Mindfulness Across Buddhist Traditions

The growing popularity of the contemporary mindfulness movement is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it’s a welcome antidote amid a fast-paced culture that increasingly values individualism and instant gratification; on the other hand, it tends toward being reductive and often falls short of its Buddhist origins in favor of consumerist purposes. As a mindfulness teacher trained in the dharma, I often face the dilemma of explaining mindfulness when it has many meanings and applications. Can mindfulness be taught outside the Buddhist context, divorced from the four noble truths and the eightfold path? Is it possible to relieve suffering and attain realization directly through mindful practices, or would it be wise to follow more traditional and gradual instructions? And how can teachers ensure they maintain integrity amid the prevalent commercialization of mindfulness?

These are some of the questions that scholar and dharma teacher Martina Draszczyk explores in The Buddha’s Gift to the World: A Practitioner’s Guide to the Roots of Mindfulness. While many books have been published in the past decade about mindfulness, Draszczyk’s perspective is unique because of its comprehensive investigation of texts across multiple Buddhist traditions. As she explains in her introduction, present-day discussions about mindfulness revolve primarily around Theravada teachings and teachers, with the Discourse on the Application of Mindfulness (Pali: Satipatthana Sutta) playing a key role. There is also a tendency toward “a shallow propagation of mindfulness as a method for enhancing relaxation and/or achievement.” By contrast, the author explores the roots of mindfulness across various classical texts, with a particular emphasis on Indian and Tibetan Mahayana sources. In doing so, she provides a fresh and detailed exposition of a very complex Buddhist teaching. 

The Buddha’s Gift to the World: A Practitioner’s Guide to the Roots of Mindfulness
by Martina Draszczyk
Shambhala Publications, 2024, 280 pp., $24.95, paper

Buddhism has a long history of oral transmission and has taken on many forms across Asia; it is, therefore, typical for concepts, terminology, and instructions to vary. Draszczyk aptly points out that “this process precisely reflects one of the key teachings of the Buddha: constant change.” Her book succeeds in portraying the authenticity of Buddhist teachings while simultaneously celebrating the wonderful and rich ways in which they diverge. It comprises an absolute treasure trove of scriptures. Her reasoning for picking any specific text is moving: “From the vast array of suttas and sutras that deal with this topic, I have selected these simply because they spoke directly to my heart. We are invited to allow the discourses to inspire us.” I am glad she chose texts close to her heart because it allows for intimacy amid what is otherwise a rather academic subject matter. With its meticulous and objective investigation into the roots of mindfulness, The Buddha’s Gift to the World is a must-read for committed dharma teachers and practitioners.

Can mindfulness be taught outside the Buddhist context, divorced from the four noble truths and the eightfold path?

To start the discussion, Draszczyk offers an in-depth exploration of the meaning of mindfulness (Skt.: smrti; Pali: sati) across time, place, and ideologies: 

Generally speaking, we can say that in Buddhist sources—be they Pali-based Buddhist writing or Sanskrit-based sutric and even tantric scriptures—mindfulness is understood to be closely associated with recollection, noting, attentiveness, concentration, recognition, discernment, awareness, and insight, and it provides the ground and the condition for an ethical way of life and for engaging in meditation. Practically speaking, for people trained in mindfulness, it becomes easier to make wise choices: They know how to direct their attention, what to focus on, in which way to relate to their objects of attention, and how to interact with what is happening within themselves and in the outer world. 

She then provides a two-page summary that outlines numerous associations with the term across the Buddhist schools: mindfulness as discerning insight (Pali: prajna) in the context of the fourfold application of mindfulness; the Tibetan Buddhist lojong practice of “developing certain wholesome states of mind such as loving-kindness and compassion”; and certain Mahayana traditions where mindfulness “can even relate to nondualistic, direct, and nonconceptual awareness.”

Although Draszczyk aims to illuminate mindfulness in the context of Mahayana Buddhism, she makes a point to highlight that both the Theravada and Mahayana traditions share the belief that “human beings have the potential to train their minds to progress toward awakening.” Additionally, she continually contextualizes the practice within the four noble truths, taking refuge in the Buddha, dharma, and sangha—it’s never an isolated practice and one of multiple necessary qualities that lead to awakening. 

Where the traditions begin to diverge is in their emphasis on mindfulness. For example, Theravada uses the fourfold application of mindfulness assertively, while in other traditions, “there is much emphasis on rituals, recitations, visualizations, mantras, koans, aspiration prayers, and faithful invocations.” Another key difference is the Mahayana principle of the bodhicitta, where practitioners—called bodhisattvas—strive “for complete and perfect awakening or buddhahood on behalf of all beings.” These important aspects of Mahayana often lead to the assumption that mindfulness plays only a peripheral role compared with its central position within the Theravada. However, Draszczyk argues that when practiced solemnly and within the Buddhist ethical framework, the Mahayana practices are deeply intertwined with “mindfulness in all its facets.” By referring to prominent Indian and Tibetan sources and masters, she gracefully elucidates the indisputable Mahayana contributions to the mindfulness movement. 

One of my favorite passages comes from a noncanonical Buddhist scripture, The Questions of King Milinda (Pali: Milindapanha). A compilation of conversations between Indo-Greek King Menander (aka King Melinda I) and the Sarvastivadan monk Nagasena, the text contains many uplifting discussions around mindfulness. After Nagasena is questioned about his faith in the Buddha despite no evidence of his existence, the monk answers with a beautiful blend of logic and faith that powerfully affirms the path: 

As people seeing a fine, well-planned city would know it was laid out by a skilled architect, so the city of righteousness laid out by the Blessed One can be seen. It has constant mindfulness for its main street, and in that main street, market stalls are open selling flowers, perfume, fruits, antidotes, medicines, nectar, precious jewels, and all kinds of merchandise. Thus, O king, the Blessed One’s city of righteousness is well planned, strongly built, well protected, and thus impregnable to enemies; and by this method of inference, you may know that the Blessed One existed. 

As a teacher, I particularly appreciated the detailed investigations into the specific (and often diverging) instructions that have emerged over time. In a comparative analysis between the Discourse on the Application of Mindfulness and the Tibetan translation of the Perfection of Wisdom in 25,000 Lines, Draszczyk explains that the Theravada and Mahayana scriptures provide different teachings on “how attention is to be developed.” Illustrations follow of the Mahayana emphasis on cultivating “nondualistic, nonconceptual mindful awareness” to achieve awakening. The author also outlines instructions specific to certain masters within the same tradition. For example, she takes a close look at the Karma Kagyu tradition’s ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje (1556–1603), who provided classifications around what he viewed as two distinct practices: “object-oriented mindfulness” and “pure mindfulness.” She also looks at one of her spiritual guides, Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche (1952–2014), who gave detailed guidelines for developing “a stable state of calm-abiding” in preparation for mindfulness meditation. 

It can be easy to lean toward dichotomous thinking, even for those on the contemplative path, evidenced by centuries of disagreements between different Buddhist schools of thought, and it is also true today amid what many call “the culture wars.” In light of this, Draszczyk’s honest and comprehensive investigation into the role of mindfulness across time and place is a breath of fresh air. Her careful compilation proves that the Buddha’s gift is eternal, with ancient and contemporary sources continuing to provide a wealth and depth of inspiration for teachers and practitioners alike.