Phenomenological Reflections on Mindfulness in the Buddhist Tradition

This book offers an original phenomenological description of mindfulness and related phenomena, such as concentration and insight, demonstrating that the phenomenological method can reanimate ancient Buddhist texts and give them new life. It argues that mindfulness is not attention or a modification of the attentive process but a radical shift in perspective that involves being tuned-in to the open horizon. The book also elucidates the difference between the practice of cultivating mindfulness and the phenomenological epoché, which reveals new possibilities for the practice of phenomenology itself.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 286 pages
Publication date: 29 January 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This groundbreaking book offers an original phenomenological exploration of mindfulness and its related phenomena, including concentration (samādhi) and the practice of insight (vipassanā). Through a meticulous phenomenological approach, the author demonstrates the remarkable capacity of the method to breathe new life into ancient Buddhist texts, revitalizing the very phenomena they point to.

Beginning with vivid descriptions of how mindfulness is encountered in the everyday, pre-philosophical realm, the book proceeds to analyze how the Pali Nikāyas of Theravada Buddhism define mindfulness and the practice of cultivating it. It then provides a critical evaluation of contemporary attempts to explain mindfulness as a mere modification of attention.

In a profound departure from these prevailing perspectives, the author argues that mindfulness cannot be reduced to attention or understood as a mere alteration of the attentive process. Rather, it involves a profound shift in perspective, akin to Edmund Husserl's transcendental horizon. According to the author's account, being mindful is the experience of being fully attuned to the open horizon, a realm that contrasts with Husserl's transcendental horizon.

Furthermore, the book delves into the distinction between the practice of cultivating mindfulness and the phenomenological epoché, unveiling new possibilities for the practice of phenomenology itself. This exploration opens up a rich tapestry of insights that will captivate scholars and advanced students interested in phenomenology, Buddhist philosophy, and comparative philosophy.

Phenomenological Reflections on Mindfulness in the Buddhist Tradition is a testament to the power of phenomenology in unraveling the depths of human experience and shedding light on the timeless wisdom found within the Buddhist tradition.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032112497