Ditrich, Tamara (Nan Tien Institute, Australia)
Traditional and new approaches to the implementation of mindfulness: an example from schools
Mindfulness plays a prominent role in many traditional and modern Buddhist meditation practices. The recent spread of Buddhist meditative techniques across the world has facilitated the introduction of mindfulness into a variety of new environments, especially in therapeutic and wellness contexts. Although meditation methods have been very adaptable throughout the history of Buddhism, the recent process of abstracting mindfulness away from its Buddhist roots means it is now presented in unprecedented contexts. The paper will examine the transplantation of mindfulness into new paradigms and new contexts which gives rise to a number of new issues and requires a closer examination of these new conditions and consequences. In particular, whether positioning mindfulness primarily as a tool for achieving improved well-being and happiness reduces the breadth and depth of its application for more deeply investigating ethical behaviour and opening up deeper insights into human consciousness and its potentials.
With these questions in mind, a new twelve-week mindfulness training programme for high schools was designed in 2013. This has been implemented in several schools in Australia, and a pilot research project conducted in one school. The paper will outline the theoretical foundations of the programme which draws from (and is structurally based on) the traditional model for mindfulness practice (the Satipatthanasutta) and on loving kindness practice, with strong emphasis on an exploration of ethical issues, the development of insight and kindness, perceptions of identity, and conflict transformation (inner and outer). The paper will outline the links between the training programme and the major themes emerging from the pilot research project.
Traditional and new approaches to the implementation of mindfulness: an example from schools
Mindfulness plays a prominent role in many traditional and modern Buddhist meditation practices. The recent spread of Buddhist meditative techniques across the world has facilitated the introduction of mindfulness into a variety of new environments, especially in therapeutic and wellness contexts. Although meditation methods have been very adaptable throughout the history of Buddhism, the recent process of abstracting mindfulness away from its Buddhist roots means it is now presented in unprecedented contexts. The paper will examine the transplantation of mindfulness into new paradigms and new contexts which gives rise to a number of new issues and requires a closer examination of these new conditions and consequences. In particular, whether positioning mindfulness primarily as a tool for achieving improved well-being and happiness reduces the breadth and depth of its application for more deeply investigating ethical behaviour and opening up deeper insights into human consciousness and its potentials.
With these questions in mind, a new twelve-week mindfulness training programme for high schools was designed in 2013. This has been implemented in several schools in Australia, and a pilot research project conducted in one school. The paper will outline the theoretical foundations of the programme which draws from (and is structurally based on) the traditional model for mindfulness practice (the Satipatthanasutta) and on loving kindness practice, with strong emphasis on an exploration of ethical issues, the development of insight and kindness, perceptions of identity, and conflict transformation (inner and outer). The paper will outline the links between the training programme and the major themes emerging from the pilot research project.