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Mindful America: The Mutual Transformation of Buddhist Meditation and American Culture, by Jeff Wilson
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Thirty years ago, "mindfulness" was a Buddhist principle mostly obscure to the west. Today, it is a popular cure-all for Americans' daily problems. A massive and lucrative industry promotes mindfulness in every aspect of life, however mundane or unlikely: Americans of various faiths (or none at all) practice mindful eating, mindful sex, mindful parenting, mindfulness in the office, mindful sports, mindfulness-based stress relief and addiction recovery, and hire mindful divorce lawyers. Mindfulness is touted by members of Congress, CEOs, and Silicon Valley tech gurus, and is even being taught in public schools, hospitals, and the military.
Focusing on such processes as the marketing, medicalization, and professionalization of meditation, Jeff Wilson reveals how Buddhism shed its countercultural image and was assimilated into mainstream American culture. The rise of mindfulness in America, Wilson argues, is a perfect example of how Buddhism enters new cultures and is domesticated: in each case, the new cultures take from Buddhism what they believe will relieve their specific distresses and concerns, and in the process create new forms of Buddhism adapted to their needs. Wilson also tackles the economics of the mindfulness movement, examining commercial programs, therapeutic services, and products such as books, films, CDs, and even smartphone applications.
Mindful America is the first in-depth study of this phenomenon--invaluable for understanding how mindfulness came to be applied to such a vast array of non-religious concerns and how it can be reconciled with traditional Buddhism in America.
- Sales Rank: #609405 in Books
- Published on: 2014-08-01
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 6.50" h x 1.10" w x 9.40" l, .0 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 280 pages
Review
"The definitive catalogue of the ways 'mindfulness' is being used by Americans."--Journal of the American Academy of Religion
"Feature[s] a superb bibliography of contemporary English-language writings on mindfulness...Recommended."--CHOICE
"This book [is] fascinating, eye-opening...I hope that the makers of the mindfulness movement will read [this] and consider its implications for their work and for Buddhism in America. I hardly need add that all scholars of contemporary Buddhism and of American history should do the same."--H-NET
"[A] compelling study."--Journal of Religion
"But true to his word, Wilson never indulges in speculation about whether or not mindfulness delivers on its professed benefits. His unsparing account instead amounts to a spirited cross-examination of everything 'mindful' in America."--Tricycle Magazine
"Despite its intended scholarly audience, this is an accessible and remarkably jargon-free study. Wilson is clearly not a reluctant writer, and his prose is clear without being reductive or dry. The readability, and thus possibility of a larger, non-academic audience, is due in large part to the fantastic organization of his argument. He makes his case clearly and forcefully, without treading into repetition."--Winnipeg Free Press
"Mindful America could not be more timely: mindfulness is widespread, at its height of its influence, and significant both in terms of the history of American religion and of Buddhism. This book is well researched, thoughtfully conceived, provocative, intelligently theorized, and accessible to both scholarly and lay audiences. Any serious consideration of mindfulness in the West must address the issues Wilson brings up in this important book." --David L. McMahan, author of Buddhism in the Modern World
"This is a much-needed guide to the mindfulness movement that has moved onto central stage in American Buddhism over the course of the last two decades. Jeff Wilson demystifies the current mindfulness vogue by setting it in historical perspective and providing insightful analyses of the way in which an Asian Buddhist religious practice and value has been spiritualized, medicalized, psychologized, and secularized as it has been reshaped to address the needs of middle class Americans. General readers, practitioners, teachers, authors, and promoters alike will value Wilson's insights into the way in which mindfulness as a technique to address suffering has come to mean many different things for many different people. Wilson again shows himself to be the leading interpreter of the American Buddhist scene." --Richard Seager, Bates and Benjamin Professor of Religious Studies, Hamilton College
"In this well-honed study, Jeff Wilson explores the mindfulness movement in the context of modern American religion and culture. As he does so, we are invited to reflect upon the multi-faceted phenomena of religious transformation, appropriation, and commodification of old world meditation techniques and new world realities. An engaging and enlightening read." --Jan Willis, author of Dreaming Me: Black, Baptist and Buddhist-One Woman's Spiritual Journey
"Mindful America is a superb study by Jeff Wilson, scholar of American religion, that situates the practice of mindfulness within the lineage of American religious movements. What makes this movement unique, of course, is the central focus on the traditionally Buddhist practice of mindfulness... The study has both breadth and depthappropriately encompassing of the broad expanse of mindfulness practice yet specific enough to avoid reckless generalization that neglects the nuance and subtlety of mindfulness in America today. No stone is left unturned as Wilson seeks to understand mindfulness in the broadest possible contextsin light of the aforementioned American cultural tropesalongside some of its benevolent and dastardly particulars: from mindfulness for suicidality to mindfulness for sex. In the end, it represents an ideal example of the study of religion in America." --U.S. Studies Online
"In Mindful America, Wilson explores the origin of the mindfulness movement. The book offers one of the first critical descriptions of the movement, which is focused on more that the movement's practices... Mindful America does a very good job in exploring the mindfulness movement." --Metapsychology
About the Author
Jeff Wilson is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and East Asian Studies at Renison University College (University of Waterloo). He is the author of Mourning the Unborn Dead: A Buddhist Ritual Comes to America (2009) and Dixie Dharma: Inside a Buddhist Temple in the American South (2012).
Most helpful customer reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful.
Excellent overview
By Peter King
I found this book interesting and thought-provoking. It helped clarify for me the rapid evolution of mindfulness from its relatively ignored position as the seventh factor of the Noble Eightfold Path to the buzzword that seems to have launched a thousand self-help manuals. Jeff Wilson picks his way methodically and non-judgmentally (though occasionally he may have his tongue in his cheek) through his subject. Although he is a Buddhist himself, his interest is not in whether mindfulness "works" so much as in the coming together of different cultures and the resultant dynamics that play out. "I seek not to be an advocate or a critic of the mindfulness movement, but a chronicler and an analyst."
He begins with the history of how the term mindfulness evolved. It was as recently as 1910 that the Rhys Davids (husband and wife team) settled on the translation of "mindfulness" for the Pali "sati" in their translation of the Mahasatipatthana Sutta, and subsequent translators of the Pali Text Society followed suit. Wilson picks out Nyaponika Thera's "Satipatthana, The Heart of Buddhist Meditation" as particularly influential prior to the 1970s, in that he clearly promoted the practical benefits of mindfulness though Nyaponika Thera saw it in the context of a Buddhist practice and one that primarily benefited from a retreat setting. However, the 1970s saw a number of new factors emerging, including: (1) The return to the USA of western teachers trained in Asia, such as Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield (2) The emergence of Thich Nhat Hanh into popular best seller awareness (3) Jon Kabat-Zinn beginning to offer MBSR. Mindfulness was now moving out of the exclusive domain of Buddhist monasticism, and away from its earlier nirvanic orientation, to become applied to a wide variety of new concerns.
He goes on to examine the phenomenon of mindfulness under the following chapter headings:
Mystifying Mindfulness: How is Mindfulness Made Available for Appropriation?
Medicalizing Mindfulness: How is Mindfulness Modified to Fit a Scientific and Therapeutic Culture?
Mainstreaming Mindfulness: How is Mindfulness Adapted to Middle Class Needs?
Marketing Mindfulness: How is Mindfulness Turned into a Commercial Product?
Moralizing Mindfulness: How is Mindfulness Related to Values and Worldviews?
The actual text is 197 pages long with additional comprehensive notes. It is very readable and does not at any point become over- academic or difficult to follow.
Here are some quotes that give a flavour of the book. I apologise for taking them out of their context. Please be aware that they reflect my own interest and are not necessarily reflective of the book as a whole.
"But one of Buddhism's enduring insights is precisely that all things change, and Buddhism has managed to reach such a respectable age only by countless changes geared to make Buddhism relevant to evolving circumstances. In particular, when moving out of northern India into a large number of culturally distinct Asian regions, Buddhism was aided in its penetration of new societies by long-term processes of creative adaptation, especially by reconfigurations that allowed Buddhism to provide concrete benefits that each new culture desired."
"The balance of power to define proper practice in the mindfulness movement seems to shift further from formally trained lay teachers to authors who can make mindfulness appear accessible to the widest audiences with the minimal expenditure of effort."
"The result is a significant population of non-Buddhists teaching other non-Buddhists about Buddhist mindfulness with many of them probably never aware that mindfulness has Buddhist connections. Is this the triumph of Buddhism in a non-Buddhist culture or its death knell?"
"The process of domesticating mindfulness involves altering the sources of authority over Buddhist practice: the books and articles that stress the physical and psychological benefits of mindfulness practice often urge readers to seek out professional counselors to help them with mindfulness, but don't recommend receiving advice from an ordained Buddhist teacher or attending a temple in order to further their practice".
"Yet this newly pared-down Buddhism that supposedly returns to Indian roots is eminently prepared to be applied to the worldly cultural concerns of Americans, especially those in the middle-class, mainly white communities that have dominated the public conversation over what American Buddhism should be. This segment of the population has specific concerns that arise out of its ethnic culture....."
"As liberal Buddhists work ever harder to diminish the role of traditional Buddhism in mindfulness, Buddhism not only loses control over mindfulness but potentially comes to be extraneous , lacking any meaningful role in mindfulness and failing to shape the further trajectories that mindfulness takes in American culture."
On a personal note I found this book helpful in giving me some context for the mindfulness phenomenon. I have been involved in Buddhism since the 1970s and worked as a psychotherapist until recent retirement. Back in the 1980s I was astonished how little interest there was in rank and file psychiatry in Buddhist meditation when it clearly had so much to offer. I then subsequently watched in some bemusement as mindfulness became the latest "innovative treatment" cure-all. Now clients are often advised to go on mindfulness courses by people who themselves have little or no experience of mindfulness (though the course teachers will have significant grounding in meditation). I have heard Jon Kabat-Zin speak and found him most enjoyable to listen to, and I have been impressed with how he continues to stress the Buddhist context for mindfulness. I also respect the experience of those trained in MBSR, MBCT and other mindfulness trainings. It does not worry me that mindfulness is now a buzz word in new-age or ego-stroking self-help. However I do have concerns when that "mindfulness", that is essentially traditional Buddhist meditation under another name, is taken out of its context. As I understand it in my own limited experience, a regular Buddhist meditation practice can sooner or later lead to experiences of inner opening that may for a small minority of individuals be distressing and necessitate significant self-reorientation. This process of inner development and spiritual opening has always been central to traditional Buddhist meditation practice, and is best understood through Buddhist teachings. This unfoldment is not necessarily linear, can be unexpected, and can affect different individuals in different ways. For many, nothing much may be noticed, but for a few this can be frightening and impact on life unexpectedly. Obviously this form of experience is more likely to take place in an intensive retreat setting, but not necessarily, and I am concerned for the vulnerable. I worry that so much is being disseminated to so many with relatively little warning on the label of contents and without a sophisticated framework for understanding. I think that this is an issue that could have been within the remit of this book.
17 of 21 people found the following review helpful.
Frustrating inconsistencies, misrepresentations
By Dan Smith
In his book, Wilson does a great job of critiquing the commercialization of mindfulness and sketching a history of the evolution of the concept. I particularly enjoyed his discussion of the rhetoric of science being applied in the Western world as a selling point.
However, there were many inconsistencies in the book that were frustrating. Wilson is a religious scholar and has significant knowledge in Buddhist studies, so it puzzles the reader when he seems to be ignorant about the most basic connections in Buddhist thought (for instance, that desire and insecurity are considered inherently linked rather than being separate concepts altogether, pg. 167).
I was also surprised at how poorly he misrepresented his argument about Western mindfulness leaders pushing the "science" of mindfulness. This is definitely worthy of investigation, but in his quest to defame these leaders, he misrepresents the evidence by not citing the Dalai Lama's numerous commentaries on this exact point. He did such thorough research, but I got the impression he was purposefully ignoring evidence - in several cases - simply to further his arguments. He also cites random "mindfulness teachers" to support his points or poke fun at their "ridiculous" words, many times without explaining who they are or why their comments are relevant.
In general, it seemed like a very condescending attempt at a take-down of mindfulness, with particular defaming (and often puzzling) words aimed at popular mindfulness teachers, such as Thich Nhat Hanh, Jack Kornfield, and Jon Kabat-Zinn. There were parts where I wondered, "Why is this relevant?" On pg. 140, he attacks Jon Kabat-Zinn for posting his academic credentials in a bio on a book sleeve.
There are definitely some interesting parts to this book and some useful history. But having seen how often Wilson misrepresents the evidence, I'm hesitant to believe much of what I read, without authenticating it all through other sources.
Approach this one with care.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
How has Asian religion been adapted for mainstream America?
By SkepticMeditations
Mindful America is an exploration of the mindfulness phenomena, concerned with large-scale trends that can be observed within the movement, and the forces behind these trends.
Wilson argues that mindfulness over the last three decades has gone from an obscure Asian religious technique to a widely touted panacea and a serious money making industry. Today, mindfulness is touted as a cutting edge technique said to produce everything from financial success to mind blowing orgasms.
This 260 page book is well-researched and easy to read for the lay person. I'd give this book three stars for writing style but four stars for the author's leading-edge research in this wildly popular phenomena, the mindfulness movement in America.
Wilson’s treatment of his subject is often predictable and formulaic. Sometimes his critiques of the movement's advocates get repetitive chapter to chapter. Nevertheless, he weaves hundreds of interesting facts, quotations, and sources from the mindfulness movement and addresses six questions.
Mindful America explores six questions under these chapter titles (I provide a few quotes from the chapters):
Chapter 1 Mediating Mindfulness: How Does Mindfulness Reach America?
In this classic presentation [of the Satipatthana Sutta] mindfulness is taught to the monks, not the general Buddhist community, and it is clearly associated with traditional transcendent monastic concerns, such as nirvana. Mindfulness meditation is to be pursued as a way to disengage from clinging to the everyday world of suffering and turn toward a rigorous discipline, resulting in breakage of the cycle of rebirth. p21
Chapter 2 Mystifying Mindfulness: How is Mindfulness Made Available for Appropriation?
For foreign religious practices to be successfully appropriated by mainstream American society, they need to be rendered spiritual and personal to best fit into the prevailing trends in religious orientation...Hinduism is appropriated as yoga, Islam as Sufi poetry, Daoism as tai-chi, Japanese folk healing as reiki, and Buddhism as mindfulness.
The historic authority over these practices of Asians, Middle Easterners, and other groups coded as non-white in American society must be dissolved so that white Americans can claim authority over them, an authority that issues from the fact that these are now self-evidently universal, spiritual, or medical practices available to all comers, which new constituencies have a right to use, and to sell, as they wish. p61-62
Chapter 3 Medicalizing Mindfulness: How is Mindfulness Modified to Fit a Scientific and Therapeutic Culture?
Buddhist monks were supposed to preach, chant, and performed blessings. Too much meditation was believed to cause mental illness. And, anyway, the proper Buddhist methods for dealing with psychological issues, sickness, and other health impairments were exorcism and chanting, not mindfulness. p76
Buddhist practice has been removed from the realm of religion and professionalized to become the property of psychologists, doctors, scientists, and diet counselors, to be engaged in by clients rather than believers, who are not expected to take refuge, read scriptures, believe in karma or rebirth, or to become Buddhist. p103
Chapter 4 Mainstreaming Mindfulness: How is Mindfulness Adapted to Middle Class Needs?
At the heart of OneTaste is Orgasmic Meditation (OM), a form of mindful clitoral stimulation that OneTaste devotees practice daily, either in a group setting or at one of the OneTaste centers, or at home if they have taken OneTaste workshops. As the OneTaste website states, “Practitioners experience benefits similar to other mindfulness practices such as sitting in meditation, as well as the well-known benefits associated with orgasm”. p122
[In] the Satipatthana and Mahasatipatthana Suttas...the Buddha tells the reader to think of one’s own body as a rotting, oozing corpse eaten by worms and disintegrating into its component parts. Mindful-eating authors never quote these passages. p118
Chapter 5 Marketing Mindfulness: How is Mindfulness Turned into a Commercial Product?
Here's nine of the many commercial mindful "products" discussed in the book:
Mindful Horsemanship: Daily Inspirations for Better Communications with Your Horse (sport)
Tennis Fitness for the Love of It: A Mindful Approach (sport)
OneTaste: female orgasm through the practice of Orgasmic Meditation (sex)
The Heart of Buddhist Meditation (religion)
The Mindful Brain (science)
Mindful Therapy (therapy)
Mindful Knitting (hobby)
Mindful Mints (breath freshener)
MindfulMayo Dressing and Sandwich Spread (food)
Chapter 6 Moralizing Mindfulness: How is Mindfulness Related to Values and Worldviews?
In mindfulness movement writings the present moment becomes both savior and heaven: the vehicle for salvation and salvation itself. As Thich Nhat Hanh asserts in You are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment: “The only moment in which you can be truly alive is the present moment. The present moment is the destination, the point to arrive at”. p174
...Mindful civil religion does not call for mandatory participation in mindful activities, radical changes to the economic structure, aggressive or combative politcial struggle, or class warfare. Rather, for many it is apparent that mindful capitalism will be sufficient, as will mindful politics, mindful consumption, mindful work, and so on. p183
We might call this secular religion, one devoid of the supernatural and the afterlife yet operating as a deep well of values, life orientation, and utopian vision. p185
Those who do attach morals to or derive values from their mindfulness practice are often people with a connection to a religious tradition, especially Buddhism. p185
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