Master of mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
chownah
Posts: 9336
Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2009 2:19 pm

Re: Master of mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn

Post by chownah »

binocular wrote: Mon Nov 13, 2017 3:06 pm
chownah wrote: Mon Nov 13, 2017 2:55 pmNo it doesn't. Current purpose and functionality depends on current use. If you use it now for some purpose it works to some degree or it doesn't.
I'm assuming the thing was designed by an intelligent designer who had mastery of the craft. Which is how there are optimal and suboptimal uses of tools and machines.

For example, it is possible to use a standard sewing machine backwards, so that one pulls the sewed item toward oneself. But this is a suboptimal use of a standard sewing machine.
Stanard sewing machines as originally designed don't do button holes. Then someone invented a button hole attachment and...voila....you can do button holes.
Same for mindfulness meditation.
With respect to mindfulness meditation, some people might think that the original is still the greatest....but many different variations seem to be effective for various people for various purposes.
chownah
binocular
Posts: 8292
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:13 pm

Re: Master of mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn

Post by binocular »

chownah wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 2:36 amWith respect to mindfulness meditation, some people might think that the original is still the greatest....but many different variations seem to be effective for various people for various purposes.
Your point being?
Hic Rhodus, hic salta!
dharmacorps
Posts: 2298
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2015 7:33 pm

Re: Master of mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn

Post by dharmacorps »

I discovered meditation through MBSR years ago and found Theravada Buddhism from there. At the end of the course, the teacher said "to learn more about where this comes from go to access to insight". For me this was perfect, but I realize there are many variations on MBSR. But I do feel it provides some tools for modern, secular people, which make it more likely to understand Dhamma. JKZ's books are a good starting place if you are coming from an atheistic and skeptical background. My only criticism is it is superficial if not deepened.
chownah
Posts: 9336
Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2009 2:19 pm

Re: Master of mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn

Post by chownah »

binocular wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 5:29 pm
chownah wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 2:36 amWith respect to mindfulness meditation, some people might think that the original is still the greatest....but many different variations seem to be effective for various people for various purposes.
Your point being?
There is no point.
chownah
pyluyten
Posts: 105
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2017 9:08 am

Re: Master of mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn

Post by pyluyten »

mal4mac wrote: Sun Nov 12, 2017 4:20 pm ... this is the title given to him by the Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... p-grenfell

Do you agree that he is a "master"? If not, why not?
Thanks for sharing ! this was interesting.

Before reading the articles, i had no idea why one specific man was famous regarding mindfulness, while i thought he is just one of thousands people practicing this while not much interested in other parts of Buddhism. Which we might apply to Goenka, maybe (it would be intersting to have a deep, comparison)

Now that i read the article, it clearly explains this is a question of being one of the first. There was "westerners" intersted in buddhism earlier (like Nietzche! or even antic Greeks as we can learn here!) but he might be one of the first to have understood how mindfulness could spread in a "neutral" theorical background.

Then i disagree with *some* of his statement, which does not matter.
User avatar
Kim OHara
Posts: 5584
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2009 5:47 am
Location: North Queensland, Australia

Re: Master of mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn

Post by Kim OHara »

dharmacorps wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 9:08 pm I discovered meditation through MBSR years ago and found Theravada Buddhism from there. At the end of the course, the teacher said "to learn more about where this comes from go to access to insight". For me this was perfect, but I realize there are many variations on MBSR. But I do feel it provides some tools for modern, secular people, which make it more likely to understand Dhamma. JKZ's books are a good starting place if you are coming from an atheistic and skeptical background. My only criticism is it is superficial if not deepened.
Agreed on all counts. I think this is the best way of looking at him and his value to western society.

Many non-Buddhists, like you, have arrived at Buddhism via MBSR - which is a good thing.
Many others have been helped by MBSR - which is a good thing - but not followed through to Buddhism - which is okay.
And I don't believe there have been many people who would have found Buddhism except that they found MBSR first and settled for the lesser teachings, so the existence of MBSR hasn't harmed or misled anyone much.

:namaste:
Kim
dharmacorps
Posts: 2298
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2015 7:33 pm

Re: Master of mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn

Post by dharmacorps »

Absolutely. I knew about Buddhism vaguely, but I never would have begun practicing it without the introduction to meditation provided by MBSR. So when people criticize "secular buddhism", they may have good points, but the fact is it is a fine stepping stone.
Spiny Norman
Posts: 10162
Joined: Fri Mar 05, 2010 10:32 am
Location: Andromeda looks nice

Re: Master of mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn

Post by Spiny Norman »

Kim OHara wrote: Wed Nov 15, 2017 11:54 am Many non-Buddhists, like you, have arrived at Buddhism via MBSR - which is a good thing.
Many others have been helped by MBSR - which is a good thing - but not followed through to Buddhism - which is okay.
It seems like a win-win situation.
Buddha save me from new-agers!
binocular
Posts: 8292
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:13 pm

Re: Master of mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn

Post by binocular »

Spiny Norman wrote: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:25 pmIt seems like a win-win situation.
If you ignore all those who weren't helped by MBSR.
Hic Rhodus, hic salta!
User avatar
Kim OHara
Posts: 5584
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2009 5:47 am
Location: North Queensland, Australia

Re: Master of mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn

Post by Kim OHara »

binocular wrote: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:28 pm
Spiny Norman wrote: Thu Nov 16, 2017 12:25 pmIt seems like a win-win situation.
If you ignore all those who weren't helped by MBSR.
That's being unfair, I think. To be fair, we should also ignore all those who weren't helped by Jungian analysis, primal scream therapy, Christian Science, reiki, laying on of hands, etc, etc.
Really, if a course of action in anything to do with mental health offers a reasonable chance that it will be beneficial and a low chance that it will be harmful, that's about the best we can expect.

:namaste:
Kim
dharmacorps
Posts: 2298
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2015 7:33 pm

Re: Master of mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn

Post by dharmacorps »

Nothing is a panacea. By that measure, Buddhism doesn't "help" everybody. It works if you learn the skills.
binocular
Posts: 8292
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:13 pm

Re: Master of mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn

Post by binocular »

dharmacorps wrote: Thu Nov 16, 2017 11:37 pmNothing is a panacea. By that measure, Buddhism doesn't "help" everybody. It works if you learn the skills.
When some people are excluded from learning the skills; or when some required skills are such that one must be born with them or learn them already as a small child, but cannot learn them later in life -- then the supposed "helpful solution" isn't much of a solution. How can that be considered a win-win situation?
Kim OHara wrote: Thu Nov 16, 2017 9:52 pmThat's being unfair, I think. To be fair, we should also ignore all those who weren't helped by Jungian analysis, primal scream therapy, Christian Science, reiki, laying on of hands, etc, etc.
Why unfair? Some moral philosophers propose that if a principle is such that only some people can act on it, but not others (because they are too poor, for example), then such a principle cannot be considered moral. How can that be considered a win-win situation?
Really, if a course of action in anything to do with mental health offers a reasonable chance that it will be beneficial and a low chance that it will be harmful, that's about the best we can expect.

Except that some such courses of action are marketed as being such that anyone, regardless of race, socio-economic background, education etc. supposedly can apply them, but the reality is that they cannot and that those courses of action are available only to people with a specific socio-economic background and mentality. And worse, those that cannot apply those courses of action get accused of being failures, not trying hard enough, or that there is something wrong with them.

For example, I find that much of what modern psychology teaches is such that only the secular (upper) middle class can relate to it and act on it. Religions, too, aren't necessarily egalitarian and democratic (in that, for example, those who aren't born into said religion cannot meaningfully apply its teachings or learn the required skills).
Hic Rhodus, hic salta!
User avatar
Kim OHara
Posts: 5584
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2009 5:47 am
Location: North Queensland, Australia

Re: Master of mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn

Post by Kim OHara »

I said earlier that, "if a course of action in anything to do with mental health offers a reasonable chance that it will be beneficial and a low chance that it will be harmful, that's about the best we can expect," and I think that's a perfectly reasonable position to take.
As you say, Binocular, none of these approaches is perfect, and none of them is equally available to all. That position is almost the same as mine, but you highlight the negatives and I highlight the positives.

:namaste:
Kim
binocular
Posts: 8292
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:13 pm

Re: Master of mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn

Post by binocular »

Kim OHara wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 11:08 amAs you say, Binocular, none of these approaches is perfect, and none of them is equally available to all. That position is almost the same as mine, but you highlight the negatives and I highlight the positives.
Highlighting the positives lends itself well to judging others (namely those for whom the proposed course of action didn't work) and to trivializing the resources and skills required to apply a certain course of action.
Hic Rhodus, hic salta!
chownah
Posts: 9336
Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2009 2:19 pm

Re: Master of mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn

Post by chownah »

binocular wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 10:45 am
Kim OHara wrote: Thu Nov 16, 2017 9:52 pmThat's being unfair, I think. To be fair, we should also ignore all those who weren't helped by Jungian analysis, primal scream therapy, Christian Science, reiki, laying on of hands, etc, etc.
Why unfair? Some moral philosophers propose that if a principle is such that only some people can act on it, but not others (because they are too poor, for example), then such a principle cannot be considered moral. How can that be considered a win-win situation?
Mindfulness mediation is not a philosophical principle....it is not a principle of any kind that I know of. It is a techniques which has been found beneficial by a broad sampling of humans across many cultures and in many settings.
Similarly, the things kim ohara mentions are not philosophical principles either. I think you mention of philosophical principles is a strawman (a misrepresentation of someone's position which is then easily refuted which gives the impression that someone's position has been dealt with but in fact it is only a misrepresentation which has been dealt with.)
chownah
Post Reply