Mindfulness-based interventions: what more can the West learn from Buddhism? A fieldwork study.
Frontiers in psychology January 1, 2025 Andrew Boxer, Frances Shawyer, Ian Coghlan et al. 6 citations
People who attended a 30-day Lam Rim meditation retreat and had exposure to both traditional Buddhism and Western mindfulness described differences between the two approaches. They found the Western definition of mindfulness unclear compared to specific Buddhist understandings. Western applications focused narrowly on health and productivity, while traditional Buddhism offered a broader life philosophy. Participants identified Buddhist concepts—impermanence, mind science, the Four Noble Truths, emptiness, dependent arising, and compassion—as potentially helpful for enriching Western mindfulness-based interventions. Some concepts, like compassion, already have secular frameworks, but further integration of deeper Buddhist perspectives could promote holistic mental health within a non-religious framework.