This article examines Khotan’s role in the transmission and reception of Avataṃsaka/Huayan Buddhism, arguing that the Buddhāvataṃsaka-sūtra’s exceptional prestige and royal protection in Khotan provided favourable conditions for the circulation—and possibly the redaction—of large Mahāyāna compilations. It then analyses two Avataṃsaka-group meditation texts translated by the Khotanese monk...
Journal of EducationJanuary 25, 2026Margaret C. Peterson, Jane E. Bleasdale, Sandy Nidich
This mixed-methods study examined the impact of Transcendental Meditation (TM) on stress and burnout among bilingual teacher-leaders. Sixty-two educators were randomly assigned to TM or waitlist control groups. Quantitative results showed significant reductions in emotional exhaustion, perceived stress, and mood disturbance for the TM group. Qualitative findings, interpreted through Yosso’s...
MicroorganismsJanuary 24, 2026Tehreema Ghaffar, Veronica Volpini, Francesca Ubaldi et al.
Mind–body practices integrating movement and meditation, such as Tai Chi and Aikido, have been proposed to influence the gut–brain axis through combined physiological and psychological pathways. However, evidence regarding their association with gut microbiota composition remains limited. This study explored gut microbiota diversity and taxonomic profiles in regular practitioners of Tai Chi and...
Background: Analyzing the health benefits of meditation for the elderly through a qualitative approach, this study aims to provide readers with insights into the health benefits gained through meditation.The increase in life expectancy has led to a growing elderly population prone to physical and mental health decline, such as stress, sleep disturbances, and chronic diseases (Hypertension,...
The current study was conducted to determine the effects of a 6-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program provided to parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study had an experimental design based on a pre-/posttest model with experimental (n = 40) and control (n = 40) groups. Parents of children with ASD who attend education and rehabilitation centers were...
To investigate whether a structured mindfulness training program could reduce anxiety and enhance academic performance among veterinary students in an anesthesiology course. All students enrolled in a second-year veterinary anesthesiology course during 1 term were offered participation in the mindfulness program, with volunteers forming the intervention group and nonparticipants serving as a...
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...
This study aimed to test the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Procrastination (MBCT-P) in reducing academic procrastination, as well as explain how MBCT-P can reduce academic procrastination. The research participants were 43 Muslim university students with academic procrastination scores in the medium and high categories who were randomly divided into the experimental...
HealthcareJanuary 21, 2026Emily Santos Montarroyos, Sara Lima, Raimundo Barreto et al.
Background/Objectives: Cancer is a disabling, challenging, and growing global disease. Although early diagnosis and adequate treatment of cancer are developing rapidly, a large part of the population remains without access to specialized services and routinely progresses to uncontrolled pain, poorer quality of life, and suffering. Complementary therapies for pain management and the well-being...
Loneliness, which has reached an all-time high in the United States, has been linked to reduced self-reported empathy. Loving kindness meditation (LKM) is aimed at extending love and kindness to others and has been shown to increase empathy. But whether LKM can reduce loneliness, and whether this corresponds to higher levels of trait empathy, state empathy, and/or neural empathic responding,...