By Professor D.M.Sc., Peter Elsass
Center for Humanistic Health Research, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Post Conference Resources
Audio Presentation – listen here
Abstract
In the Western part of the world meditation is often characterized as ’deeply rooted in Asia’. Nevertheless it is decisively different on several dimensions. The ’mindfulness’ meditation’ is an example of how spiritual methods are created in an circular construction between East and West; the socalled ’pizza effect’.
For more than ten years I have been travelling around i Ladakh, Tibet and India and interviewed Tibetan high ranked Lamas about their perceptions and meanings of our Western way of creating Buddhisme. Concretely I have translated an Danish manual and a rating scale for doing mindfulness into Tibetan and have used it as an illustration of our way of meditating. Most of the interviews have been video recorded. Examples will shown of how the Tibetan’s underline that they dont use meditation as an way of creating relaxion, for reducing stress and as an therapy for themselves. They meditate for creating an external compassion for all other people.