British Buddhism, secular mindfulness, and the politics of sustainability

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4372212
AutoresCaroline Starkey (0000-0002-7807-6617, University of Leeds, autor de correspondencia)
Año2024
Volumen54
Número2
Páginas179-202
Fecha de publicación2024-04-02
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaReligion (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0048-721X • E-ISSN: 1096-1151
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/0048721x.2023.2222694
OpenAlexW4381996034
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas4
Referencias citadas43

The environment for Buddhist organisations in Britain has changed since the period of their initial establishment. As a result of the rise in popularity of secular mindfulness and the spread of Buddhist teachings, Buddhist groups in Britain are forced to consider their sustainability in a crowded spiritual marketplace. This article examines the recent growth of secular mindfulness teaching by Buddhist groups in Britain, drawing on new qualitative research with British Buddhist groups and teachers. I argue that ‘secular meditation’ approaches have been variously adopted by Buddhist groups to appeal to a wider range of people, bringing in much-needed revenue for financial sustainability as well as carving out greater cultural relevance. However, the boundaries between the ‘secular’ and the ‘Buddhist’ are not always clearly demarcated. As ideas and labels they operate in symbiosis, enabling Buddhist groups to navigate multiple audiences simultaneously, sustaining and developing their position in the public sphere

Aesthetics · Appeal · Archaeology · Buddhism · Environmental ethics · Meditation · Mindfulness · Political science · Politics · Popularity · Sociology · Sustainability · History · Law · Philosophy · Psychology · Religion, Ecology, and Ethics · Religion, Society, and Development · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology