesive, systemic construct that consists of ethical discipline (sīla), mental discipline...
Despite the intensification of dialogue between Buddhism and Western science within the framework of interdisciplinary research in phenomenology and the cognitive sciences, a systematic approach to the Buddhist philosophy of time remains underdeveloped, which limits the scope for comparative analysis. This article attempts to trace the development of the Buddhist concept of time, from the...
This interdisciplinary study bridges psychology, neuroscience, and mystical theology to elucidate mysticism and spirituality's therapeutic role in mental health, particularly in cultivating resilience, emotional stability, and existential recovery. Through descriptive-qualitative analysis of empirical studies, classical theories, and sacred texts across traditions, it probes neurobiological...
This chapter explores the layered dialogue between Buddhism and psychoanalysis as two symbolic languages spoken by one mind. Rather than seeking integration or synthesis, it traces how each discourse illuminates different dimensions of psychic truth: psychoanalysis naming the structured, split, and desiring subject; Buddhism articulating emptiness, interdependence, and nondual awareness....
This article aims to show how scientific interpretations of the mind can be integrated with traditional Buddhist models of the mind that maintain no-self in light of modern Buddhist meditation practices. Building on David McMahan’s work, it compares two models of mind, the Theater-of-the-Mind and the Ten Ox Herding Pictures (C. Shíniútú; K. Sibudo 十牛圖). The former places the self at the center...
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has sparked profound philosophical and scientific debate regarding whether machines can possess genuine consciousness. While AI excels in simulating intelligent behaviors, the emergence of subjective experience—often considered as the hallmark of consciousness—remains elusive, attracting sustained interdisciplinary attention. This study...
This study examines the systematic development and philosophical “finalization” of śamatha (止 tranquility) and vipaśyanā (觀 insight) within the foundational texts of the Yogācāra tradition. Central to the transmission of Buddhism to East Asia was the categorization of practice (修行 caryā) through the lenses of concentration (三摩地 samādhi) and wisdom (般若 prajñā). This paper focuses on two pivotal...
This paper examines meditation, a practice that has become a global trend and is increasingly promoted as a therapeutic intervention in health-related contexts. This development has contributed to a shift in the public perception of meditation—from a religious tradition to a medicalized instrument—potentially detaching it from its original spiritual and religious meanings. Accordingly, this...
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence(AI) has reshaped contemporary life and intensified philosophical questions concerning human consciousness and selfhood. While AI systems increasingly simulate cognitive and creative processes, they remain confined to surface-level cognition and instrumental reasoning. This paper argues that the AI era calls for a renewed inquiry into deeper...
Modern teachings on Buddhist meditation often draw on Śāntideva’s eighth-century Bodhicaryāvatāra (Introduction to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life). While Śāntideva’s thought is presented as fit for broad global audiences, the fact that it developed in tandem with restricted tantric practices has received little attention. Visualization techniques in the early chapters parallel transgressive...
Hakuin Ekaku 白隠慧鶴, the reviver of the Japanese Rinzai school 臨濟宗, introduced Chinese Daoist cosmology and views on the body through the narrative persona of the immortal Hakuyūshi 白幽子 in works such as Yasen Kanna 夜船閑話 (Chats on a Night Boat). He elaborated on specific techniques of Daoist internal alchemy (nèidān 內丹), such as focusing the mind on the dāntián 丹田 (elixir field) and regulating the...
Background: Meditation- and music-based interventions have been associated with cognitive and socio-emotional benefits. However, empirical research examining how classical music meditation informed by Buddhist mindfulness theory relates to metacognitive awareness and empathy remains limited. Objective: The present study examined whether participation in a classical music meditation program was...