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 shall also explore that fascinating 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 in so-called World Religions, but by engaging the case study of the reception history of mindfulness. Participants in this course will also be granted the opportunity to attend an Applied Buddhist Mindfulness training.