Awareness Versus Un-Clinging: Which Matters in Mindfulness?

Awareness and un-clinging have been emphasised in Buddhist discourse as important facets of mindfulness practice for over 2500 years. However, there is a lack of rigorous research examining the relationship between these two elements and their importance to well-being. To evaluate these abstract con...

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Authors: Ng, Siu-man (Author) ; Chow, King Wo (Author) ; Lau, Hi Po (Author) ; Wang, Qi (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Routledge [2017]
In: Contemporary buddhism
Year: 2017, Volume: 18, Issue: 2, Pages: 277-291
Online Access: Presumably Free Access
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Summary:Awareness and un-clinging have been emphasised in Buddhist discourse as important facets of mindfulness practice for over 2500 years. However, there is a lack of rigorous research examining the relationship between these two elements and their importance to well-being. To evaluate these abstract constructs, the current study adopted multiple assessment modalities; namely, a self-report scale, experience sampling (assessing "momentary mindfulness"), and semi-structured interviews (assessing "rater-rated mindfulness"). A total of 415 participants completed the questionnaire survey. Among them, 71 participants further took part in the experience sampling procedure and semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that self-reported awareness was mildly correlated with momentary mindfulness (r = .35) but was not significantly correlated with rater-rated mindfulness. Self-reported un-clinging was moderately correlated with rater-rated mindfulness (r = .53) but was not significantly correlated with momentary mindfulness. Un-clinging, but not awareness, can distinguish meditators from non-meditators. Lastly, based on the Buddha's mindfulness discourse, a path analysis model illustrates that the effects of un-clinging and awareness on stress reduction are mediated by emotional intelligence and non-attachment. Practical implications and future research designs are discussed.
ISSN:1476-7953
Contains:Enthalten in: Contemporary buddhism
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/14639947.2017.1374326