Situating Mindfulness, Part 1: Early Buddhism and Scientific Research in Psychology

Abstract As the first of three articles, present essay explores character selected aspects early Buddhism in order to assess its potential relevance as a reference point for those engaged research on mindfulness psychology. The exploration, which proceeds critical dialog with suggestions made by Donald Lopez Jr. and Evan Thompson, covers topics Buddha’s omniscience, Buddhist cosmology, notion karma, role rebirth, past lives Buddha, religious authority vis-à-vis scope personal investigation thought. paper is meant serve corrective an apparent tendency recent scholarship, part itself deserved criticism exaggerated positions taken modernists, overlook or even deny rational dimensions thought, here particular up from viewpoint earliest phase. This appears at times be based lack historical perspective understanding doctrines their development.