Peng Yanrui(Fourth-Year Undergraduate Student, School of International Liberal Studies)

Profile & Research

     I am interested in how Loving-kindness Meditation, which originates from Buddhism, can be applied to people’s mental and physical well-being, interpersonal relationships, and the field of education.
     In recent years, mindfulness has gained widespread recognition, especially in clinical medicine and the business sector, with increasing attention to its beneficial effects. However, at the same time, concerns have been raised that mindfulness is being increasingly practiced as a simple attentional training technique, with its original roots in Eastern philosophy and Buddhism being overlooked.

     I also felt deeply confused about whether extracting and practicing mindfulness solely as a technique can truly be called “authentic mindfulness.” From this perspective, I have become interested in what is often referred to as the Second-Generation Mindfulness, which places emphasis on core Buddhist teachings, especially the Four Immeasurable Minds(loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity), as well as the cultivation of spirituality.

     According to the Madhyama Āgama, the Buddha taught young monks to practice the Four Immeasurable Minds. Through this practice, they would be freed from mental and physical suffering, attain a sense of security, strength, and joy, and be able to walk the path of pure practice for the rest of their lives. In this way, Loving-kindness Meditation, which richly incorporates Buddhist teachings and is once again gaining attention in recent years, holds the potential to bring people a sense of safety, inner strength, and joy, while promoting release from suffering in both mind and body. I am deeply drawn to its effects and possibilities, and I hope to explore this topic in depth through academic research in the future.