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Mindfulness and
Education
Mindfulness and
Education:

Research and Practice

Edited by

Tamara Ditrich, Royce Wiles

and Bill Lovegrove
Mindfulness and Education: Research and Practice

Edited by Tamara Ditrich, Royce Wiles and Bill Lovegrove

This book first published 2017

Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Lady Stephenson Library, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2PA, UK

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Copyright © 2017 by Tamara Ditrich, Royce Wiles, Bill Lovegrove

and contributors

All rights for this book reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without
the prior permission of the copyright owner.

ISBN (10): 1-4438-1688-4

ISBN (13): 978-1-4438-1688-5
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements ................................................................................... vii

Introduction ................................................................................................ ix
Tamara Ditrich and William Lovegrove

I: Theorising Mindfulness: Conceptualisations and Research

Chapter One ................................................................................................. 3

The Conceptualisation and Practice of Mindfulness: Buddhist and Secular
Perspectives
Tamara Ditrich

Chapter Two .............................................................................................. 33

How Strong is the Evidence that Mindfulness Produces Healthy
Psychological Changes in Children?
Steven Roodenrys, Amalia Badawi and William Lovegrove

II: Mindfulness in School Settings

Chapter Three ............................................................................................ 57

Mindfulness Stripped Bare: Some Critical Reflections from the
Mindfulness at School Evaluation
Kathy Arthurson

Chapter Four .............................................................................................. 77

Mindfulness in Education as a Whole School Approach:
Principles, Insights and Outcomes
Nimrod Sheinman and Linor L. Hadar

Chapter Five ............................................................................................ 103

Mindful Aotearoa: Promoting the Benefits of Mindfulness Grounded
in Local Content and Understanding
Grant Rix
vi Table of Contents

Chapter Six .............................................................................................. 125

Meditating Mindfully: Teachers go Within to Ensure Their Students
do not go Without
Gaylene Denford-Wood

III: Mindfulness in Tertiary and Related Settings

Chapter Seven.......................................................................................... 153

The Relationship between Mindfulness and Burnout and the Role
of Emotion Regulation in University Students
Laura Gaymer

Chapter Eight ........................................................................................... 183

From Perceiving to Believing: The Relationship between Mindfulness
and Self-efficacy in a Student Population
Rebecca L. Harth

Chapter Nine............................................................................................ 217

Reappraisal Strategy in Interpersonal Relationships:
Mindfulness and Attachment
Crystal Pearce

Chapter Ten ............................................................................................. 245

Investigating the Underlying Mechanisms of Mindfulness in a University
Sample: The Theory of Deautomatisation
Helena Rontziokos

Chapter Eleven ........................................................................................ 279

The Shared Relationship of Mindfulness and Self-control
within Psychological Distress
Natasha J. Shalala

Chapter Twelve ....................................................................................... 307

VipassanƗ Meditation and the Role of Mindfulness in the Experiential
Understanding of Core Buddhist Doctrines
Glenys Eddy

Contributors ............................................................................................. 325

Index ........................................................................................................ 331

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This volume has been a collaborative effort, with many people involved
both within Australia and overseas, and we are grateful to all of them.
Particular thanks goes to Venerable Manko, the Abbess of Nan Tien
Temple (Wollongong), who generously helped Nan Tien Institute host the
successful conference Mindfulness and Education in 2014, from which the
inspiration for this volume originated. We would also like to thank the
staff at Nan Tien Institute for their on-going support, and in particular to
Jamila Choubassi, who has assisted unstintingly with many aspects of the
editorial preparation and polishing of this volume.
 INTRODUCTION

With an apparent tide of mindfulness practices and programmes

sweeping in to a range of academic, therapeutic and other domains,
applications of mindfulness (however diversely defined and understood)
have also begun to flow into educational settings. Consequently, and
necessarily, research on the efficacy of various mindfulness-based
interventions and practices has been increasing in the last decade. Being
still in its infancy, a considerable number of fundamental research-related
issues remain unresolved, untheorised or perhaps even unidentified as yet.
In light of these considerations, the present volume aims to contribute to
the nascent field of mindfulness research in education, exploring its
practical implementations as well as theoretical concerns within a range
of educational contexts.
The inspiration for this volume stems from the conference “Mindfulness,
Education and Transformation” (September 2014) held in Wollongong,
Australia, where valuable research papers on a variety of topics related to
implementations of mindfulness in education were presented; participants
from this conference have contributed to the present volume. Most
chapters focus on the research and practice of mindfulness in Australia
and New Zealand, reflecting the growing interest in mindfulness in the
region. To reflect the diversity of approaches, the papers are divided into
three sections: (1) theoretical conceptualisations of mindfulness come
first, and then two sections presenting research on aspects of mindfulness
interventions in (2) schools and (3) tertiary educational settings.
The first section (two chapters) discusses theoretical presentations and
the current state-of-the-art research into mindfulness. In chapter one, the
concept of mindfuness is introduced; the contemporary understanding of,
and research on, mindfulness is compared to, linked and contrasted with
its representations and models within traditional Buddhist contexts. The
chapter gives an overview of traditional Buddhist and modern
conceptualisations and applications of mindfulness and then discusses
major methodological issues arising from the processes of the cultural de-
and re-contextualisation of mindfulness from Buddhist into Western
paradigms. The main foci in Western mindfulness approaches and
research are outlined and linked to broader epistemological questions,
stemming from the disjunctures between traditional Buddhist presentations
x Introduction

of mindfulness and contemporary Western conceptualisations, identifying

the latter as situated within a therapeutic framework and Western
constructs of knowledge, which historically exclude any category
perceived as “religious.” This chapter also suggests ways in which the
current approaches to, and research on, mindfulness could benefit from
appropriate reconnections with the source tradition(s). It suggests that the
re-linking of mindfulness with values, ethics, and understanding
interconnectedness of all beings, which are at the core of Buddhist
discourses, could broaden current Western perceptions and applications of
mindfulness programmes in education, and add a new lens for exploring
current social, environmental and other issues.
Chapter two reviews current research on mindfulness interventions
with children, evaluating their educational, psychological, cognitive and
behavioural outcomes. A number of quantitative studies and meta-
analyses are reviewed, encompassing clinical and nonclinical populations,
mostly delivered in school settings among children and adolescents. The
authors identify several methodological issues occurring in most studies,
such as failing to use control groups and not measuring any changes in
mindfulness itself. The review points out that evidence for the efficacy of
mindfulness intervention programmes among children is generally weak,
with only a few studies showing significant outcomes, and that many
studies have poor research design. As suggested in the chapter, research
on the role of mindfulness in education would need to consider the
broader context of family, peers and the broader culture of the school over
longer periods. The review gives several recommendations for future
research directions, such as determining which groups, at which ages, are
most responsive to mindfulness training; whether the efficacy of
programmes varies with different mindfulness techniques applied; and
what the role of teachers in mindfulness intervention programmes is. The
authors conclude that there is sufficient evidence in the studies reviewed
for the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions to justify further
implementations and research.
The next four chapters present research on various aspects of
mindfulness programmes in schools. In chapter three, the major focus is
methodological issues, which are discussed through a critical evaluation
of processes involved in the teaching of, and research on, mindfulness in
school settings. The study is based on the research outcomes of a pilot
mindfulness-based teaching programme implemented at a primary school
in Adelaide, South Australia. This evaluation is particularly valuable
because very few studies to date have investigated mindfulness
programmes introduced in classroom settings among middle school
 Mindfulness and Education: Research and Practice xi

students. The author raises questions related to ambiguities around the

definition of mindfulness, which “is commonly used as an all-
encompassing or shorthand term for a complex array of theoretical
constructs and associated practices and activities.” The more general
problem of defining mindfulness is reflected in the variety of teaching
approaches and specified goals in the existing mindfulness-based
programmes in education, leading to a lack of clear guidelines for their
evaluation. The author insightfully links this issue to the lack of an
appropriate ethical framework for implementing mindfulness-based
programmes in school settings and identifies broader consequences and
risks involved, such as not addressing the unacceptable social situations
and circumstances of children, especially in socioeconomically disadvantaged
groups. In such cases, mindfulness interventions may “deflect awareness
away from underlying structural and societal factors that caused the
problem behaviours in the first place.” Thus, the chapter links ethical
issues with those of social justice, pointing to a very important gap in
current secular mindfulness programmes in schools.
Chapter four presents a long-term, whole-school approach to the
implementation of a mindfulness programme applied in several primary
schools in Israel since 2000. Most mindfulness-based interventions to date
have only been carried out over a shorter period, in a rather fragmented
manner. This study is therefore particularly valuable since it provides a
model for the full integration of mindfulness into the whole school
curriculum over a longer term, involving not only children but also
teaching staff and parents. The authors describe the programme and
present experiences of this whole-school approach emerging from sixteen
years of implementation. Over the years, this programme has had several
evaluations, from which the authors have drawn insights. The main
benefits, as reported by children, include improved ability to relax and
concentrate, a better sense of control, greater self-awareness, improved
interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and self-healing. In addition,
the authors show that this long-term whole-school approach substantially
increases mindfulness scores, improves children’s coping skills and
enhances empowerment through their increased ability to recall
meditation skills and apply them in stressful situations. It is underlined
that it is only through such a long-term holistic practice that gradual
transformation in children can take place, enabling them to positively
change their coping habits. The authors show that a whole-school
mindfulness programme over the long term influences the entire school
culture and brings about better academic outcomes. The study indicates,
xii Introduction

through the benefits evaluated, that a whole-school approach over

extensive periods of time is worth implementing and researching further.
In chapter five, we move to the other side of the globe, to Aotearoa-
New Zealand, where an innovative model of teaching mindfulness in
schools was developed, called “Pause, Breathe, Smile,” which was
modified to support the New Zealand Education Curriculum and
incorporate a holistic wellbeing perspective from indigenous MƗori
culture. The programme has been initiated, supported and promoted by
the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand, which founded Mindful
Aotearoa, and has been facilitating its delivery and training of the
programme’s facilitators. The author outlines key developments of this
programme and the results of several studies, which again point to
positive outcomes, encompassing significant increases in wellbeing and
improved behaviour of children involved. The programme endeavours to
integrate holistic perspectives, drawing from the rich repository of
wisdom in MƗori indigenous tradition, which views the world as an
interconnected whole, embracing humans and the natural environment in
their interdependence and multiple interrelations. This model has many
parallels with the Buddhist paradigm—from which mindfulness stems in
the first place—such as its foundational teachings about the interrelatedness
and interdependence of all phenomena. Thus, Mindful Aotearoa seems a
very valuable enhancement of the prevailing, largely clinically-based
“one size fits all” models of mindfulness interventions, and shows that
these may be enriched by engaging meaningfully with models from
culturally diverse indigenous traditions in a manner relevant to the local
cultural contexts.
The role of the teacher in the implementation of mindfulness
programmes in schools has received relatively scant scholarly attention to
date. Therefore, the study with a focus on teachers’ meditation practice,
discussed in chapter six, is an important contribution to this under-
researched area. In this chapter, using a qualitative approach, the author
seeks a deeper understanding and effects of contemplative practices of a
group of twenty-two educators across school sectors in various
educational settings in Australia and New Zealand. It aims to learn about
the participants’ motivations and inspiration for their contemplative
practices, outlines the types of meditation they have practiced, and
identifies the main outcomes, as perceived by the participants in terms of
their personal and professional life. One of the most significant insights
from this study is that most participants view their meditation practice as
having been transformative not only for themselves but also for their
students. The study exemplifies, in the author’s words, that for a teacher
 Mindfulness and Education: Research and Practice xiii

“going within means striving to ensure that the students do not ‘go
without.’” The outcomes of this study signal that including contemplative
practices into teacher education and professional learning could be
beneficial for the entire school culture.
The final section includes five studies on mindfulness conducted in
university settings. In these chapters, research focuses on student and
general populations, with research approaches and methodological tools
of psychology, based strongly on quantitative methods. The studies
involve a mixture of cross-sectional and mindfulness intervention designs
to investigate trait mindfulness in relation to various areas such as
burnout, emotional regulation, self-efficacy, self-control attachment, and
deautomatisation. Generally, these studies show how various psychological
variables contribute both to mindfulness and to improved psychological
health, thus providing some insight into psychological mechanisms
contributing to higher levels of trait mindfulness.
Chapter seven addresses the growing problem of burnout commonly
experienced by many work groups. In particular, it investigates the
relationship between emotion regulation and burnout in university
students, using a range of validated questionnaires. Importantly, it shows
that students who were more mindful on the questionnaire’s measures of
mindfulness reported less burnout. Even though such students used
adaptive emotion regulation strategies more and nonadaptive strategies
less, emotion regulation only accounted for a small part of the effect of
mindfulness on burnout.
The next chapter investigates the relationship between various forms
of self-efficacy and trait mindfulness. The results show that attributional
mindfulness was moderately positively correlated with general, coping
and learning self-efficacy measures. Further investigation found
significant partial mediation by mindfulness self-efficacy when the
dependent variable was coping self-efficacy or general self-efficacy, but
not when it was learning self-efficacy. The results suggest that there may
be a reciprocal relationship between some forms of self-efficacy, and
mindfulness: training on one attribute may assist development of the
other.
Both chapters nine and ten investigate aspects of mindfulness and the
processes of decentering and deautomatisation. Decentering refers to
detaching from one’s thought and is viewed to contribute to
deautomatisation—a process in which one’s previously established
tendency to effortlessly and unconsciously engage in maladaptive
behavioursbecomes conscious and controlled. Deautomatisation is a
concept used in a number of theories of mindfulness to explain how
xiv Introduction

mindfulness interrupts habitual ways of thinking, feeling and behaving. In

.

terms of its manifestation, it may be comparable (in a qualified way) to

the Buddhist concepts of mindfulness, clear comprehension and
equanimity. Chapter nine explores the relationship between secure
attachment and different measures of mindfulness, and evaluates how
well Garland, Gaylord, and Park’s “mindful coping model” (2009)
explains this relationship in both a cross-sectional study on university
students and in a MBSR training study. Contrary to expectations, a
positive relationship between trait mindfulness and insecure attachment
was found, along with an inverse relationship between mindfulness and
reappraisal strategies. In the MBSR study, it was found that even though
the MBSR training did increase mindfulness and decentering, there was
an unexpected decrease in positive reappraisal and no change in
attachment. The conclusion was that cognitive positive reappraisal is
antithetical to the acceptance concepts of mindfulness. It is possible that
these results may be more consistent with the Buddhist notions of “simply
noting” thoughts rather than trying to place different interpretations on
them.
The importance of decentering is further investigated in chapter ten. In
particular, this chapter investigates several predictions based on a recent
model, suggesting mindfulness leads to deautomatisation. The proposal
was that through decentering and nonelaborative processing, mindfulness
would facilitate decreases in suppression and reappraisal, leading to lower
levels of psychological distress. Results from this cross-sectional study
revealed that an inverse relationship between mindfulness and
psychological distress was mediated by both decentering and reappraisal,
independently, suggesting that the deautomatisation model of mindfulness
is promising and warrants further investigation.
Recent research has established the importance of self-control or will
power for successful living on almost any criteria. Chapter eleven seeks to
better understand the relationship between will power and mindfulness. Self
control, which may be understood as an individual’s ability to withhold a
predominant response, or persevere through a situation to achieve desirable
outcomes, has significant longitudinal effects on an individual’s daily life,
as well as on their psychological health. The study showed that self-
control and mindfulness were positively related to one another and that
they made overlapping contributions to psychological distress. This
finding suggests that self control and mindfulness reflect some similar
mechanisms or processes. In addition, this study examines the benefits of
mindfulness meditation for overcoming a reduction in self-control
resources, known as ego depletion (ED), in line with the strength model
 Mindfulness and Education: Research and Practice xv

of self-control. However, statistically significant support was not found

for the presence of an ED effect, or the benefits of mindfulness meditation
in improving performance on a self control task.
The book begins by introducing the roots of mindfulness in Buddhist
teachings and ends by returning to the Buddhist framework. Chapter
twelve presents the results of a study that explores the experiences of a
group of participants in a contemporary insight (vipassanƗ) meditation
retreat in Australia, conducted through interviews and participant
observation. It aims to identify the ways in which participants in the
retreat, based on mindfulness practices, learn about the underpinning
teachings of Buddhism. It investigates how they understand,
experientially and conceptually, mindfulness (understood to comprise
bare attention, clear comprehension and nonjudgmental awareness) and
how they interpret their experiences from a Buddhist perspective, through
Buddhist vocabulary and frameworks. The author suggests that
participation in such retreats can bring about valuable insights, and the
retreat framework may be useful also for mindfulness educators and other
professionals in their endeavours to implement mindfulness in educational
settings. In addition, as pointed out in this chapter, the format of an
intensive retreat, particularly over longer periods, may be a suitable
context for future research into effects of mindfulness training.
A major theme emerging from the work reported in this book is the
need to bring together the contemporary uses of mindfulness as therapy
and some core Buddhist concepts originally linked to mindfulness.
Perhaps the major Buddhist teaching of relevance is that mindfulness
should be practiced along with living a life according to Buddhist ethics,
as argued in chapter one. The research and analyses used in chapters
seven to eleven lend themselves to this sort of proposed investigation,
asking whether mindfulness training techniques are more efficacious
when taught along with Buddhist ethics. In particular, the importance of
lovingkindness, compassion, empathetic joy and equanimity in
contributing to psychological health in children warrants investigation
along with further investigations of mindfulness. In a similar way, the
results reported in chapter nine show that positive appraisal did not
operate as was expected. It would be useful to investigate whether the
Buddhist strategy of simply noting thoughts and “letting them go” is a
more effective strategy than either positive or negative reappraisal.
Finally, the processes of decentering and deautomatisation discussed in
chapters nine and ten appear to be quite similar to the Buddhist concept of
equanimity. It is likely that a fuller understanding of what occurs in
xvi Introduction

mindfulness training and its effectiveness can both be enhanced by a

research framework, which investigates these concepts together.
This volume attempts to reflect and capture the enthusiasm and
diversity of mindfulness programmes implemented in contemporary
education. The research interests and directions in evidence are equally
rich and diverse, involving methods and approaches of many disciplines,
with the identified outcomes offering a spectrum of findings and themes
related to mindfulness and education. From the evidence adduced, we can
conclude that the implementations of mindfulness programmes as well as
research efforts about them are worthwhile, especially in educational
contexts, involving as they do the very lives and wellbeing of new
generations.

Tamara Ditrich and William Lovegrove

Wollongong, 1 October, 2016

 I:

THEORISING MINDFULNESS:
CONCEPTUALISATIONS AND RESEARCH
 CHAPTER ONE

THE CONCEPTUALISATION
AND PRACTICE OF MINDFULNESS:
BUDDHIST AND SECULAR PERSPECTIVES

TAMARA DITRICH

Abstract
Mindfulness, as a component of Buddhist meditation practice, was
recontextualised and popularised in the twentieth century and eventually,
through the process of secularisation, entered a range of new settings,
especially in therapeutic contexts. This chapter aims to discuss the
conceptualisation and practice of mindfulness from two different
perspectives, i.e., Buddhist and secular. Firstly, it situates mindfulness
within Buddhist discourse, outlines its definition, main roles and functions,
and proposes some of the main indicators that point to the establishment,
progress and efficacy of mindfulness. The chapter then outlines the process
of the transplantation of mindfulness from the Buddhist context
(specifically the TheravƗda) into Western paradigms, identifying some of
the historical conditions that facilitated this transition. Some implications
of the secular definitions and interpretations of mindfulness are outlined,
and the main issues arising from the processes of cultural translation from
ancient Asia into the global societies of the twenty-first century discussed.
In the last section, the rapidly expanding modern research on mindfulness
is commented upon, especially in terms of education, exploring how the
different definitions and aims of mindfulness practice affect research
models, methods and evaluations within the current scientific discourse.

1. Defining mindfulness
In current scholarly and popular literature, two types of mindfulness
are often distinguished, Buddhist (or “Eastern”), and secular (or
“Western”) (Aronson 2004; Purser and Milillo 2015; Wilks 2014). This
division reflects, among other determinants, the polarisation of religion
4 Chapter One

and science in Western discourses. Mindfulness is rooted in an ancient

Indian contemplative tradition, with its beginnings usually situated in the
fifth century BCE, transmitted within the tradition we today term
“Buddhism.” In old Indian cultures and languages (such as Sanskrit or
PƗli) there was no specific category, word or concept for “religion” (nor
was there one for “philosophy” or “psychology”). Only in the encounter
with the West, during colonisation in the nineteenth and early-twentieth
centuries, were various Asian traditions categorised and labelled as
specific “religions,” Buddhism being one of them (McMahan 2008).
The label Buddhism was applied as an umbrella term to various
disparate living traditions of Asia, which (more or less) centred around the
notion of the Buddha and his teachings, and thus gradually became
perceived as one of the world religions. With the popularisation of
mindfulness in the late-twentieth century and its introduction into a variety
of secular settings, mindfulness began to be reinterpreted as a secular
method, primarily applied for the development of greater attention and
increased wellbeing. Consequently, its links to Buddhism, perceived as a
religion, had to be sidestepped and all the components of the practise of
mindfulness, which were regarded to be related to religion, stripped off
(Wallace 2012). This appropriation (with associated de-contextualising)
and the subsequent decanting of secular mindfulness from Buddhist
mindfulness has had several implications, which have recently received
some scholarly attention (Aronson 2004; Kirmayer 2015; Lutz, Dunne and
Davidson 2007; Samuel 2014), and will be discussed in this chapter.
The main purpose of this chapter is to re-link contemporary treatments
of, and research on, mindfulness with its extensive representations within
the Buddhist tradition. The first section below presents the Buddhist
approach to mindfulness, which inevitably involves the complexities of
traditional Buddhist exegesis and analysis. The second part of the chapter
overviews the modern conceptualisations and applications of mindfulness
and discusses the main methodological concerns arising from the
processes of cultural translation and recontextualisation. The current issues
in Western mindfulness approaches and studies are linked to broader
epistemological questions, namely the juxtaposition of two very disparate
sets of categorisations, i.e., traditional Buddhist analyses and elaborations
of mindfulness in therapeutic intervention, where Western constructs of
knowledge have rigorously excluded “religious” categorisations. This
article attempts to outline some of this disjuncture and its consequences
and then identifies ways in which the current approach to mindfulness
could perhaps benefit from a (necessarily critical but nevertheless
 The Conceptualisation and Practice of Mindfulness 5

genuinely appreciative) relinking with the source tradition, as exemplified

in the TheravƗda canon.

1.1 Mindfulness in the Buddhist tradition1

1.1.1 Representations of mindfulness in the TheravƗda Buddhist
canon
“Mindfulness” is the translation of the PƗli term sati2 (Sanskrit sm‫܀‬ti),
which occurs in Buddhist texts in a range of meanings, such as “memory,
recollection, recognition, mindfulness, wakefulness, alertness” (PED, sv).
The word sati most frequently refers to meditative awareness, which is
situated within the broader context of Buddhist soteriological goals, to be
achieved through ethical and meditative training. It is commonly presented
as an ethical guardian, watching with attention the cognitive processes
occurring from moment to moment (Vism 464). It does not intervene with
the phenomena arising, however there are other components in the process
of meditation training that are to evolve together with mindfulness, such as
effort and ethical or moral development, which have a more active role,
aiming to prevent the arising and continuation of unskilful (akusala) or
harmful states (e.g., anger, greed), and maintain and encourage
skilful/wholesome ones (e.g., kindness, generosity).
In the TheravƗda Buddhist model, mindfulness is not deemed to be
practiced on its own but rather in conjunction with other mental qualities
and faculties to be cultivated on the path to liberation from suffering
(nibbƗna). As “right mindfulness” (sammƗ3 sati), it is an innate component
of the fundamental structure of Buddhist teachings, the four truths, which:
(1) expound the nonsatisfactoriness of existence (dukkha) or suffering,
based on ignorance about the nature of all phenomena (i.e., that they are
impermanent and without an intrinsic self); (2) position craving (ta۪hƗ) as
the precondition for the arising of suffering, explained as “thirst” or desire
for ongoing pleasurable experiences and freedom from unpleasant
phenomena; (3) affirm the possibility of the complete extinction of
suffering (nibbƗna); and (4) delineate the eightfold path, which leads to
liberation from suffering, achieved through ethical training, meditation
practice and cultivation of wisdom (S V 420–424). The components of the
eightfold path are not developed in a linear manner; each of them is
conditioned by, and connected to, all the other ones.
The aim of the Buddhist eightfold path is awakening, which is
accomplished by the cultivation of wisdom (paññƗ). Wisdom itself has
two components: right or appropriate understanding (sammƗ di‫ܒܒ‬hi) that all
phenomena are impermanent, interlinked and without an intrinsic
6 Chapter One

permanent self (M I 46–55); and secondly, right intention (sammƗ sa۪kappa),

which cultivates wholesome mental states and renounces unwholesome
ones (Vibh 235). The next three components of the eightfold path concern
morality/ethics (sƯla):4 right speech (sammƗ-vƗcƗ), right action (sammƗ
kammanta) and right livelihood (sammƗ ƗjƯva), i.e., the cultivation of
speech and actions that do not cause suffering to oneself or others (Vibh
235). In Buddhist teachings, there are no equivalent terms for the
categories ethics and morality, as understood in Western philosophy
(Keown 1992, 2–3). However, it may be argued that ethics is the
foundation of Buddhist teachings, underpinning all its main theoretical
representations, such as the five aggregates, the formula of dependent
origination (pa‫ܒ‬iccasamuppƗda), and the Abhidhammic analysis of
cognitive processes; these can be understood and applied only through the
notion of non-self (in conjunction with impermanence and
nonsatisfactoriness). The fundamental premise for cultivation of sƯla is the
notion of wholesomeness (kusala), meaning that moral speech and actions
are grounded in wholesome mental states or, in the language of the
TheravƗda Abhidhamma, accompanied by wholesome mental concomitants
(cetasika), which include mindfulness, kindness and wisdom. The attribute
wholesome (kusala) refers here to those constituents implicated in
cognitive processes, which are appropriate or skilful (i.e., free from
delusion, desire and aversion), viewed in Buddhist teachings as essential
for development of wisdom and liberation from suffering.
The last three components of the eightfold path, closely interlinked
with wisdom and ethics, are concerned with meditative training, namely:
right effort (sammƗ vƗyƗma) to cultivate wholesome (kusala) mental
states, and avoid unwholesome (akusala) ones (Vibh 235); right
mindfulness (sammƗ sati), presented as ethical awareness, without desires
and discontent, practised towards four domains (the body, feelings,
cognition and mental phenomena) (Vibh 236); and right concentration
(sammƗ samƗdhi) on a meditation object, such as breathing, leading to
deep states of meditative absorption (jhƗna) (Vibh 236). Thus, right
mindfulness (sammƗ sati) is intrinsically situated in, and linked to, all the
other components of the eightfold path, leading to liberation from
ignorance and suffering. As mentioned earlier, the mere presence of
mindfulness protects from negatives states (such as anger, greed, envy,
conceit) and conditions development of wisdom (paññƗ), which
understands mental and physical phenomena as impermanent, empty of a
permanent intrinsic identity. Conversely, in the Buddhist paradigm any
presence of these negative states in the mind indicates the absence of
mindfulness.
 The Conceptualisation and Practice of Mindfulness 7

Thus, in the PƗli canon right mindfulness is presented as one of the

essential components of the Buddhist soteriological framework. It is
defined, explained and taught in several canonical texts, usually in the
context of the four foundations of mindfulness (cattƗro satipa‫ܒܒ‬Ɨna), most
extensively in the Satipa‫ܒܒ‬hƗnasutta (M I 5563; D II 290315; AnƗlayo
2010). According to this text, mindfulness is to be practiced with regard to
four domains, the body (kƗya), feelings (vedanƗ), cognition (citta), and
mental constituents (dhamma), in conjunction with other qualities. The
text states that the meditator is to be “diligent, clearly comprehending and
mindful, having abandoned desires and discontent regarding the world.”5
Diligent (ƗtƗpƯ) refers to energetic extinguishing of negative mental states
(kilesa) (Ps I 244), clearly comprehending (sampajƗno) means understanding
how to cultivate wholesome and skilful qualities and abandon harmful
ones (A I 13; Dhs 16), while having (temporarily) abandoned desires and
discontent (vineyya abhijjhƗdomanassaۨ) concerning the world (loke) (Ps I
244; Vibh 195).
The Buddhist term mindfulness (sati) is often also understood and
represented in English by the words “attention” or “awareness,” especially
in contemporary secular interpretations. However, in the Buddhist context,
the two concepts are very clearly differentiated. The term “attention”
would be a rendition of the PƗli term manasikƗra, expounded as a cognitive
component or concomitant (cetasika), which directs or adverts to the object
(Vism 466) before it is identified and conceptualised (Bodhi 1993, 81). In
cognitive processes (as analysed by the TheravƗda Abhidhamma), attention
(manasikƗra) is present at every moment of cognition, in any mental state,
either wholesome or not, whereas mindfulness (sati) occurs only in
wholesome or skillful (kusala) states (Bodhi 1993, 79). The aim of
mindfulness practice, as presented in the PƗli canon, is not only paying
attention to phenomena occurring in the present moment, but rather the
cultivation (bhƗvanƗ) of wholesome, skilful, “wise attention” (yoniso
manasikƗra) (Dhs 229), which arises together with wholesome components
such as mindfulness (sati) and clear comprehension (sampajañña) (A V
115). The concepts attention (manasikƗra) and mindfulness (sati) from the
TheravƗda Buddhist perspective are two very different concomitants
(cetasikas) in cognitive processes attention being always present,
whereas mindfulness only in connection with wholesome mental states.
When both arise together, then attention is called “wise attention” (yoniso
manasikƗra) which, in conjunction with other wholesome components,
facilitates cultivation of wisdom.
To summarise, mindfulness is firmly embedded in Buddhist soteriological
structures (such as the eightfold path), as being one of the essential
8 Chapter One

conditions for, as well as the outcomes from, ethical training and wisdom.
Consequently, within Buddhist frameworks, mindfulness cannot be
presented as a meditation method per se, i.e., to lead on its own to
liberation from suffering, but can be practised only in conjunction with
other aspects of meditational and ethical training. It is an inalienable
component of broader underlying premises of Buddhist teachings, which
include the notion of “non-self” (anattƗ): mindfulness cannot be regarded
as a permanent reference point or “witnesses,” aware of the phenomena
occurring from moment to moment, but is rather one of the integral
constituents of cognitive processes, which are all impermanent, changing
from moment to moment.

1.1.2 Mindfulness and cognition

Among different, albeit interrelated, representations and models of the
Buddhist teachings, cognitive processes are most comprehensively
analysed and discussed in the Abhidhamma, a collection of texts
traditionally dated in the third century BCE, in which the main structural
foundations of Buddhist discourse are systematically defined and
analysed. In these texts, human cognitive processes are investigated and
their “deep structure” delineated by identifying a number of fundamental
components of complex, lived experiences, which (according to the
tradition) are analysed at a deeper, nonconceptual level. These basic
components, elements or events, called dhammas, surmised to be involved
in, or condition the mental and physical phenomena arising moment to
moment, are listed, defined and discussed (Warder 1971). The entire
structure is presented under four main categories: cognition (citta), mental
constituents (cetasika), materiality (rnjpa), and nibbƗna.
Cognition (citta) is defined as the “knowing” of an object (As 63); it
arises every moment in conjunction with a group of mental constituents
(cetasika), which determine how the object is known; for example, a visual
object can be cognised with anger, restlessness and delusion, or with
peace, joy and mindfulness. The Abhidhamma lists over fifty such mental
constituents (cetasika), which can occur in various groupings (Dhs 9, 75–
76; 87; 120). They are classified, on an ethical basis, as wholesome (e.g.,
trust, joy, peace, lightness, mindfulness, wisdom)6 (Dhs 9), unwholesome
(e.g., anger, greed, restlessness, delusion, conceit) (Dhs 75–87) or
variable (e.g., feeling, volition, perception, attention) (Bodhi 1993, 79).
The wholesome constituents always appear together in a group and are not
compatible with the unwholesome ones and vice versa; for example, in a
given moment of cognition, fear or greed cannot be grouped together with
mindfulness or compassion. Mindfulness is listed as one of the wholesome
 The Conceptualisation and Practice of Mindfulness 9

constituents (cetasikas),7 always arising with other wholesome ones, such

as trust (saddhƗ), non-greed (alobha), non-aversion (adosa), mental
equilibrium (tatramajjhattatƗ), peace (passaddhi), lightness (lahutƗ),
gentleness (mudutƗ) (Dhs 9), but incompatible with the unwholesome
ones. It means that the presence of mindfulness indicates and is indicated
by the other mental constituents (cetasikas) that arise with it, such as trust,
peace, kindness, and wisdom. These wholesome constituents (dhammas),
which include mindfulness, are considered essential for cultivation of
ethics and meditation.
The foundational cognitive structures or psychological “maps,”
outlined in the Abhidhamma and other Buddhist texts, identify and discuss
only those constituents of an experience that are pivotal for liberation from
suffering, because the motivation and aim of the complex investigations of
cognitive processes is to develop a deep understanding (in theory and
practice) of the nature of physical and mental phenomena to the extent that
is necessary for liberation form suffering; this is the rationale for all
Buddhist teachings (Bodhi 1993, 4). Mindfulness is thus perceived as one
of the components (albeit an exceptionally important one) that facilitates
an understanding and insight into the “deep structure” of experiences,
beyond the conceptual level, and prompts the development of
wholesomeness; for example, it encourages the development of loving
kindness, compassion, wisdom, while it discourages or prevents the
negative components of cognition, either through understanding their
harmfulness or by prompting wholesome states to develop instead.
Cognition accompanied by mindfulness can condition the arising of
wisdom, i.e., an insight that all constituents of an experience, including
mindfulness and cognition itself, are without a permanent intrinsic nature,
and that any clinging to, or identification with, any of the components of
experience, stem from ignorance and craving, and only lead to conflict and
suffering.

1.1.3 Indicators of mindfulness from the Buddhist perspective

As discussed earlier, the main functions and roles of mindfulness
within the soteriological framework of Buddhist practice are: to protect
from reacting to experiences, as they arise, with desire, aversion and other
unwholesome states; to establish the right conditions for understanding as
to whether mental states are wholesome or not; and, in conjunction with
other wholesome mental constituents, to prepare the grounds for wisdom
to arise, which, in turn, is viewed as an indispensable condition for
liberation, nibbƗna. Consequently, within Buddhist doctrinal structures
and meditation “maps,” the presence, progress and effectiveness of
10 Chapter One

mindfulness may be indicated through several components, aspects or

variables. Below, some of these indicators are identified, which may serve
as evaluation tools in research on mindfulness.
Firstly, in the Buddhist context, “progress” in mindfulness meditation
may be indicated and evaluated through an ethical lens. As frequently
stated in Buddhist texts, well-established mindfulness diminishes or even
temporarily extinguishes the five hindrances (nƯvara۬a)—unwholesome
mental states rooted in greed (lobha), aversion (dosa) and delusion
(moha). These encompass: (1) sensory desires (kƗmacchanda), seeking,
craving and delighting in pleasures derived through the senses (Dhs 204);
(2) ill-will (vyƗpƗda), encompassing hatred, annoyance, resentment,
hostility, irritation, anger (Dhs 204); (3) sloth and torpor (thƯna-middha),
referring to dullness, rigidity, stolidity, and unwieldiness of the mind and
body (Dhs 204–205); (4) restlessness and worry (uddhacca-kukkucca),
explained as agitation, unrest, distraction, remorse and anxiety (Dhs 205);
and (5) doubt (vicikicchƗ), referring to perplexity, hesitation, uncertainty,
the lack of trust (Dhs 205). As noted in Buddhist teachings, the
diminishment or (temporary) abandonment of these five hindrances is an
indication that mindfulness and concentration have become fairly well
established, and these, in turn, are a precondition for wisdom and insight
to occur (e.g., A III 63–64; S V 127). Hence, diminishment or absence of
these five hindrances may serve as good indicators of progress and
efficacy of mindfulness meditation.
Secondly, according to the analysis expounded in the Abhidhammattha
Sa۪gaha, mindfulness is a mental constituent (cetasika) that is always
accompanied by eighteen other wholesome mental constituents (cetasika),
comprising: trust (saddhƗ), mindfulness (sati), reluctance at doing wrong
(hiri), regard for consequences (ottappa), absence of greed (alobha),
absence of hatred (adosa), mental balance (tatramajjhattatƗ), tranquility
of mental body (kƗyapassaddhi) and cognition (cittapassaddhi), lightness
of mental body (kƗyalahutƗ) and cognition (cittalahutƗ), malleability of
mental body (kƗyamudutƗ) and cognition (cittamudutƗ), wieldiness of
mental body (kƗyakammaññatƗ) and cognition (cittakammaññatƗ),
proficiency of mental body (kƗyapƗguññatƗ) and cognition
(cittapƗguññatƗ), and rectitude of mental body (kƗyujukatƗ) and cognition
(cittujukatƗ) (Bodhi 1993, 79). These mental constituents, which arise
together with mindfulness as a group at every moment of wholesome
cognition, may serve as indicators for presence of mindfulness; for
example, tranquillity, lightness, confidence, absence of greed or anger may
indicate that mindfulness is present or well established.
 The Conceptualisation and Practice of Mindfulness 11

Furthermore, understanding the supporting nature of certain mental

constituents for the development of wholesome mental states is a
significant insight from the traditional exegesis. According to the
Abhidhamma, mindfulness is compatible with, and mutually enhancing
for, the arising and strengthening of both loving kindness (mettƗ) (Dhs
188–189), and compassion (karu۬Ɨ); these are wholesome mental
constituents and therefore, meditation on loving kindness and compassion
are important (perhaps vital) components of Buddhist meditative practice.
Loving kindness meditation (mettƗ)—literally “friendliness”—is included
in the group of the so-called four immeasurables or sublime states
(brahmavihƗras), i.e., loving kindness (mettƗ), compassion (karu۬Ɨ),
appreciative joy (muditƗ) and equanimity (upekkhƗ) (Vibh 272284;
Aronson 1980).8 The practice of the four sublime states may be followed
by mindfulness meditation or, alternatively, mindfulness can be practised
in conjunction with meditation on loving kindness and other sublime states
(S V 119–120). According to the traditional analysis of mental states,
loving kindness and the other three sublime states are (by definition)
accompanied by mindfulness, since all of them are wholesome mental
constituents (Bodhi 1993, 79). Hence, the practice of loving kindness and
compassion conditions and enhances the development of mindfulness and
vice versa. From a Buddhist perspective, an increased kindness,
compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity may be good indicators for
progress and positive effects of mindfulness meditation.
Thirdly, as discussed above, mindfulness can facilitate and condition
the arising of wisdom (paññƗ), which, according to the Abhidhamma, can
only arises together with mindfulness; however, the converse does not
hold—i.e., the presence of mindfulness does not necessarily mean that
wisdom has arisen (Vibh-a 311). Wisdom is presented as one of the
wholesome (kusala) mental constituents (cetasika), it understands or has
an insight into the three marks (ti-lakkha۬a), i.e., impermanence, non-
satisfactoriness and non-self of all mental and physical events and
processes (Vism 436–438). The progress of mindfulness may be indicated
by an increased occurrence of wisdom, usually manifested as an insight
into impermanence, which is regarded as one of the first stages of insight
into the nature of changing physical and mental phenomena (Vism 639–
640).9 Many Buddhist texts (e.g., S IV 142–143; A III 2) put forward that
seeing the momentary arising and passing away of all phenomena leads on
to the final soteriological goal of Buddhist practice, liberation from
suffering. Thus any insight into impermanence indicates the presence of
wisdom, which in turn points to a solid establishment of mindfulness as its
precondition.
12 Chapter One

Fourthly, another key aspect of wisdom (paññƗ) is an insight into the

absence of permanent, intrinsic self (anattƗ), as often reiterated in the
Buddhist teachings (e.g., S IV 147–156; Vism 632–634). This insight,
which is manifested as freedom from clinging to, or identifying with,
physical and mental phenomena or events, yet again, strongly indicates a
solidly founded mindfulness and usually occurs when meditation practice
is well established (Vism 628–629). This insight reduces the sense of “I”
and consequently reduces polarisation between “myself” and “other,”
which is signalled by an increased freedom from conflicts, both inner (i.e.,
within oneself) and outer (i.e., with other people or circumstances).
Therefore, a diminished experience of conflicts may be a good indicator of
wisdom, which in turn signals a well-established mindfulness.
In summary, the aspects and indicators related to the presence of
mindfulness presented above, which are based on, and draw from, the
Buddhist understanding of the structure and dynamics of cognitive
processes, may be considered variables in constructing new theoretical
models of mindfulness and may serve as indicators to be included in
research about the functioning and efficacy of mindfulness.10

1.2 Modern interpretations of mindfulness

1.2.1 Mindfulness and modern Buddhism
As Buddhism expanded over centuries across Asia, new interpretations,
schools of thought and practices evolved, but as far as the roles and
interpretations of mindfulness are concerned, the most significant changes
seem to have occurred only in the last hundred years, initiated by the
historical events in the late-nineteenth century (Ditrich 2016a). This was
the time of the colonisation of Asia and the encounters between Buddhist
traditions and European paradigms, resulting in the birth of “modern”
Buddhism, which was reinvented by both Westerners and Asian Buddhists
with an aim to represent Buddhism as a world religion and a philosophical
system compatible with European ideas of the time. The main parameters,
reflected and involved in the formation of modern Buddhism were:
encounters with Christianity (McMahan 2008, 6773); European science
and rationalism (Lopez 2002, xi–xii; Sharf 1995, 252); European
Romanticism, which particularly influenced the positioning of meditative
experience at the forefront (Sharf 1995); and more recently psychology,
significantly impacting on the interpretation of meditation through a
psychological lens (McMahan 2008, 48). In addition, particular historical
developments during the colonial period in Burma (current day Myanmar)
greatly contributed to situating mindfulness at the centre of Buddhist
 The Conceptualisation and Practice of Mindfulness 13

teachings. The Burmese responded to colonisation by moving to

strengthen their Buddhism, which was no longer under patronage of the
kings, and turned to the lay population for support. In this process,
Buddhism was reinterpreted; meditation, traditionally practised only by a
small number of monastics, was positioned as one of the most important
Buddhist practices for the lay population (Braun 2013, 150–155).
In this shift, mindfulness came to be the most appropriate element of
meditation to be practised by the laity in everyday life and consequently,
the methods had to be simplified; for example, the time dedicated to
formal meditation was significantly shortened, and the expectations of
quick results greatly increased (Sharf 1995, 256). With growing
popularisation of mindfulness in Burma, the first meditation centres for
laity were established, and several noted teachers, among them Mahasi
Sayadaw (1904–1982) and U Ba Khin (1899–1971) and, later on, his
disciple Goenka (1924–2015), were subsequently instrumental in
popularising mindfulness meditation worldwide; their methods constitute a
large part of today’s contemporary mindfulness applications in secular
contexts. Though Burmese teachers modified their approaches to practice
of mindfulness, meditation remained embedded in the Buddhist discourse.
In the twentieth century, revitalised and simplified mindfulness
meditation was spreading rapidly among the laity, firstly in Burma, then in
other Asian Buddhist countries, and in the postcolonial period, particularly
from the 1970s onwards, this movement gradually expanded across the
globe. Initially, meditation courses that were offered in the West followed
the methods and structures developed in Burma, such as the ten day
meditation retreat, facilitated by Goenka, which still remains one of the
most popular Buddhist meditation training models. Already, early on in
the late 1970s, and more so in the 1980s, mindfulness programmes in the
West, especially in the US, started to draw from and integrate different
meditation methods from other Buddhist and non-Buddhist traditions
(Braun 2013, 162–64) as well as include psychotherapeutic approaches.
Subsequently, mindfulness practice started to be increasingly viewed as a
training in attention, with the aim to improve psychological wellbeing, and
thus prepared the grounds for its secularisation.

1.2.2 Secularisation and new representations of mindfulness

The introduction of the programme “Mindfulness-Based Stress
Reduction” (MBSR) in the late 1970s may be viewed as a major
milestones that greatly contributed to the secularisation of mindfulness.
This (by now well-known) eight-week programme was developed by
Kabat-Zinn and initially introduced at the Mindfulness Based Stress
14 Chapter One

Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts in 1979; in

subsequent decades, it expanded worldwide. MBSR typically consists of
weekly meditation classes, a one day retreat, and regular home practice in
daily life. Mindfulness meditation, largely extracted from modern
Burmese methods, especially those developed by Mahasi Sayadaw and U
Ba Khin, incorporates formal sitting meditation, “body scan,” some yoga
postures and mindfulness in daily activities. The MBSR programme has
also been modified and incorporated into various types of psychotherapy,
one of the most prominent among them being “Mindfulness Based
Cognitive Therapy” (MBCT), which was developed as an intervention for
prevention of depression relapse (Segal, Williams and Teasdale 2002). In
addition, mindfulness is applied in dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)
(Lineham 1993), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) (Hayes,
Strosahl, and Wilson 1999) and many others, addressing a wide range of
disorders (both clinical and sub-clinical), such as anxiety, depression, pain
management, eating disorders, substance abuse, and relationship
enhancement, to name a few. Mindfulness has also entered other new
environments, such as the corporate world, schools, prisons, the military,
wellness industries, and is used as a tool for enhancement of wellbeing at
work (Follette, Palm, and Pearson 2006; Germer 2016). In these contexts,
it is often promoted as another self-help method or attention-enhancing
tool, promising improved focus and productivity, better decision making
and greater acceptance of given situations.
The secularisation of mindfulness and its introduction into new domains
has inevitably been reflected in new conceptualisations and practices. Most
commonly, secular mindfulness is defined as a bare awareness that
“emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and
nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment to moment”
(Kabat-Zinn 2003, 145), or “nonelaborative, nonjudgmental, present-
centred awareness in which each thought, feeling or sensation that arises
in the attentional field is acknowledged and accepted as it is” (Bishop et
al. 2004, 232). It is necessary to highlight here that the presentation of
mindfulness as “bare attention” does not stem from Buddhist traditional
teachings, but seems to have been introduced in the 1960s by ÑƗ৆apo৆ika,
the author of enormously influential pioneering work The Heart of
Buddhist Meditation (1962), and since then it has strongly influenced the
modern definitions of mindfulness (Gethin 2011, 267). The attribute
“nonjudgmentally” does not originate from the Buddhist traditions; instead
it seems to have been coined by Kornfield (1977, 13). Some authors
translate/interpret mindfulness as encompassing two aspects, awareness
and attention, i.e., being aware of an experience, paying attention to it and
 The Conceptualisation and Practice of Mindfulness 15

defining it as awareness of present experience with acceptance (Germer

2016, 5–7); or, propose three central components of mindfulness, namely,
intention as personal motivation, attention as sustained focus and
flexibility; and attitude as nonjudgment and acceptance (Shapiro et al.
2006). Often it is also interpreted as “choiceless awareness,” a term coined
by Krishnamurti (2001), a very influential Indian teacher of the twentieth
century, who introduced a contemplative method, often compared to
mindfulness, which he presented as an awareness without discrimination.
In summary, the common denominator of the new definitions of
mindfulness may be articulated as: a nonjudgmental awareness and
intentional attention to the present moment.

1.2.3 Comparison of different conceptualisations of mindfulness

In distinction to modern understandings of mindfulness as “paying
attention nonjudgmentally,” meditation training in the Buddhist context
seems not to aim to isolate and develop attention on its own but rather
pursues cultivation of skilful, wise attention (yoniso manasikƗra), i.e.,
attention that is accompanied by other wholesome components of
cognition. As discussed earlier, wise attention implies an understanding of
whether mental states observed are wholesome or not, and consequently
whether they condition ethical responses or not. Furthermore, since
mindfulness is only one component within the broader Buddhist
soteriological project, it cannot be viewed as a meditation “method” on its
own, but it is always practiced, embedded in, and concurrent with other
constituents of the eightfold path. Consequently, in the Buddhist context,
mindfulness cannot be viewed as a practice, conducted in a nonjudgmental
manner, but rather requires development of clear discrimination between
wholesome and unwholesome mental states, as evidenced in the Buddhist
canon (e.g., S IV, 194), where mindfulness is represented as the guardian
of the senses, allowing only wholesome mental states to arise. This
discrimination stems from the underpinning Buddhist premise that
unwholesome mental states are intrinsically linked to suffering, whereas
wholesome ones are the portal for the arising of wisdom (i.e., the
understanding of impermanence and non-self), which is the precondition
for liberation from suffering, nibbƗna.
The differences between the definitions of Buddhist and secular
mindfulness are linked to divergent goals. From the Buddhist perspective,
the aim and intention of meditation would subtly (but significantly) affect
the entire process of meditation itself, its outcomes and evaluations.11 For
example, if one’s intention was to obtain a greater pleasure or worldly
success as an outcome of meditation, it would (for the Buddhist model)
16 Chapter One

create further clinging and attachment to that particular goal, which would
eventually lead to suffering, and thus subvert the cultivation of wisdom.
The ancient Buddhist tradition does not position for its highest goal
flourishing in human life, but rather aims to transcend it, through
“awakening” (bodhi), a deep existential transformation, presented as a
complete liberation from the entanglements, rooted in desires, craving,
fear, ignorance and other unwholesome states. On the presumption that a
total liberation from human suffering is possible, its goal is to develop,
through a deep investigation of cognitive processes, an insight into the
empty nature of all phenomena and events, i.e., viewing all phenomena
(dhammas) as empty of self (M 1 230; A I 286; S 3 133; Dhp 279). In
contrast, modern secular mindfulness practice mainly aims to reduce stress
and other forms of psychological or physical suffering as well as increase
wellbeing, happiness, adaptability, resilience, efficiency at work place, to
name a few. In consequence, these aims are reflected in the choice of
modern research design of mindfulness, the methods applied, and expected
outcomes.
The two approaches to mindfulness also differ in their ethical foci. As
outlined above, Buddhist meditation is set within a framework of
teachings, underpinned by an ethical structure founded on the notion of
wholesomeness; meditation in this tradition that is divested of ethics
would be unthinkable. Since ethical considerations within the Western
discourse of the twentieth century have been mostly shifted to the
background, especially in the context of scientific objectivity and
increasing awareness that values and ways of life are relative and
culturally specific, seeking a universal ethics have become viewed as
problematic. Therefore, incorporating Buddhist ethical thought and moral
principles into secular mindfulness training would raise challenges, such
as exploration of the concept of karma, the role of intention,
interdependent origination (pa‫ܒ‬icca-samuppƗda) and the question on non-
self, to name a few. In the context of psychotherapy, the ethical
considerations have recently been discussed by several scholars (e.g.,
McCown 2013); health professionals have their own specific ethical
structures, however this does not mean that ethics is a part of mindfulness
training provided to the client or patient in question. It seems that the
ethical implications of the de- and re-contextualisation of mindfulness
have come to the fore with the introduction of mindfulness into various
work environments, from corporations to the military, intending to
improve work performance, productivity, and success. Lately, the debates
about ethics and secular mindfulness have been increasing (e.g., Monteiro,
Musten, and Compson 2015), noting that mindfulness can perhaps be
 The Conceptualisation and Practice of Mindfulness 17

misappropriated in the military (Purser 2014) or used as a means for

maintaining the status quo in unacceptable work environments, to
maintain power and increase profits (Purser and Millilo 2015).
Another difference between the two conceptualisations of mindfulness
stems from different presumptions about self. Mindfulness is viewed
(axiomatically) in the Buddhist context as one of the foundations for
realisation or direct insight into non-self, which is equated with freedom
from suffering. The primary aim of ancient Buddhist discourse was
apparently not the investigation of normality as culturally bound
narratives, or how to live more successfully in this world, but rather to
transcend the entanglements with the world, in order to develop a fuller
human potential. Thus the Buddhist focus is on seeing the deep structure
of cognition and its mechanisms and nature rather than the content or a
personal narrative. Although modern Buddhism has modified this goal by
placing more emphasis on living in the society and in everyday life, it has
still retained, though often at the background, the ultimate goal of
liberation (for oneself as well as for all living beings) from all the bonds,
i.e., attachments and aversion, to this world. Hence, the aim of Buddhism
is transcendent awakening (bodhi), presumably a profound transformation
of human consciousness, reached through ethical and meditative training,
and, for the monastics, renunciation of worldly life. One of the pivotal
(and presumably non-negotiable) conditions for liberation from suffering
and awakening (bodhi) is full insight into non-self, i.e., that there is no
permanent identity, person, or individual, separated from everything else.
In contrast, although psychotherapy and other domains that employ
mindfulness also result in loosening of identification with experiences and
increased adaptability, the identity is generally not questioned, nor is this
possibility raised in Western applications of mindfulness. Being situated in
Western psychological paradigms, mindfulness is viewed instead as a
method to enhance psychological health, perceived as a sense of stable
identity, with well-defined boundaries and self-esteem. Consequently,
representations, applications and research on modern secular mindfulness
are based a priori on a presumption of identity, a separate self, and thus
discussed in the context of current cultural goals such as individual
satisfaction, and self-fulfilment.
The two conceptualisations of mindfulness also have commonalities;
above all, they share the common goal of alleviation of suffering (albeit
with somewhat different understandings of “suffering”). Both traditions
recognise that suffering in some form is a part of human condition and aim
to change the person’s response or relation to suffering. As mentioned
above, Buddhism attempts to addresses all aspects of human suffering as a
18 Chapter One

clinging response to experience, and postulates that humans have the

potential to become completely liberated from suffering, whereas
therapeutic applications of mindfulness, though similarly pursuing
mitigation of suffering, aim rather for a normal, balanced life, well-
adjusted to the current social circumstances. Although the therapeutic aim
of mindfulness is unquestionably very valuable and research evidence
indicates its efficacy, this immediate therapeutic focus may reduce the
scope and potential of mindfulness meditation, which may be, as
Buddhism informs, a component of a potentially larger project, involving
deep exploration of life and its potentials, an investigation of human
consciousness and its potentials for profound transformation. The
abundant contemplative knowledge transmitted in Buddhist traditions,
presented through different models and cognitive structures and “maps,”
may be able to enrich and contribute to re-thinking and re-theorising
current Western scientific assumptions rather than reducing them (Samuel
2014). The similarities and difference between the two representations of
mindfulness open the question of how to bridge the two discourses, or in
other words, how they may contribute to each other.

2. Research into mindfulness

2.1 Methodological approaches, methods and outcomes
With the expanding ubiquity of mindfulness, research into its efficacy
has been expanding, as evidenced by the seemingly exponentially rapid
growth of research publications (e.g., AMRA 2015), most prevalently in
psychology, and also to a lesser degree in the various fields of medical and
social sciences. The effectiveness of mindfulness intervention for a range
of psychological disorders has been indicated by numerous studies that
overview them in psycho-therapeutic settings (e.g., Chen et al. 2012;
Davis and Hayes 2011) and point out that mindfulness promotes mental
and physical health and may augment and enhance psychotherapy. In most
studies a moderate effectiveness in the alleviation of psychological and
physical symptoms is shown, typically including stress reduction and
improvement in a broad range of disorders such as anxiety, depression, or
reduced psychotic symptoms. In a comprehensive meta-study by de Vibe
et al. (2012), which evaluated the effect of mindfulness-based stress
reduction (MBSR) in adults, an overall moderate effect size is determined,
showing positive outcomes such as enhanced quality of life, increased
empathy, and improved somatic health. Similarly, in the analysis by
Khoury et al. (2013), the efficacy of mindfulness was indicated
 The Conceptualisation and Practice of Mindfulness 19

particularly for treatment of depression and anxiety and for general

improvement of psychological wellbeing. Very rarely, were negative
effects discussed; for example, Dobkin, Irving, and Amar (2011) report
increased anxiety, depression, depersonalisation and even the triggering of
psychosis. This indicates that further investigation is needed; the
suggestion here is that Buddhist knowledge about various stages of insight
in meditation, which also include unpleasant mental states, may contribute
to modern research.
Because research into mindfulness is a new area of scientific enquiry,
many new questions and many methodological issues remain to be
addressed (Fox et al. 2014; Sedlmeier et al. 2012; Thomas and Cohen
2014). A large part of the research is based on the assumption that
mindfulness is a mental state or trait that can be measured objectively or
empirically. Consequently, research approaches in investigations of
mindfulness encompass mainly quantitative methods and, to a far lesser
extent, qualitative (McCown 2013, 201). Currently, one of the most
prevalent approaches is measuring the effects of mindfulness, with a
number of self-report questionnaires developed to measure mindfulness as
a state or a trait, such as the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (Brown
and Ryan 2004), Toronto Mindfulness Scale (Lau et al. 2006), or Five
Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (Baer et al. 2006). The latter measures
five facets of mindfulness: observe (experiences), describe (labelling
internal experiences by words), actaware (awareness in attending one’s
activities), nonjudge (not judge inner experiences), and nonreact (allowing
inner experiences to come and go) (Veehof et al. 2011). These facets are
clearly based on the modern secular definition of mindfulness, focusing on
awareness and nonjudgmental attention, showing how crucial is the role of
definition for the entire research design and consequent outcomes. On the
other hand qualitative (or even joint) approaches are rare; although they
may potentially provide greater understanding of the psychological
parameters involved in mindfulness training (Grossman and Van Dam
2013, 235), to date, the limited outcomes from qualitative research do not
seem to be significantly different to those of quantitative research (e.g.,
Ames et al. 2014; Sibinga et al. 2014). Further investigation of issues
related to these methods is needed.
The main challenges for modern research into mindfulness seem to be
methodological: there is still a lack of theoretical models used in research
(Bergomi, Tschacher, and Kupper 2013, 198; Chiesa and Malinowski
2011; Grossman and Van Dam 2013, 235). Methodological shortcomings
were pointed out in a meta-analysis by Sedlmeier et al. (2012), which
initially identified 595 scholarly studies on mindfulness but had to exclude
20 Chapter One

almost 75% from the overview due to methodological problems. The

authors reported that most studies were conducted without sufficient
theoretical background, in a largely atheoretical manner, and concluded
that the focus of research should be on how and why meditation works
rather than the current preoccupation with the question of whether or not it
works. The study recommended the development of more precise theories
and measurement devices for future research, which should aim to identify
the components of meditation practice from which predictions could be
drawn about its effects.
Since research on mindfulness is still in its infancy, it is only in the last
decade that a few models aiming to identify mechanisms of mindfulness
have been developed, with particularly interesting attempts occurring in
cognitive science. These investigations are largely based on research in
neuroscience and phenomenology, most frequently through exploring
first- and third-person approaches. The first indications of a relationship
between meditation and structural changes in the brain were noted already
in the 1970s (e.g., Davidson, Schwartz and Rothman 1976), followed by
many studies, especially in the last decade (e.g., Davidson et al. 2003;
Lazar et al. 2005; Tang, Hölzel, and Posner 2015), when the neurobiology
of mindfulness became a growing field of research, investigating
neuroplasticity in relation to mindfulness and other types of meditation.12
Within the framework of the cognitive sciences, issues around definition
and interpretation of mindfulness are also frequently noted, e.g., Lutz et al.
(2015) identify three main domains of the current understanding of
mindfulness:

(1) as a cognition process, presented by a single definition, i.e., paying

attention in a particular way, which has a limitation that it does not
account for the variety of practices;
(2) interpreted as a mental trait, measured with questionnaires (e.g.
FFM), which is limited by the interpretation of the scales and
measures, assuming that mindfulness is static;
(3) viewed as a “spiritual” path, a commitment to a way of life with a
strong ethical component, however, it involves a collection of
practices, which are too broad to measure.

To address these three domains, each with its own limitations, Lutz et
al. (2015) propose a potentially very useful theoretical model, a
phenomenological space with three dimensions: (1) object orientation
(attention to an object); (2) dereification (de-centering, phenomenological
reduction, cognitive diffusion); (3) meta-awareness (conscious present
 The Conceptualisation and Practice of Mindfulness 21

reflexive awareness). This model seems to be a noteworthy contribution to

the endeavour to theorise more panoramic approaches to research on
mindfulness. To date, very few attempts have been made to investigate the
extent to which current theoretical models could be informed by the
Buddhist contemplative traditions from which mindfulness stems in the
first place. As indicated above, Buddhist conceptualisation of mindfulness
and its embeddedness in the Buddhist soteriological project, which could
be called theory of transformation, may provide indications of effects of
mindfulness training, especially reduction of unwholesome mental states,
changes in cognition by penetrating below the surface level, understanding
the impermanence and interrelatedness of all processes and forms of life,
and consequent changes in perception of identity.

2.2 Research on mindfulness in education

Since the application and research on mindfulness in educational
settings is the main topic of all the other chapters in this volume, here only
the main features and methodological approaches are outlined, followed
by some suggestions on how Buddhist models may inform implementations
of mindfulness in education.
Following the growing evidence of the efficacy of mindfulness
practice among adults, mindfulness has been introduced among youth,
mostly through a repurposing of existing mindfulness intervention models
with age appropriate modifications. Thus, for example, the MBCT-C
programme for children is based on MBCT, or the MBSR-T programme
for adolescents is developed on the model of MBSR, with positive
outcomes indicated, such as alleviation of stress, anxiety and depression
(Biegel et al. 2009). Many programmes for youth are implemented outside
a school setting or taught in school after-hours; typically, such
programmes are conducted within a rather shorter period, somewhere
between eight and twelve weeks, with only a few exceptions (e.g., the
twenty-four-week programme, see Napoli, Krech, and Holley 2005; also
the chapter by Sheinman and Hadar in this volume). More recently,
especially since 2010, a growing number of programmes have been
designed to be incorporated into daily school curriculum, such as the
programmes MindUP (Maloney et al. 2016) and Inner Kids (Galla, Kaiser-
Greenland, and Black 2016), which aim at contributing to both pro-social
behaviour and psychological wellbeing (Schonert-Reichl et al. 2015).
Typically, the main goals of these programmes include stress reduction,
increased attention, emotional balance, compassion, and enhancement of
academic achievements. In addition, several programmes have been
22 Chapter One

developed for teachers to alleviate stress and develop skills to implement

mindfulness practice with students, such as the Inner Resilience (Lantieri
et al. 2016) and CARE programmes, which incorporate emotional skills,
caring and listening practices, and mindfulness (Jennings 2016).
Although mindfulness training programmes for youth have recently
been expanding rapidly, the research into their efficacy to date is relatively
scant, especially in comparison with a very large body of research
publications on mindfulness interventions for adults. According to the
latest review of research publications by Schonert-Reichl and Roeser
(2016, 4), since 2009 the increase in research publications is notable.
Generally, research suggests positive outcomes among clinical as well as
general populations of children. For example, a comprehensive survey by
Kuyken et al. (2013) showed that a mindfulness intervention (522 young
participants, in twelve secondary schools) lowered stress and depressive
symptoms and enhanced greater wellbeing. Similarly, a meta-study by
Zenner, Herrnleben-Kurz, and Walach (2014) on the effects of
mindfulness interventions in schools, based on twenty-four studies,
indicated, among the main benefits, improvements in cognitive
performance and resilience to stress. However, a comprehensive analysis
by Zoogman et al. (2015) of twenty studies of mindfulness interventions
with youth, mostly in school environments, demonstrated an overall small
effect size, with better outcomes in clinical settings than in the general
population. The review by Black (2015), which included forty-one studies,
concluded that mindfulness programmes contributed to improved
attention, reduced anxiety, depressive symptoms and rumination, and
developed prosocial skills. Similar outcomes were indicated in a more
recent review (Schonert-Reichl and Roeser 2016, 3-4), which showed
increased attention, better emotional regulation, improved wellbeing and
health among youth in the general as well as in clinical populations.
Methodologically, the studies of the efficacy of mindfulness in
education generally follow the same research design as studies of the adult
population: predominantly, they measure different psychological facets
through quantitative methods, based on the data obtained from
questionnaires. Most meta-studies (e.g., Black 2015; Burke 2010; Rempel
2012; Zenner, Herrnleben-Kurz, and Walach 2014) identified weaknesses
in research designs, recommending more methodological rigour, validated
measures and the use of active controls. Greenberg and Harris (2011)
recognised the need for a longer term follow up, clearer descriptions of
mindfulness intervention, its frequency and duration.
Qualitative studies are rare though often recommended in view that
they may reveal the experiences of meditators and teachers during
 The Conceptualisation and Practice of Mindfulness 23

mindfulness training programmes (Grossman 2011). As pointed out by

Black (2015, 299), the outcomes of the existing studies were mainly based
on self- or second-person reports (i.e., from parents and teachers), and
consequently more objective measures are needed to avoid potential bias.
Davidson et al. (2012) propose an introduction of contemplative practices
in education and more rigorous evaluations that would involve
transdisciplinary research involving contemplative practices, education,
developmental studies, cognitive science and neuroscience research to
assess the efficacy of new educational practices. More recently, Zajonc
(2016) positioned mindfulness practice within a broader framework of
contemplative teaching and learning as a way of cultivating the holistic
development of students, and noted a need to develop a theory of
contemplative education as a foundation for a high quality research and
teaching.
To summarise, most mindfulness programmes are based on short-term
interventions, more or less replicating mindfulness interventions and
research design models for adults. Research on mindfulness in education
indicates small to moderate size results in terms of stress relief and
improved wellbeing. The main issues raised in research approaches
include: frequent ambiguities around definitions of mindfulness and
identification of variables involved; a lack of clarity about duration,
frequency and long term effects of mindfulness training; and the
competencies of facilitators or teachers of those programmes. As
summarised by Schonert-Reichl and Roeser (2016, 1214), future research
and implementations will need to pay more attention to developmentally
and culturally appropriate mindfulness programmes, the integration of
mindfulness at a whole school level, improved research design with
multidisciplinary approaches, qualitative assessment and longitudinal
studies.
Most programmes aim at alleviating stress and improving physical,
psychological and social wellbeing for students, teachers and the
educational setting as a whole. However, perhaps more focus could be
placed on exploring the roots of stress and suffering in educational and,
more generally, in the societal settings through mindfulness,
contemplation, silence, reflection, and discussions. In this regard, Buddhist
teachings, from where the practice of mindfulness originates, may inform
the current implementation of mindfulness in education. As shown above,
in Buddhism, mindfulness is a component of a greater projecthow to be
liberated from suffering through the cultivation of ethics, meditation and
wisdom. If mindfulness practice is approached in such a holistic way,
practiced in conjunction with a focus on values and ethics, reflections and
24 Chapter One

contemplation, it would require longer periods of practice, over years, and

thus develop new methodological approaches to learning and teaching, as
recently suggested by Gates and Gilbert (2016) and Zajonc (2016).
Mindfulness cultivated within such a broader framework would need to be
integrated into the entire school curriculum, not viewed as primarily a
method of stress relief or relaxation, but rather as a new approach to
learning and living. The interlinkages between values, ethics, kindness,
mindfulness, interdependence of all beings, friendship and identity, which
are at the core of Buddhist discourse, could add a new facet or lens for
explorations of current social, environmental and other problems that new
generations will inevitably face.

Abbreviations
Abbreviations and the quotation system of PƗli sources follow the
Critical PƗli Dictionary (Epilegomena to vol. 1, 1948, pp. 5*36*, and
vol. 3, 1992, pp. IIVI). The numbers in the quotations of PƗli sources
refer to the volume and page of the PTS edition (e.g., MN I 21 refers to the
Majjhima NikƗya, vol 1, p. 21)

A A۪guttaranikƗya. [1885–1900] 1999–2013. Edited by Richard Morris et al.

Oxford: Pali Text Society (PTS).
As AtthasƗlinƯ. [1897] 2011. Edited by Edward Müller, revised by L. S.
Cousins. London: PTS.
D DƯghanikƗya. [1890–1911] 1995–2007. Edited by Thomas William Rhys
Davids and J. Estlin Carpenter. Lancaster: PTS.
Dhs Dhammasa۪ga۬i. [1885] 2001. Edited by Edward Müller. London: PTS.
Dhp Dhammapada. 1994. Edited by Oskar von Hinüber and Kenneth R.
Norman. Oxford: PTS.
M MajjhimanikƗya. [1888–1902] 2003–2013. Edited by Vilhelm Trenckner.
Bristol: PTS.
MW Monier Monier-Williams, [1899] 1988. A Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Oxford: Oxford University Press. Reprinted, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.
PED PƗli-English Dictionary. 19211925. Thomas William Rhys Davids and
William Stede. Bristol: PTS.
Ps PapañcasnjdanƯ, MajjhimanikƗyƗ‫ܒܒ‬hakathƗ of Buddhaghosa. [19221938]
19761979. Edited by James H. Woods, Dharmananda KoĞambi, Isaline B.
Horner. London: PTS.
S SaۨyuttanikƗya. [1884–1898] 1975–2006. Ed. by L. Feer. 5 vols. PTS.
sv sub voce
Vibh Vibha۪ga. [1904] 2003. Edited by Caroline Augusta Rhys Davids. London:
PTS.
 The Conceptualisation and Practice of Mindfulness 25

Vibh-a SammohavinodanƯ. [1923] 1980. Edited by A. P. Buddhadatta. London:

PTS.
Vism Visuddhimagga. [1920–1921] 1975. Edited by Caroline Augusta Rhys
Davids. London: PTS.

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Neuroscience of Consciousness: An Introduction” In Cambridge Handbook of
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Another random document with
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 (Saari häviää ja tupa on edelleen öisessä pimeydessä. Äiti nousee
äkisti vuoteelta, herättää Ainikin, joka jää säikähtyneen näköisenä
istumaan vuoteelle.)

ÄITI:

Kuulitko kuherrusääntä miniämme mielitietyn, sekä kauno

Kaukomielen?

AINIKKI (hätkähtäen):

Enkä kuullut: painajainen lie vain painellut pahasti sinua

sydänalasta, unet tuoden kummalliset vanhan mielehen
höperön.

Peloittelet, säikyttelet sydänyöllä tyttäresi henkiheitoksi

tilalle, kuoliaaksi vuotehelle.

ÄITI:

Tämä ei unennäköä, höperrystä, heikkoutta! Kotona on

poika kohta kera nuoren morsionsa.

(Menee avaamaan akkunan, josta tulvii päivä sisälle.

Kuuluu lintujen laulua):

Jo on päivä korkealla, aamu kirkas koittanunna,

herännynnä heinikkokin, kukka nurmen nukkumasta.
(Itsekseen.) Kovinpa nukuinkin kauan unen uutimien alla, kun
en kuullut ensimäistä kukerikuun kieuntata.

(Menee ovelle, aukasee sen seljälleen, jolloin aamn-anringon valo

virtaa huoneeseen.)
 Toivehikas onnen päivä, Ukon itsensä jakama, mittapuulla
mittelemä ikuisuuden ilmennestä, rannattomasta merestä,
ihmislapsien iloksi, auvoksi on angervoisten!

Ennen maille laskuansa tuo se pieneen pirttihimme riemun,

jommoista ei ennen nämät nähneet seinähirret, kuulleet
kuusihonka orret!

(Kuuntelee ovelta.)

Tällä kertaa vanha korva pettänyt ei kuulijaansa. (Iloisena.)

Tuttu on kavion kopse, tuttu ensi kuulemalta polven poljenta
orihin, varsan astusta vakava.

(Aisukille):

Toimi kuntohon tupamme, lavitsamme laadullensa vallas-

vierahia varten!

AINIKKI (siistien vuodetta ja häärien lieden totona. Itsekseen):

Jo lie mennynnä piloille äiti vanha vanhuuttansa, — —

höpertynnä heikkouttansa — —

(Menee ovesta ulos, juoksee kohta takaisin hämmästyneenä.)

Tosia unia nähnyt lienet ehkä valveillasi! Kotona jo,

kynnyksellä, vartomasi, vuottamasi…!

(Kaukomieli ja Kyllikki astuvat onnellisen näköisinä tupaan.

Kyllikki muuttuu äkkiä nurpean näköiseksi.)

ÄITI (Kaukomielelle):
 Viikon viivyit poikaseni, viikon mailla vierahilla…

58

KYLLIKKI (puoleksi itsekseen):

Ompa tässäkin tupanen nälkäraunion näköinen, hovi

hornalle sopiva. — —

KAUKOMIELI (Kyllikille):

Ellös sä sure tuvista, huokaele huonehista! Tuvat toiset

tehtänehe honkanummen hirsiköstä, parahasta parsikosla.

(Äidilleen):

Oi emoni, kantajani, äitini, ylentäjäni, mitä läksin, senpä

sainkin, kuta pyysin, sen tapasin. Pane patjasi parahat,
pehmoisimmat päänaluiset, maatani omalla maalla nuoren
neiteni keralla.

ÄITI (kohottaen katseensa ylös):

Ole kiitetty jumala, ylistetty Luoja yksin, kun sa toit miniän

mulle, toit hyvän tulen puhujan, oivan kankahan kutojan,
aivan kenstin kehreäjän. (Kaukomielelle.) Itse kiitä onneasi!
Hyvän sait, hyvän tapasit, hyvän Luojasi lupasi, hyvän antoi
armollinen.

(Kyllikkiä hyväillen ja katsellen Kaukomieleen päin.)

Puhdas pulmunen lumella, puhtahampi puolisosi; valkea

merellä vaahti, valkeampi vallassasi: sorea merellä sorsa,
 soreampi suojassasi; kirkas tähti taivahalla, kirkkahampi
kihlattusi…

Laadi lattiat laveat, hanki ikkunat isommat, seisottele seinät

uudet, tee koko tupa parempi: kynnykset oven etehen, ukset
uudet kynnyksille, nuoren neidon saatuasi, kaunihin
katottuasi…

(Esirippi laskee.)

2:nen kuvaelma.'

Pimentoian "kivikko mäki".

Näyttämön etualalla katsomoon päin avonainen, puoliympyrän

muotoinen, maanalainen luola, jonka molemmilla sivuilla olevat
kiviröykkiöt ja mäki kohoavat näyttämön taustaan päin. Luolan
takaseinän ulkopuolella, oven kohdalla makaa Pimentoian koira,
"Hurtta", vahtina.

Taustalla aution näköistä metsäseutua kulonpoltramine

puunrunkeineen, yhtyen taampana pilviseen, öiseen, taivaanrantaan,
josta välistä sukeltaa esiin kuun-käyrä.

Luolan seinät välkkyvät kiteistä, jotka antavat luolalle valaistuksen.

Molemmin puolin sivustoilla kiertää tukeva kivipenkki. Taustalla
keskellä ovi, varustettu vaskilangoilla, joista riippuu suuret vaskiset
lukot. Penkeillä istuu kolme Tietäjää, yksi ovesta oikealle, Louhen
vierellä, ja kaksi oven vasemmalla puolella, valkoisissa puvuissa,
tiara päässä, tulta säihkyvät kiehkurat sekä rinnalla, että otsassa,
korkeat silmikkoristillä varustetut riimusauvat kädessä.

Tietäjien edessä, selin katsomoon, istuu lattialla "kuulijoita", jalat

ristiasennossa, avojaloin, paljain käsivarsin ja kirjava talja
vyötäröillään.

Louhi, hopeahapsinen, hopealta välkkyvässä puvussa, istuen

lähinnä luolan ovea, nojaa oikealla kädellään lukkotankoon.

LOUHI (puhuen kiihkeästi Tietäjille ja "kuulijoille"):

Moinen mahtava perintö, aarre kallis arvaamatoin,

ihmismitoin mittaamatoin. kätketty on kalliohon, uhmattu
maan uumenihin. Tietäjien silmän alle, valvontansa
valppahimman, sitä kun ei ihmisille, hyödyn halvan palvojille
uskalleta tarjoella.

Aivan aikojen alussa, aamu-puhteessa pyhässä, kehityksen

kylvö-kuussa, jätti taatto taivahinen lahjanansa lapsillensa
Sammon suuren, kirjokannen, tiedon lippahan tilavan,
survomahan, sullomahan aine ankea ja piinen, järeäksi
jähmettynyt, suurukseksi syötäväksi, mieltä myöten
myötäväksi. taikka talle-tarpehiksi.

-Eipä ehtinyt inehmo saada auki silmiänsä yltä kyllin

ymmärtämään lahjan suurta kantavuutta kehitykselle elämän.

Hänpä käytti sen omien tarkoitustensa avuksi, kytkemällä

orjan töihin himon hihnapiiskan alla: halvan vasken
hankintahan. kultasuonten keksintähän, muuttamahan maan
metallit, hopean ja rautaruosteen miekoiksi ja miekanteriks',
joilla lyödä kuoliaaksi elonitu jok'ikinen, mi ei mielin
taipuvaisna himon orjaksi alennut.

Näin ei kestänyt koneisto, ratas hieno rikkumatta Vipusessa

Sammon kannen, ihmiskunnan kämmenissä, rautasormien
välissä…

Säpäleiksi särkyi Sampo, kappaleiksi kirjokansi, kunnes

Seppo Ilmarinen, takojista taivon oivin kokosi sen sirpalehet
joutsenen kynän nenästä, maholehmän maitosesta, ohran
pienestä jyvästä, kesäuuhen untuvasta, toisen Sammon
tarpehiksi.

Ta'onnasta Ilmarisen syntyi Sampo uutukainen uuden aian

ihmisille.

Nyt.ei aarrettamme ennen tarjoella, tyrkytellä, Suomen

suurelle suvulle, lapsille Kalevan kansan, kunnes on suku
parannut, kansa uudeksi ehonnut, miehiseksi miehistynvnnä
tiedot, taiat tuntemahan, oppimahan ongelmaiset syyt ja
synnyt ilmiöiden.

Siihen saakka seison tässä tiedon pirtin vartiana, aarrettani

antamatta mielelläni milloinkana arvottomihin käsihin.

Kevähäiset pitkät päivät, talvet päätö päivättömät, vuottelen

väsähtymättä aamua vapahdushetken — — milloin saapuva
on urho Suomen suuresta suvusta, Kalevalan kansan poika,
— kosijaksi Pohjan neidon.

Hälle tääll' on talletettu aito aarre arkkusemme,

huomenlahjaksi hyväksi myyni myötäjäisiksensä.
 1:NEN TIETÄJÄ (puhuen "kuulijoille"):

Kevätkiima ja kuherrus, vietti, lemmen lapsipuoli, lempi,

lapsi rakkauden, keinoina käsissä meillä, päitsiksi ja
ohjaksiksi, talutella ihmiskuntaa tielle tiedon, rakkauden.

Eikä voimaa valtavampaa löydy ilman kannen alla, kuin on

luomisvoiman tenho kiehtomahan ihmismieltä onnen, auvon,
etsintähän.

Siksi häilyy maailmassa miehet, kypsynehet naiset, pyhät

piiat, nuorukaiset, tavotellen toisiansa lailla heinän
heilimöivän, tähkän tuulta täyteläisen, nurmen nuokkuvan
tavalla, etsien elinikänsä vietin suuren viihdykettä lemmen
tuulten leyhkinässä.

Mutta ei evästys lemmen sielun leiväksi levene, eikä

nautinnoiden neste, kostukkeeksi korventavan katumuksen,
kalvavaisen.

Nälkä ja jano se tuima poistuu vasta Pohjolassa, lähtehellä

taian, tiedon, minne heistä pyrkii harvat: yksi yhdestä sadasta,
tuhannesta tuskin toinen.

LOUHI:

Siksi taian ma tekasin, houkutuksen hurmaavaisen.

kiehtomahan miesten mielet urotöihin uskaltamaan. Nostin
heille noita, keinoin utupiian, harha neidon, linnunradan
liepehelle, taivon keskikaartumalle, Neitsyt-tähtisikermähän.
 Ken sen kerran sattumalta näkemähän on osunut, —
kultakangasta kutovan kultaisella sukkulalla, — sille sieluhun
samonnut tuska tulta polttavampi, hehku ahjon heltehinen,
polttaen paja-poroksi, tulin tuhkaksi tuhoten, mielen vanhat
mittasauvat, maljat, joilla nautinnoiden oli määrää mittaeltu.

Sen on tenhosta varissut mieli miehevimmän päästä: niinpä

vanha Väinämöinen, kerran maita kierrellessä loihe katsehen
katolle, maan, tään oivan, laatimansa, nähden siellä neitsyeni
Vaa'an vierellä vakavan, Jalopeura vartiona; vaikka Aino
vastakuollut vielä hällä mielessänsä, unhoitti hän empimättä
maisen lemmen lauhan juoman; sanoihin hän lämpeneikse,
rukouksihin rupeikse, saada sievonen omaksi.

Syvemmälle vielä syöksyi itse Seppo Ilmarinen, sillä neidon

nähtyänsä sai hän intohon isohon takomahan kirjokantta
neidon pään on päästimiksi.

Eipä taika taivonkaaren, tyttö tähtien takainen luotu miesten

miehuksille lauhduttajaksi likaisen lemmen, kiihkon
kiehtovaisen, vaan on syötiksi valettu miesten miehen
nähtäville auttamahan, nostamahan miestä, miehien veroista,
lemmen pauloista pahoista, syvänteistä kiiman, vietin,
kukkulalle korkealle lemmen harhan tuollapuolen, mistä katse
kannattaapi yli hornan laidunmaiden, viettelysten viljapellon.

1:NEN TIETÄJÄ:

Tiedotpa ylen totiset, entisaikaiset, vakavat, lausut vaimo

valkohapsi, hallitsiatar hämärän.
 Muistan eilispäivän lailla, hetken äsken häipynehen,
tapahtuman taannottaisen, vuosisatojen takaisen, jolloin
taivo-neidon taika näytti nuorelle minulle, loisti ylväsmieliselle,
ettei sieluni salista sisimmästä mun sydämein himo ollut
hälvennynnä, haihtununna lemmen löyhkä, vietti ilkeä imetty.

Vielä kerran leimahteli lihan mahti liekkihinsä, kiemaellen

kiihotellen nautintojen nouantahan aivan uusilta aloilta.

Vietti vieri valloillensa, irroillensa Hiiden hirvi, — kunnes

sen avulla Luojan kytkin tiedon kaulaimella, kokemuksen
kuolaimella, pilttuhunsa piehtaroimaan olemukseni
onkaloissa.

Se ei ollut leikin tehty laiskotellen laadittava.

2:NEN TIETÄJÄ (vasemmalla):

Sitä tietä tänne saimme kaikki, pääsimme perille,

matkattuamme mäkinen, kivikkoinen, kannokkoinen,
orjantappurainen taival, viekkahana viittanamme soihtu
Neitsyen sikermän loihtu-lyhdystä leviten.

Kun oli tutuksi tullut, sielulle jo selviöksi tuon valon tosi

olemus, ymmärsi sen yllykkeeksi tehtävähän tenhoisampaan:
suistamahan Hiiden ruuna, järjen juoksija hevonen, kulia
täytyy kuolaimina olla hillintä himojen, oivallisna ohjaksina
aivotusten varma juoksu.

Ruuna tuo ei ruuninkarva astu arki katsannalle nelistellen

nähtäville, ennenkuin on mielen oikut alistettu tiedon alle.

3:MAS TIETÄJÄ (oikealla Louhea vieressä):

 Vasta vanhalla ijällä, matkan päähän päätyneellä, käkesi
sokea silmä leluseksi lemmen taian, lasten leikkikaluseksi.

Muistan kuinka häipyi huntu kiilto kultakutriloilta tuon on

neidon noitumasi. Lempi harhaksi hajosi, muuttui
mullankokkareksi, hiertyi hiekkasen jyväksi, maailmahan
mahtuvaksi oppimattoman opiksi. Katso, kasvoi jo sijalla uusi
taimi taivahinen tiedon voima vartenansa, nupussansa nuori
nukka uskaltavan uhrauksen.

Kun sen näimme kukkahansa puhkeavan parhaillansa,

yhtyi maa ja yhtyi taivas rauha sointuun rakkauden.

Tietäjät tuhatväkiset, manailijät maahisien, teidän, joilla

tehtävänä opastella oppilaita, tiedon tielle pyrkijöitä, neuvoilla
avittavilla, ompi kohta neuvottava karkulaista Kaukomieltä,
joka vaimonsa valitun jättämällä jälkehensä tänne tiensä
tarkkoaapi taika-neidon tahdontahan.

Lujat hälle ehdot laadin, vaadinnat tavanmukaiset,

arvoituksien asussa, mulla kun ei oikeutta kynnysvartian
virassa sisällystä selvitellä kysyjälle kellekänä, — sydämiä
enhän tunne tiedon temppeliin tulijain.

KAIKKI TIETÄJÄT (vannomalla):

Huolimalla huostahamme Kaukomielen kasvatuksen

vannomme myös vastuullemme turmiolliset tulokset.

(Näyttämön taustalla näkyy Kaukomieli, puettuna rautapaitaan,

miekka vyöllä, jousi ja viini selässä, ja keihäs kädessä. Huomaa
luolan oven ja alkaa pyrkiä kiviröykkiöiden yli vaivaloisesti sitä
kohden.)

1:NEN TIETÄJÄ:

Eipä pienet erhetykset, Kyllikin kylällä käynti, kisan, leikin,

tanssin into, siksi painanut pahasti Ahdin poian pohkehissa,
ett' ois' mahtinsa masennut jättämähän neitosensa.

Me näemme syyt syvällä salakammioissa sielun, joista vielä

Kauko itse ei lie täysin tietoisena.

Kauko kerranpa kesällä, syksy-yönä synkeänä, viipyihe

vesillä kauan muikunpyynti matkoillansa, eikä kiirettä pitänyt
kalansaaliista hyvästä yöksi yöpyä kotihin.

— — — Rannalla oli rovio syönyt tuhkaksi tulensa, yöhyt

vaippansa tiheän viskannut jo viidakoille. — —

Loikoeli Kauko kaunis valkosammal vuotehella silmät

selkoseljällänsä, ilman pientä aavistusta, että koittanut jo
kausi, jolloin eestä sielun silmän kaihi kaikonnut ijäksi
kajastamaan katsantansa taakse vahvan ainevaipan.

Syttyi soihdut taivahalle. tulet pilvien takaiset: loihe kuuhut

loistamahan, revon liekit riehumahan, tähti lyhdyt
tuikkimahan, iltaisen ilon pitohon.

Siellä siivin liiteleikse mieli Kauonkin mukana, kohousi

korkealle, taivon kannelle samoten, tietämättä, tuntematta,
vaaroja, mi vaani siellä, tavoitellen tappamahan kolhoa
kokematointa.
 (Kaukomieli ou saapunut luolan edustalle, näkee Pimentolan
koiran,
Joka nostaa päätänsä.)

KAUKOMIELI (hätkähtäen):

Sulje Hiisi haukun suuta, Lempo koiran leukaluuta, laita

sulku suun etehen, haitta hammasten välihin, ettei ennen
ääntä päästä miehen mentyä sivuitse.

1:NEN TIETÄJÄ (jatkaen):

Katse kauas kantavainen kuvitteli Kauollemme tyttäremme,

tähtitarhan usvaisen utu-kuvasen, ilmeiseksi ihmiseksi,
miesten mieliteltäväksi.

Mieli kohta miekkosella myrtyi taiasta mykäksi: heitti

herkeästi hekuman maisen lemmen maistannassa oman
onnensa nojahan, mielin siihen mieltymättä mielellänsä
milloinkana.

Kun hän, tullen tuntoihinsa, koitui aamulla kotihin, kuuli

siskon kielittelyn Kyllikin kylänkulusta, niin hän laski
lankeemuksen vaa'alle vivuttomalle, löytämättä kunnon puolla
punnuksia painavia, jotka vastaisi vikoja, tasoittaisi puuttehia
entisen hyvän emännän — pienemmiksi, siettäviksi.

Siitä syöksihe sotahan, saihe teille taisteluiden, vastoin

vanhan vaatimusta, varoitusta vaimon, siskon.

KAUKOMIELI (joka sillä aikaa on saapuuut luolaa ovelle ja

tarkastellut ovea joka puolelta):
 Jo mä joutunut johonkin, ihmehesen ennättännä, pahan
päässyt pälkähästä, vaaroista ja vastuksista matkan varrella
vakavan, milloin auttajana multa vuorenpeikot voimillensa,
vesi-hiidet hirmuillensa, Mahun aikuiset urohot, milloin
miekkani tulinen, jolla voitin velhot, noidat, kaadoin maahisten
katehet pääni päältä, viereltäni, kupehelta kummaltakin, —
mutta estettä en moista, mokomata, kohdannunna koko
pitkällä polulla, kuin nyt vasta ensi kerran tuommoisen tupa
pahasen, Pimentolan pirtin eessä. (Yhä tutkien ovea.) Näe en
käden sijoa, kynnystä, en pihtipieltä, vemmeltä, mitä vetäistä,
ripoa, mun riivaistaksi uksi kumma umpinainen auki,
selkoseljällensä.

Kun ei tässä tiedot auta, taidotpa tavallisimmat, raahdin

muuksi muutellaita, tohdin toisiksi ruveta.

(Tekee keihäällään ristia (X) merkin oven edessä, lausuu hiljaa

taikasanan, jolloin kuuluu ukkosen jylinää, kuun valo peittyy,
näyttämö pimenee ja Kaukomieli häviää näkyvistä. Kun valaistus
hetkisen kuluttua tulee ennalleen, on Kaukomieli ilmestynyt luolan
sisäpuolelle aivan Louhen eleen.)

LOUHI (nousten asemiltaan, astuu äkkiä askeleen Kaukomieltä

kohden):

Oli tässä ennen koira, rakki raudan karvallinen, lihan syöjä,

luun purija, veren uudelta vetäjä; mikä lienet miehiäsi ku ollet
urohiasi. kun tulit tähän tupahan, sait sisähän salvoksehen
ilman koiran kuulematta, haukkujan havaitsematta.

KAUKOMIELI (ylpeasgi):
 En mä tänne tullutkana taioittani, tieoittani, mahittani,
maltittani, ilman innotta isoni, varuksitta vanhempani koiriesi
syötäväksi, haukkujen hakattavaksi. Pesipä emo minua, pesi
piennä hutjukkana kolmasti kesäisnä yönä, yhdeksästi
syyshämärin joka tielle tietäjäksi, joka maalle malttajaksi,
kotonani laulajaksi, ulkona osoajaksi.

(Astua äkkäi, aivaa kuin säikähtäen, askeleeen taaksepäin.)

Ensikerran einehenäin tunnen nyt pelon tutinan huulilleni

hiiveksivän, — — kammona jo kasvoillani, painajaisena
povella — —!

En ole elämässäni sinä ilmoisna ikänä nähnyt virran

välkynnässä, kesikalvossa vesien, kuvastinta kummempata,
kuin on kuulakka pukusi, peili rinnan riehtiläsi, heilunta
hameesi helman. Siinä on oma kuvani kuvastunut nähtäville
aivan uudessa asussa: tuotu silminnähtäviksi muodot silmiltä
salatut, aikehet ja aivoitukset, joit' ei ilmoille ikinä vielä oltu
veisteltynä. (Kauhulla.) Sieltäpä nyt kiilusilmin puvun
poimujen lomista, pimeästä pilkistävät, ivasuulla irvistävät
elämäni erhetykset, rikkehet rivakan luonnon, ilkeästi
ilkkuellen, että on sopiva hetki minua nyt muistutella töistäni
tuhollisista, tilintekemättömistä.

En mä tänne tuota varten tullunna, en tahtonubna, matkan

vaaroja varonut, tulinpahan tutkimahan, tosissani
tiedustamaan parahinta piioistasi, lemmetärtä linnunradan, —
mutta tunnen ja tajuan, näen huultesi hymystä, olennasta
otsapeilin, että tiedot jo sinulla laadusta minun latuni.

LOUHI:
 Tapa ompi Tietäjien tietojen, salissa tässä pyytämättä
pyrkijöille perinpohjin paljastella heidän sielujensa sintsi, jotta
silmät selveäisi tarkasti tajuamahan, mikä mieletöin on haave
tähystellä tähti-neittä, ennenkuin on velka vanha suunnillensa
suoritettu.

(Tinkimättömästi.)

En mä pistä piikojani, enkä työnnä tyttöjäni, en parasta, en

pahinta, en pisintä, en lyhintä, — — (syyttäen) — — sull' on
ennen naitu nainen ennen juohettu emäntä!

KAUKOMIELI (hämillään):

Kytken Kyllikin kylähän, kylän kynnysportahille, veräjille

vierahille. — — Täältä nain paremman naisen — —!

(Rukoillen)

Tuo nyt mulle tyttäresi, impiparvesta ihanin, öisten unteni

unelma, päivieni pälvi kirkas…!

LOUHI (tylysti keskeyttäen):

En ma anna tyttöjäni miehelle mitättömälle, uroholle

joutavalle.

(Kaukomieli lysähtää masentuneena hervottomaksi.)

1:NEN TIETÄJÄ (suopeasti):

Jos on sulla taito tarkka tajuamaan tarjousta, kuulet siinä

kuivan kiellon, epäyksen ehdottoman, — — — mutta mielin
 miettimällä lupauksen siinä löydät, myönnytyksen
myötäkäyvän, ehdonalaisen asian.

KAUKOMIELI (elpyen):

Lausu, ehdot kuulla tahdon tässä oitis — — —!

1:NEN TIETÄJÄ:

— — — Muistatkohan kosintata Kyllikkisi, kuinka silloin

punnittihin, mittarilla mittelöitiin, ulkomuotosi asua: vakavuutta
vartalosi, voimaa pohjejäntereidén, käsivarsien väkeä?

Avut oivat ulkonaiset, uljas ryhti ruumihin on kyllä pohjana

parasna etsinnässä Pohjan neidon vastuksia voittamahan
tiellä tänne tullessasi.

Täällä vasta valmistuupi tosi ottelu etehen, missä miestä

miehevintä Vaa'an päällä punnitahan aivan toisella tavalla:
(voimakkaasti.) onko sielusi osannut, puhtahaksi puhdistua,
jalommaksi jännittyä, katumuksen kalvavassa ahjossa ylen
kovassa.

Jos on painonsa havaittu painoiseksi punnuksien, joita

Leijona lakien Jalopeura tähtitarhan laskenut on lautaselle
puntariksi painamahan, sielunsa hyve satoa, silloin vasta
pyynnöllensä huomiota annetahan.

LOUHI (Tietäjille kuin kysyen):

Kysyjälle rohkealle
ehtoni kai annettava?
(Tietäjät tekevät myöntävän liikkeen.)
 (Kaukomielelle):
Sitten tyttöäin anele
kukkapäätä kuulustele,
kun sä hiihdät Hiiden hirven
Hiiden peltojen periltä.

KAUKOMIELI:

Enpä ennen oo otusta kuullut moista mainittavan! Minne

eksynyt elukka, heimoltansa häijy, herja?

1:NEN TIETÄJÄ:

Hyyskänsä on hylkiöllä sielun rappio-rajaisen raihnaisilla

rahkasoilla, — — einehenä lemmen laiho, laidunna himon
hekuma.

KAUKOMIELI (hämmästyen);

Tuotapa en ennen tiennyt!

1:NEN TIETÄJÄ:

Sinne sen sinun luvalla Hiidet raivoten rakensi, — —

Juuttahat sen juurruttivat, kuten rannat raitasensa, lammin
silmät lumpehensa. — —

Sinun äsken siittyneenä sikiönä soudellessa luonnon

kohdussa pyhässä, juoksivat sydänveresi, mahlat tunne
maailmasi, kostuttamaan kosteaksi, pehmittämään
pehmeäksi, sielusi sakeat mullat kevätkylvölle jumalan.
Hänpä sinne siemeniksi heitteli hyvän ja huonon, viskoi
 oikean ja väärän, sallien sinun valita, kumman jäädä
vaalijaksi.

Kun ei ennalta itua ilkeäksi ilmoitettu, etkä yksin

ymmärtänyt kasvin laatua lähemmin, paha jäikin juurtumahan,
kasvamahan, versomahan, hyvän siemenen sivulle, orahana
oottavaisen.

Pahan ruohoa rajua, vihreätä veitikkata, söi sun sielusi

sokea, sekä sammutti janonsa nestehellä heinän häijyn.

Siitä kasvoi sieluparka elukaksi ilkeäksi, Hiiden hirvi

hirviöksi, sai se sarvet kulmillensa, vihan vimman viirustamat,
neste ärtyi äiteläksi kiiman kiihkoksi verihin.

Luo'os silmäsi sisemmä oman sielusi saloille, sieltä löydät

hiiden hirven, otuksen, tutun elukan, nelinjaloin juoksevaisen.
Se on siellä suitsettava, hillittävä, hallittava, tuotava tuliaisiksi,
kihlajaisiksi hyviksi mahtavalle morsiolle.

KAUKOMIELI (Louhelle):

Jos mä onnistun otuksen suitsemalla suitsiloihin tuomaan

sulle tuomisiksi, onko palkaksi varattu minun onneni osalle
Pimentolan piika pieni?

LOUHI:

Vasta annan vaapukkani, neidon, naisen, naitavaksi, kun sä

suistat suuren ruunan Hiiden ruskean hevoisen, Hiiden
varsan vaahtoleuan, Hiiden peltojen periltä.

KAUKOMIELI:
 Etköhän emäntä oiva mua pilkkana pitäne…? Enkö tässä
ensikerran kuulle korvin kerrottavan valjahikon vaatimasi?

2:NEN TIETÄJÄ:

Mitä lienet miehiäsi vento vierahia vielä, kun sukuasi et

tunne, oman laumasi opasta?

Jo on aika miehen nousta, Kaukomielenkin kavuta,

korkealle kukkulalle, vihannalle vainiolle aatemaailman aloilla.

Sieltä iskeös itähän silmäs' päivän nousun puolle, mistä

viisaus valuvi, valo koittaa ihmisille, niin sa nähnet hietikolla,
kuloharjan kuusikolla, jonka tukka tulta tuiskii, harja suihkivi
savua.

Oletko näkyä tuota unissa, tai valveillasi sattunut sa

sattumalta — — —

KAUKOMIELI (katkaisten kiihkeästi Tietäjän jatkeen):

näkemähän näykkivätä —
Hiiden hirmuista hepoa?
(Kummastellen.)
Milloinka inehmon mieli
moista tahtoisi tajuta?

LOUHI (varoittaen):

Koita kuuroin korvinesi kuulla kitsastelematta opastusta

antamaamme!

2:NEN TiETÄJÄ:
 Mikäli pyhäinen pyyde, halu polttavan palava, täyttää rinnan
ihmislapsen Tietohon takertumahan ajatustensa avulla,
ajopelin aivojensa, — — — sikäli lähellä hetki matkan päähän
pääsemähän, näkemähän on näkyä, jossa ratsu raudankarva
valmihina vuottelevi päästä vallas valjahisin korjan kestävän
etehen.

Ellös tulta tunnustellen säkeniä säikähtele, tukastansa mi

tulevi, silmän yltä sinkoavat, jouhista hevosen harjan. Tulta
tutkios visusti vakavasti vaaliellen, kohta sen tutuksi tunnet
omaksesi arvaelet.

Muistat mustan menneisyyden hetket herkästi hävinneet,

jolloin laskit valloillensa järjen, aatosten hevosen, varsan
vauhkon, huimapäisen, suitsematta suitsiloilla, päitsemättä
päitsilöillä keskitetyn mietiskelyn; ilman kättä ohjaksissa
tiedon, taidon, viisauden, jumaluuden julkihyvän, olemuksesi
isännän.

Järki pääsi päitsemättä karkuteille karjamailta, laittomille

laidunmaille, tiedon pellon pientarille, rikkaruohon
riuhdontahan.

Siellä söi se ohdakkeita mali heinän heikaleita, mataroita

malkioita, joista juopui ihmisjärki katkeraksi, kirpeäksi,
pistäväksi, polttavaksi, tuskan tuiman tuottavaksi itsellensä,
kuin myös muille.

KAUKCMIELI (miettiväisenä):

Sanoit sauhun tupruavan harjasta eto otuksen.