Mindfulness: Birth of a New Contemplative Tradition

I believe we are witnessing a momentous event in world spiritual history. It is the birth of an authentic new contemplative tradition.

This new contemplative tradition, born on American soil, was founded by the man on this issue’s cover, Jon Kabat-Zinn. It is called secular mindfulness, or mainstream mindfulness, or just mindfulness. It is of historic importance because it is bringing the benefit of real meditative practice to millions of people in the modern world.

Let’s break down three qualities of this movement. It is new, it is authentic, and it is modern.

Ancient contemplative traditions like Buddhism are relatively recent imports to America. While they have so much to offer, their benefit is generally limited to committed adherents. As a new tradition, born in America, mainstream mindfulness makes contemplative practice accessible to many more people. It is in its infancy, and it will be amazing to see as it develops, deepens, and flourishes in the decades to come. Barrier-free, its potential to benefit people is unlimited.

Already part of the popular culture, mindfulness has been criticized by some people as superficial and open to exploitation. While of course people have hopped on the mindfulness bandwagon for personal or corporate gain, the movement itself is authentic and sincerely devoted to offering the benefits of genuine mindfulness practice. When you read what Jon Kabat-Zinn says in our conversation in this issue, you will see the wisdom and integrity at the heart of the mindfulness movement.

Ultimately, the good news is that true mindfulness practice can’t be corrupted. That’s because mindfulness meditation has two parts. One is concentration—the calming and focusing of the mind. The other is insight—the understanding of reality we naturally develop when we focus a stable mind on what we are experiencing, both inside of us and in the world around us. 

As long as our practice is not limited to mere concentration, the insight it develops leads us naturally to a deeper commitment to things like ethics, compassion, and community. Far from being a tool for manipulation or injustice, mindfulness and the insight it cultivates naturally undermine them. True mindfulness leads only to a better life and world, never worse.

Finally, as a modern tradition, mindfulness is brilliantly adapted to meet the needs and beliefs of many people today who are looking for the transformative benefits of contemplative practice. 

Because it is secular, mindfulness is not limited by what some perceive as the baggage of formal religions, of which many people today are justly wary. At the same time, it can be practiced by people of any religious faith. Mindfulness is about our challenges and hopes right now, offering us practical help in this life, not in some future existence or realm. It is based on evidence, both scientific and personal. As an integral part of modern society, mindfulness is friendly, accessible, and free of barriers. It doesn’t raise all kinds of difficult abstract questions. It just makes sense.

This new, authentic, and modern contemplative tradition is still in its first stages, and it will be thrilling to see how it grows and deepens in the future. I feel the next step is to expand the definition of mindfulness from just a helpful meditation practice to a whole path that can transform our lives and society. The Complete Path of Mindfulness we have presented in Lion’s Roar is one possible framework for that. 

We are so fortunate to be present at the birth of this new contemplative tradition, and to honor and learn from its founder. Starting in this issue, we will present three conversations I had with Jon Kabat-Zinn. They were a revelation to me. Of course, I have always admired Jon’s historic role in founding the secular mindfulness movement. But in these conversations, I learned that he is also, in the broadest sense, a great spiritual teacher. Here we see the wisdom and realization at the very heart of the mindfulness movement, and it gives us real hope for its future.