The emergence of mindfulness, a core concept of Buddhist philosophy, in the mainstream Western world is probably not news. Living in Toronto, you don’t have to look very hard to find advertisements preaching the gospel of this ancient technique for reducing chronic pain, increasing productivity, and managing mental health issues.
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U of T has stayed ahead of the curve in terms of this spiritual vogue, offering a variety of meditation classes each week as well as boasting a unique minor program called Buddhism, Psychology and Mental Health (BPMH). U of T students are increasingly encouraged to prioritize their psycho-spiritual wellbeing by taking time to observe their mind and body. This is a welcome trend in a Western culture that tends to eschew introspection in favour of material progress.
Nevertheless, Western interpretations of mindfulness are problematically unauthentic. In the process of transplanting mindfulness from the East, it has become divorced from the holistic spiritual path within which it historically existed. Whereas mindfulness was originally an integral part of the Buddhist Eightfold Path, it is being used for Western interests as its own concept. Westerners have stripped the technique of its philosophical and ethical foundations. Instead of a mechanism for profound self-transformation it has become a technique for feeling good.
Western society has commoditized a tradition that for centuries was practiced almost exclusively by self-imposed social outcasts. The modern spiritual community of Lulu Lemon and pay-per-class meditation stands in stark contrast to the ascetic and monastic environments of traditional meditators. This trend is, of course, inevitable. It is only natural that a modernized, capitalist, urban society would comprehend and practice meditation in unique ways. What’s significant is whether we lose the power and essence of the tradition in the process of altering it.
Part of the problem is our convoluted understanding of the terminology we employ. Despite “mindfulness” becoming one of the hottest trends in psychology and mental health, it is not exactly clear what we mean by the word. We must distinguish clearly between “being mindful” and mindfulness meditation; the former is a dispositional approach to life, while the latter is a specific type of meditation.
Furthermore, the stock definition of mindfulness —attending to the psychological stimuli of the present moment — is arguably more similar to another Buddhist concept, right concentration. Part of the reason for this conceptual cloudiness is the removal of mindfulness from its place in the holistic philosophy of mind. While many mindfulness teachers and commentators have a subtle grasp of this difficult subject, the general population’s understanding of the concept is undoubtedly hazy.
Mindfulness’ first prominent introduction to the West was through Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program for clinical patients. Interest has exploded in recent years and hundreds of academic studies concerning the effects of mindfulness on various disorders are published annually. Time’s recent cover-page story, “The Mindful Revolution,” indicates the movement’s ever-growing popularity.
Unfortunately, the Western scientific community tends to overestimate the transformative powers of mindfulness meditation alone. Tony Toneatto, professor of psychology at U of T and director of the BRMH minor, suggests that while evidence is “somewhat positive and suggestive, it is still far from establishing mindfulness as an empirically validated practice.” MBSR is constantly being expanded to new populations and environments. Mindfulness’ clinical trendiness seems to outweigh its underwhelming evidence for its benefits.
In addition to clinical interventions, websites, apps, and teachers are also available to help people integrate mindfulness into their life. Along with the Multi-Faith Centre’s outstanding and affordable options, opportunities abound at yoga studios and meditation centres.
Generations of Buddhist and secular practitioners serve as inspirational examples of meditation’s potential to facilitate insight and contentment. Meditation seems a prime antidote for the busyness and anxiety that characterizes modern life. We should, however, be careful about how we conceptualize the practice. Meditating to relax and de-stress, while hugely beneficial, is a different process than the path of holistic spiritual transcendence recommended by Buddha. If one’s ambitions and practice are not symmetrical, disillusionment is likely.
Unskillful teachers are another hazard to be aware of when approaching mindfulness practice. Anyone with a superficial understanding of the subject can self-identify as a teacher. Rather symbiotically, awareness regarding the basis of the practice and potential misinformation is essential to a satisfying pursuit and experience of mindfulness.
Lee Eames is a second-year student at Woodsworth studying contemporary Asian studies and Buddhism and psychology.
