| School | Humanities |
|---|---|
| Department | Theology and Religious Studies |
| Dates | 01 September 2011 - 31 August 2012 |
| Funder | Leverhulme Research Fellowship |
| Contact person | Professor Rupert Gethin |
Buddhist Abhidharma literature constitutes one of the most sustained attempts in the history of human thought to analyse the workings of the mind, and yet remains relatively unexplored. There is interest beyond Buddhist studies stimulated by possible affinities between the Buddhist model of the mind and perspectives of cognitive psychology, and by the success of ‘mindfulness based’ psychotherapies adapted from Buddhist meditation techniques. The project will result in a monograph outlining the Buddhist account of the mind found in Abhidharma literature, using ways in which the Abhidharma understanding of the mind intersects with contemporary ideas about the nature of consciousness and mental health as an expository tool to address scholars in Buddhist and consciousness studies.