Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta Influences on the Practices of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy - Considering the Contributions of Buddhist Theory -

Abstract

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) aims to use mindfulness meditation to adjust maladaptive thinking routines in order to manage depression by preventing the recurrence and relapse of depressive episodes. It is a secular approach that focuses on guiding participants to reinterpret thoughts and emotions as fluid mental events rather than as fixed concepts. Mindfulness (sati) is a cornerstone of Buddhism, the practices of which are emphasized in The Foundations of Mindfulness (Mahāsatipaṭṭhana Sutta). This paper compares and contrasts the four foundations of mindfulness as described in the Mahāsatipaṭṭhana Sutta with the mindfulness-based practices of MBCT. The purpose of this study is to clarify some of the influences that early Buddhist practice has on MBCT and suggest some of the benefits that would result in MBCT incorporating Buddhist theory more explicitly. The MBCT model alludes to the empty nature of concepts when describing thoughts and emotions as events rather than facts, but it does not take up an ontological investigation of mind or phenomena. This study suggests that MBCT could benefit from such an inquiry, applying impermanence to all objects, not just mental objects. It is further argued that MBCT acts as an introduction to Buddhist psychology however, if it were to explicitly incorporate Buddhist concepts, the program would be more philosophically robust, enabling it to help practitioners to manage depression that is caused not only by maladapted cognition but from suffering (duḥkha) in general.