Abstract
Objectives
To develop a model of right mindfulness that is in line with descriptions found in the sutta texts of the Pāli Canon, and provide an understanding of the Buddhist concept sati, originally translated as mindfulness, that returns to the historical emphasis now lost in contemporary definitions developed for mindfulness-based interventions.
Methods
In order to address this, Theravada sutta texts were examined to recover an accurate description of right mindfulness.
Results
Therein, the faculty of mindfulness is simply defined as the ability to remember; however, right mindfulness differs from the mere faculty of mindfulness—right mindfulness is a necessary part of the eightfold path. Authors suggest that right mindfulness should be defined as a praxis in which one becomes diligent, alert, and mindful in perceptions of the body, feelings, thoughts, or mental qualities, in the present moment, in the absence of hindrances. We propose a novel model of right mindfulness that represents all the essential components, as defined by the sutta texts. This contemporary model of right mindfulness and the conceptual map identifying critical points for its application could clarify some of the ambiguity in the contemporary Western understanding of mindfulness. We also present a schematic illustration to compare the conceptual map** of aspects of mindfulness with cognitive scientific categories of memory.
Conclusions
Our proposed model of right mindfulness, together with clarification of mindfulness and memory, will have important implications for further development of mindfulness-based interventions as well as the practice of mindfulness meditation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anālayo, Bh. (2003). Sattipatthana: The direct path to realization. Windhorse Publications.
Anālayo, Bh. (2018). Once again on mindfulness and memory in Early Buddhism. Mindfulness, 9(1), 1–6.
Anālayo, Bh. (2019). Adding historical depth to definitions of mindfulness. Current Opinion in Psychology, 28, 11–14.
Anālayo, Bh. (2020). Mindfulness in early Buddhism: Characteristics and functions. Windhorse Publications.
Baddeley, A. (1992). Working memory. Science, 255(5044), 556–559.
Bhikkhu, T. (1996). The wings to awakening. Dhamma Dana Publications.
Bodhi, Bh. (2012). The numerical discourses of the Buddha: A translation of the Aṅguttara Nikāya, Wisdom Publication.
Bodhi, Bh. (2000). The connected discourses of the Buddha–A new translation of the Samyutta-Nikāya. Wisdom Publication.
Bodhi, Bh. (2005). In the Buddha’s words. Wisdom Publication.
Bodhi, Bh. (2011). What does mindfulness really mean? A Canonical Perspective. Contemporary Buddhism, 12(1), 19–39.
Brown, K. W., Goodman, R. J., Ryan, R. M., & Anālayo, B. (2016). Mindfulness enhances episodic memory performance: Evidence from a multimethod investigation. PloS ONE, 11(4). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0153309
Van Dam, N. T., Van Vugt, M. K., Vago, D. R., Schmalzl, L., Saron, C. D., Olendzki, A., ... & Meyer, D. E. (2018). Mind the hype: A critical evaluation and prescriptive agenda for research on mindfulness and meditation. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 13(1), 36–61.
Davids, T. W. R., & Stede, W. (1999). The Pāli text society’s Pāli-English dictionary. Pali Text Society.
Davidson, R. J., & Dahl, C. J. (2018). Outstanding challenges in scientific research on mindfulness and meditation. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 13(1), 62–65.
Dreyfus, G. (2011). Is mindfulness present-centred and non-judgmental? A discussion of the cognitive dimensions of mindfulness. Contemporary Buddhism, 12(1), 41–54.
Gethin, R. (2011). On some definitions of mindfulness. Contemporary Buddhism, 12(1), 263–279.
Irving, Z. C. (2016). Mind-wandering is unguided attention: Accounting for the “purposeful” wanderer. Philosophical Studies, 173(2), 547–571.
Isbel, B., & Summers, M. J. (2017). Distinguishing the cognitive processes of mindfulness: Develo** a standardised mindfulness technique for use in longitudinal randomised control trials. Consciousness and Cognition, 52, 75–92.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full catastrophe living. Delta.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2011). Some reflections on the origins of MBSR, skillful means, and the trouble with maps. Contemporary Buddhism, 12(1), 281–306.
Laukkonen, R. E., & Slagter, H. A. (2021). From many to (n)one: Meditation and the plasticity of the predictive mind. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 128, 199–217.
Levman, B. (2017). Putting smṛti back into sati (putting remembrance back into mindfulness). Journal of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies, 13.
Nanamoli, B., & Bodhi, B. (1995). The middle length discourses of the Buddha A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya. Wisdom Publication.
Sujato, B. (2018). A faithful translation of the Dīgha Nikāya, the chapter on the entire spectrum of ethics. Sutta Central. https://suttacentral.net/dn10/en/sujato
Thanissaro, Bh. (2014). Handful of leaves: An anthology from the Dighya Nikaya (DN) (Vol. 1). Metta Forest Monastery.
Thanissaro, Bh. (2014). Handful of leaves: An anthology from the Majjhima Nikaya (MN) (Vol. 2). Metta Forest Monastery.
Thanissaro, Bh. (2015). Handful of leaves: An anthology from the Anguttara Nikaya (AN) (Vol. 4). Metta Forest Monastery.
Thanissaro, Bh. (2015). Handful of leaves: An anthology from the Samyutta Nikaya (SN) (Vol. 3). Metta Forest Monastery.
Tulving, E. (1991). Concepts of human memory. Memory: Organization and locus of change, 3–32.
Walpola, P. L., Walpola, D. Y., Walpola, I. C., & Toneatto, T. (2017). Map** the mind: A model based on theravada Buddhist texts and practices. Contemporary Buddhism, 18(1), 140–164.
Walshe M. (2012). The long discourses of the Buddha: A translation of the Dīghanikāya. Wisdom Publication.
Williams, J. M. G., & Kabat-Zinn, J. (2011). Mindfulness: Diverse perspectives on its meaning, origins, and multiple applications at the intersection of science and dharma. Contemporary Buddhism 12(1), 1–18.
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the online resources Sutta Central (https://suttacentral.net/) and Access to Insight (http://www.accesstoinsight.org). We also acknowledge Venerable Ahangama Rathanasiri (http://www.torontomahavihara.com/2Ven_Ahangama_Rathanasiri.htm) of Toronto Mahavihara, Toronto, Canada, for clarification of some of the Pali translations.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
P. W., I. C. W., and T. T. conceptualized the manuscript. P. W. designed the theoretical model, developed the figures, and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. I. C. W. and T. T. contributed to and have approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Walpola, P., Walpola, I. & Toneatto, T. A Contemporary Model for Right Mindfulness Based on Theravada Buddhist Texts. Mindfulness 13, 2714–2728 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-022-01988-3
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-022-01988-3