Meaning of 念

[zenman]

Hello,

Does this kanji 念 (jap. nen) have the meaning of mindfulness in the context of Buddhist philosophy?

Thank you.

[Anders]

Yes. You can see it for example in 念仏 nembutsu, derived from buddhānusmṛti - Ie Mindfulness of the Budddha.

[zenman]

Ok, coolio. Thanks Anders.

[Queequeg]

I think it has a broader and more generic meaning than mindfulness, which in a practice context carries a positive connotation. I've read this to mean Mind in an encompassing manner. Its the sum of a being's spiritual life. A being suffering in the deepest hell can be understood in terms of their Mind - thoroughly dominated by destructive delusions and experientially tortured to the extreme. Similarly, the Mind of the bodhisattva is characterized by compassion for all beings.

I may be wrong but nembutsu is descriptive of a Mind absorbed with Buddha.

[Admin_PC]

Hello,

Does this kanji 念 (jap. nen) have the meaning of mindfulness in the context of Buddhist philosophy?

Thank you.

Just thought I'd pipe in with the Japanese definition, with some words containing this character to give you nuance:

• 念 【ねん】 (n) (1) (esp. 〜の念) sense; idea; thought; feeling; (2) desire; concern; (3) (esp. 念に〜、念の／が〜) attention; care; (P) EX: その光景を見て私は驚異の念にうたれた。The sight struck me with wonder.
• 愛念 【あいねん】 (n) (arch) affection; strong feeling of love
• 悪念 【あくねん】 (n) evil thought; malicious motive; spite
• 一念 【いちねん】 (n) (1) determined purpose; (2) {Buddh} an incredibly short span of time (i.e. the time occupied by a single thought); (3) {Buddh} (See 浄土宗) a single repetition of a prayer (esp. in Jodo-shu)
• 一般概念 【いっぱんがいねん】 (n) general idea
• インフレ懸念 【インフレけねん】 (n) inflation fear; inflation worries
• 有念 【うねん】 (n) {Buddh} (See 無念・2) contemplation on concrete, tangible things
• 憶念; 臆念 【おくねん】 (n) something one always remembers
• 怨念 【おんねん】 (n) grudge; malice; hatred
• 感謝の念 【かんしゃのねん】 (n) feelings of gratitude
• 観念 【かんねん】 (n,adj-no) (1) idea; notion; conception; (2) sense (e.g. of duty); (n,vs,adj-no) (3) resignation; preparedness; acceptance; (4) {Buddh} observation and contemplation; (P) EX:
  (1) 年をとるほど、ますます固定観念にとらわれるものです。The older you grow, the more you tend to adhere to fixed ideas.
  (2) 彼女には義務の観念が無い。 She has no sense of duty.
  (3) もう助からないものと観念した。 I gave up all hope of survival.
• 概念 【がいねん】 (n) general idea; concept; notion; (P)
• 彼の福祉の概念はかなり観念的だ。 His notion of welfare is pretty abstract.
• 既成観念 【きせいかんねん】 (n) ready-made ideas
• 既成概念 【きせいがいねん】 (n) (yoji) stereotype; preconceived idea; preconceived notion EX: 既成概念を壊そう！ Let's break stereotypes!
• 記念(P); 紀念 【きねん】 (n,vs) commemoration; celebration; honoring the memory of something; turning something into a memento; memory; (P) EX: 今年タイ航空は５０周年記念を祝います。Thai Air celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
• 祈念 【きねん】 (n,vs) prayer; (P)
• 基本概念 【きほんがいねん】 (n) basic overview; basic concept
• 基本理念 【きほんりねん】 (n) basic principle; fundamental principle
• 強迫観念 【きょうはくかんねん】 (n,adj-no) (yoji) obsession; unreasonable but compulsive idea EX: 下手に手を動かすと気付かれてしまうという強迫観念が俺を襲う。I was assailed by the stupid, but unshakeable, idea that if I was imprudent enough to move my hand I'd be noticed.[Amend]
• 疑念 【ぎねん】 (n) doubt; suspicion; misgivings; scruples; EX: 案の定、彼は疑念を抱いていた。 Sure enough, he entertained doubts
• 正念 【しょうねん】 (n) (1) {Buddh} (See 八正道) right mindfulness; (2) true faith (in rebirth in the promised land)

FWIW, here's the character for the Buddhist concept of "Mind" with some of its nuance:

• 心 【こころ】 (n) (1) mind; heart; spirit; (2) the meaning of a phrase (riddle, etc.); (P) EX:
  (1) あなたの親切な言葉は大事に心に刻みつけておきます。I'll treasure your kind words.
• 心 【しん】 (n) (1) heart; mind; (n,suf) (2) (See 愛郷心) spirit; vitality; inner strength; (3) {astron} (See 二十八宿, 蒼竜・そうりょう・3) Chinese "Heart" constellation (one of the 28 mansions); (4) (arch) friend; (P)
• 愛郷心 【あいきょうしん】 (n) love of one's hometown
• 愛校心 【あいこうしん】 (n) love for one's school or alma mater EX: 彼らは愛校心が足りない。They don't love their school enough.
• 愛国心 【あいこくしん】 (n) patriotic feelings; patriotism EX: 国家主義と愛国心とを混同してはならない。Nationalism is not to be confused with patriotism.
• 愛党心 【あいとうしん】 (n) party loyalty
• 悪心 【あくしん】 (n) (See おしん) evil thought; malicious motive
• 遊び心 【あそびごころ】 (n) playfulness; playful mood
• 徒心; 他心 【あだごころ】 (n) (arch) (See 浮気心, あだしごころ) cheating heart; fleeting heart; fickle heart
• 徒し心 【あだしごころ】 (n) fickle heart
• 安心 【あんじん】 (n) {Buddh} obtaining peace of mind through faith or ascetic practice
• 異心 【いしん】 (n) treachery; intrigue
• 違心 【いしん】 (n) treacherous designs
• 以心伝心 【いしんでんしん】 (n,adj-no) (yoji) telepathy; tacit understanding; communion of mind with mind; sympathy EX: 彼とはツーと言えばカーの仲だよ。以心伝心の仲とでも言っておこう。 He and I have a near-telepathic understanding of each other. No sooner does one of us say something than the other is already responding.
• 異体同心 【いたいどうしん】 (n) (yoji) being of one mind; acting in one accord; behaving in perfect harmony
• 一意専心 【いちいせんしん】 (n-adv,adj-no) (yoji) single-mindedly; wholeheartedly; with one's heart and soul
• 一大決心 【いちだいけっしん】 (n,vs) (yoji) momentous (crucial) decision
• 一味同心 【いちみどうしん】 (n) (yoji) (people) working together with one mind
• 一心 【いっしん】 (adv,n) (1) one mind; (2) (See 一心に) wholeheartedness; one's whole heart;
• 心身(P); 身心; 神身; 身神 【しんしん(P); しんじん(ok)】 (n,adj-no) mind and body;
• 信心 【しんじん】 (n,vs,adj-no) faith; belief; devotion; godliness
• 心身一如; 身心一如 【しんしんいちにょ; しんじんいちにょ】 (n) (yoji) body and mind as one; mind-body unity

Hope that helps.
EDIT: if there's any character combinations you'd like me to break down, just let me know. For example in 一心, the 一 is "1" and the 心 is "mind", so definition 2 is an adverb meaning "single-mindedly".

[littletsu]

念 - niàn in Chinese, can mean many things, among which is recitation or reading out loudly, so 念法 is rather simply the recitation of the name of the Buddha,
whether that perfectly overlaps with buddhānusmṛti, I dont know. Guess it depends on the actual practitioner.