I came across this paper in the regular update from Sutta Central: Buddhism without Nirvāṇa , or Nirvāṇa without Buddhism. It's a review of two recently published books, the first on 'mindfulness in America', the second on the origins of mindfulness meditation in Burmese Buddhism.
I was particularly interested in the discussion of the sense in which the practice of meditation has become dissociated from its cultural, Buddhist roots, and incorporated into a post-Christian framework of 'modern enlightenment values'.
The second part of the review provides some insights into Ledi Sayadaw's original motivation in making meditation a popular movement, as distinct from something only practice by monastics. However it also shows that his overall orientation remained quite traditionalist.
For those interested, the titles reviewed are linked below:
Mindful America, Jeff Wilson
The Birth of Insight, Erik Braun.
I think both titles would be useful companion volumes to David MacMahan's Making of Buddhist Modernism and David Brazier's The New Buddhism.
Review - 'Buddhism without Nirvāṇa or Nirvāṇa without Buddhism'?
Review - 'Buddhism without Nirvāṇa or Nirvāṇa without Buddhism'?
'Only practice with no gaining idea' ~ Suzuki Roshi
Re: Review - 'Buddhism without Nirvāṇa or Nirvāṇa without Buddhism'?
Too bad DGA isn't still around ... he would have gotten a kick out of these!
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily ...
Re: Review - 'Buddhism without Nirvāṇa or Nirvāṇa without Buddhism'?
Where'd he go?
'Only practice with no gaining idea' ~ Suzuki Roshi