Buddism Module 1: Mindfulness, Buddhist and non-Buddhist resources

Content Module 1: Mindfulness, Buddhist and Non-Buddhist Resources

This mindfulness module primarily targets health professionals and other professional care givers who desire a compact introduction to mindfulness-based interventions and aspire to deepen their understanding of the history and Buddhist sources of mindfulness, and their recent reception history outside Asia. That said, those who are primarily interested in the Buddhist or spiritual dimensions of mindfulness traditions and mindfulness-based interventions are also more than welcome to attend. However, this is not a training programme for licenced mindfulness trainers. For this we shall give referrals.

The part mentioned first, the Mindfulness-Based Stress-Reduction (MBSR) training, offers a practical training in one of the most often used mindfulness-based interventions. Simultaneously, in course 2 on Buddhism, Mindfulness and Psychology, we shall explore some of the historical backgrounds, intriguing textual sources and apparently remote Buddhist contexts of these newly created mindfulness-based interventions, and look into the creative ferments and agents that facilitated their creation and reception outside Asia. In course 3, Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Mindfulness, again in parallel, we explore some of the possibilities of complementary application of mindfulness, also beyond MBSR.

Prerequisites

An introduction to Buddhism is recommended:
E.g., Buddhism, level 100: (taught Prof.dr. Bee Scherer in lecture format): This course serves as a general introduction to Buddhism, framed as religion, soteriology, ‘psychology’ and socio-historical movement. Major overarching themes, such as the emergence, nature and the spread of Buddhism will be discussed.

Intended participants 

Health professionals and others who are professionally or personally interested in (Buddhist) mindfulness practices and mindfulness-based interventions, their (original) contexts of use, textual sources and reception history (university students of various stripes will also be attending these courses)

Teachers

Dr. Henk W.A. Blezer is Associate Professor of Buddhism at the Faculty of Religion and Theology of the VU University Amsterdam

Brief Overview of the Module Content

1. Mindfulness-Based Stress-Reduction (MBSR) Training:

All participants and students will be invited to attend and to actively participate in a full eight-week MBSR program, in the format as developed by Jon Kabat Zinn. However, attendance is conditional on prior screening: a positive advice based on the customary intake to MBSR.

1. Buddhism, Mindfulness and Psychology, seminar level 300:

Since the late nineteenth century, various forms of Buddhism emerged from modernising Asia and, with apparent ease, penetrated new cognitive, spiritual and cultural domains—many far removed from their origins, geographically as well as epistemically. In the process, Buddhism became abbreviated to ‘meditation’ and later even to mindfulness, and a curious marriage of convenience emerged between Buddhism and psychology. How did this come to pass and what does the most recent global rise of interest tell us about Buddhism, and what does it reveal about those who are interested?

In this course we will explore that marriage of convenience between Buddhism and psychology by tracing the reception history and mainstreaming of mindfulness ‘meditation’. Literary, ritual, social, but also perceived spiritual and philosophical aspects of Buddhist traditions will come into view, in an exercise in Buddhist hermeneutics that is self-reflexive. The focus is on older Buddhist and Theravāda sources, which, by their perceived remoteness, challenge our own world views and self-understandings. It thus resumes the self-reflexive exercise of studying various religious traditions of World Religions, but by engaging the case study of mindfulness. Participants in this course will also be granted the opportunity to attend a full eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training programme.

Course targets, in particular those additional to MBSR training

• Acquire practical familiarity with the eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training programme. In addition:
• The students acquire knowledge and understanding of the complex content, conceptual development and religious role and significance of Buddhist texts, particularly from the Therāvada tradition
• Acquire knowledge and understanding of the way in which Buddhist texts, particularly from the Theravāda tradition, have their impact on Western modernity, with particular reference to the Mindfulness movement.
• Knowledge of content and history of Therāvada traditions of meditation and Mindfulness traditions in particular.
• To demonstrate analytical insight into the history of the framing Buddhism in psychological terms and ideas and their background & resonance in modern Asia.
• To demonstrate familiarity with the complex relationships of psychological readings of Buddhism against the backdrop of Buddhist modernisation movements in Asia and the reception of Buddhism outside Asia.
• Insight into resonances and also dissonances in self- and worldviews as (Therāvada) forms of meditation are deployed in non-Asian contexts.
• To demonstrate analytical insight into how things appear “in the eye of the beholder”: i.e., appreciation of the reflection of our own history of religious ideas in the marriage of convenience between Buddhism and psychology, and recogni­tion of our tendencies to ‘psychologise’ the sacred and to ‘sacralise’ psychology.
• To demonstrate understanding of the problematic nature of patently modernist categories such as ‘immediate experience’ in Buddhism and the implied epistemic paradoxes.
• To demonstrate the ability to engage first and third person approaches in academia.

Time and place

Six selected seminar meetings from the BA/Minor course on Buddhism, Mindfulness and Psychology (taught by Dr Henk Blezer). Starting Wednesday September 8 and ending October 13, with phase out to October 20^th, 1:30 PM-5 PM.

And 8 practice sessions (Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction, MBSR) (taught by Nelleke van Zessen). Starting Wednesday September 8 and ending October 20th with phase out to October 27^th, in the evening, most likely slot: 6:30 PM-9:15 PM. Both classes will be on VU campus.

ECTS

The courses amount to approximately 3 ECTS each (courses 2 and 3 consist of specially selected parts from 6 ECTS courses); 6 ECTS total. ECTS can be credited for regular university students who follow the 6 ECTS versions of these courses (as part of their approved programs or who are entitled to take them as electives); others will receive a certificate.

The latter is also the default option for the MBSR training, which does not translate to ECTS for students, other than those attending the Buddhist Seminary. All but the MBSR training are conducted seminar-style, with assigned readings and requiring active participation in discussion.

Language of instruction

Dutch and English

Recommended follow-up

Module 2: Applied Mindfulness and Engaged Buddhism

Contact

For more information you can contact the Course Coordinator: Dr. Henk W.A. Blezer, h.w.a.blezer@vu.nl

Registration and costs

You can register here

The costs for the combined course Mindfulness, Buddhist and Non-Buddhist Resources are € 450,00. Payment needs to be done via the registration link and by indication the ordernumber 1000300.