Mindfulness: Where It Comes From and What It Means

(Paperback)

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A quick guide to the history of the world's most popular meditation practice. From the time of the Buddha to the age of meditation apps, this straightforward introduction gives an entire overview of the use of the term "mindfulness" in Buddhist meditative traditions. Drawing upon years of experience through practicing, researching, and teaching the history of mindfulness, Dr. Sarah Shaw offers the first-ever accessible guide to the roots of this ancient meditation technique that continues to benefit millions throughout the world. Although the term is heard everywhere from boardrooms and classrooms to gyms and yoga studios, surprisingly little is known about the origins of mindfulness. This easy-to-read short history will give readers, whether they are seasoned or novice practitioners, a better sense of the most practiced meditation in the world.

Reviews

A brilliant and precise introduction to the deep roots of mindfulness.Joan Halifax, author of Being with Dying

Mindfulness, Shaw argues, has always been a crucial part of Buddhism, and it has shifted meanings and methods. . .This accessible, robust exploration will appeal to readers interested in the Buddhist origins of the widely taught practice.Publishers Weekly

Mindfulness. . .thoroughly examines the different meanings of mindfulness, from early Buddhist texts to todays therapeutic applications. This study will be of value to the Buddhist student who wants a deeper understanding of what it means to pay attention to the present moment and how the practice has evolved in different corners of the world over the last 2,600 years.Tricycle

Sarah Shaw. . .does a thorough job of tracing the history of mindfulness within Buddhism, dissecting all the strands associated with the word and the practices it represents.Mindful Magazine

Sarah Shaw traces the genealogy of mindfulness within Buddhism, mapping its development across diverse doctrinal and geographical contexts.Buddhadharma

This book enables the reader to understand mindfulness with scholarly wisdom and a skillful modern application.Jack Kornfield, author of The Wise Heart

What is mindfulness Is it a scientifically proven method for reducing stress An evidence-based strategy for improving performance A path to complete liberation from suffering Or is it simply a way to live a more contented life With directness and warmth, Oxford Universitys Sarah Shaw explains why the answer to each of these questions is yes. Her expertise (and storytelling ability) as both an academic and a practitioner take mindfulness out of the pop culture loop to give us the historic and spiritual meanings of the word. This illuminating book is for anyone who wants to discover the true potency of mindfulness that may otherwise be obscured by our self-help leanings.Susan Piver, author of Start Here Now

In this insightful book, Sarah Shaw chronicles not only how mindfulness has played a central role in Buddhist meditative practices but how it is embedded in a complete system for liberation, undergirded by ethical sensibilities. Illuminating the genealogy of mindfulness and how this term has been rendered historically in a wide range of Buddhist teachings, readers will gain a deeper appreciation for a practice that goes far beyond a modern simplification of simply being in the present moment.Ronald Purser, author of McMindfulness

Author Bio

Dr. Sarah Shaw is a faculty member and lecturer at the University of Oxford. She has taught and published numerous works on the history and practices of Buddhism, including An Introduction to Buddhist Meditation, Birth Stories of the Bodhisatta, and The Spirit of Meditation.