Selling water by the river.

Abstract

In this article I discuss the Buddha's teachings on mindfulness practice in the style of a Dhamma talk, a form similar to early Buddhist discourses. I address the way mindfulness is offered in contemporary teachings, and my concerns and disquiet with these offerings, the main ones of which pertain to the tendency to promote individual benefits and gains from the practice, the commercialization of mindfulness programs, and the population and purpose for which mindfulness is currently offered. I contrast these contemporary teachings with the original intent and purpose with which mindfulness was recommended by the Buddha in his early teachings and discourses known as the suttas. Additionally, I discuss my concerns with how mindfulness is commonly taught today as a stand-alone technique, rather than as a relational practice to be developed alongside the Buddha's teachings on cultivating such positive qualities such as loving kindness, compassion, generosity, ethics, morality, and wisdom. I conclude that a better and more nuanced understanding of the Buddha's actual teachings will reduce any ambivalence toward using these teachings in mindfulness due to unfounded concerns with seeing Buddhism as a religion, and allow mindfulness to be employed to help people to cultivate positive qualities and values for the betterment of self and others.

Revisiting and re-envisioning mindfulness: Buddhist and contemporary perspectives.

“…The presentation of the material in a number of the articles in this section is different from the publications usually found academic journals in the sense that they do not conform to a traditional academic style of writing (see articles in this special issue by Tejadhammo, 2021;Pemaratana & Khong, 2021;and Rosenbaum & Bohart, 2021). The format is informed by the contents and themes of each contribution, with the overriding consideration being to make the teachings of the Buddha easily understood regardless of the reader's experience or knowledge of the Dhamma and mindfulness, or the reader's geographical location, background, ethnicity, nationality, and personal beliefs.…”

“…In “Selling Water by the River,” Bhante Tejadhammo (2021) presents his exposition on mindfulness and the Buddha’s teachings in the form of a Dhamma talk, using Buddhist canonical scriptures (e.g., suttas ) to explain their relevance to contemporary issues. Tejadhammo addresses the way mindfulness is offered in contemporary teachings, and contrasts it with their original intent and purpose as expounded by the Buddha.…”

“…One of his major concerns is that in the secular context, mindfulness is presented principally as a solitary practice. Tejadhammo (2021) discusses various suttas to illustrate that mindfulness as taught by the Buddha is an interpersonal, relational way of being in the world. He also expresses significant discomfort with the commercialization of mindfulness programs and the lack of the practice of generosity, an important element in the Buddhist practice.…”

Walking with Buddha: Are we there yet?

“…In my discussions with Reverend Dhammaratana (personal communication, July 25, 2018), the Chief Abbot of the Theravada Order in Malaysia, he explained that mindfulness as currently practiced (especially in the West) tends to focus primarily on bhavana , rather than complemented with dana and s ila. And as Tejadhammo pointed out (Tejadhammo, 2021), “this ethical domain, although one of the most fundamental and primary purposes of the exercise of mindfulness within formal practice and with recollection in our day to day living, is rarely taught or promoted in contemporary teachings of mindfulness.”…”