Not just how non-Buddhist people are finding it useful outside of the Buddhist context but how university health programs are promoting it for general well-being, acting as if they came up with these methods ie Koru.
There is nothing wrong in the spread of meditation alone I think, scientifically speaking its benefits are many. It really depends on the intention and the background. I find more problematic when specific kinds of meditation in specific tradition/context are sold for other purposes, example Zazen for just finding inner peace etc.
Hmm, I think it’s a non issue to be honest. The Buddha talked about how there are 84000 different dharma gates for people to enter, 84000 different ways of finding one’s way. I see secular meditation, akin to Jon Kabat-Zinns MBSR method focusing on meditation as a way to tackle chronic pain and other ailments, as just being one small step towards someday or in some other lifetime come to full realisation.
If someone claims to have invented it, sure, there might be an issue of appropriation, but most just decline to mention the religious context it originated from. Which I think is fine in order to reach more people. Just my take!
Jon Kabat Zinn was my entry point and inspiration to meditation. I have recently returned to practice after lapsing.
I remain secular, but from my last period, where I reached 40 minutes a day at peak, I would say certain truths within Buddhism, began to become self evident.
With no conscious thought, and pursuing no Buddhist teachings, I experienced guilt when eating meat, and stopped crushing bugs. I came to recognise the heart-mind as singular and not separate . It was Genuine change from within, bought about only from sitting.
Kabat zinn’s scientific credentials attracted me to him as a teacher. He is however, entirely respectful of different traditions and the origins of mindful meditation.
Yes, I’ve read his work and I have huge respect for Jon Kabat-Zinn. I didn’t intend for my comment to indicate otherwise :) Glad to hear your positive experience of secular meditation.
The way you’re phrasing it makes it appear as a form of upaya, skillful-means, I really like this view! :) Thanks for sharing
