Numata Visiting Professor Lecture

A public talk by Numata Visiting Professor Martina Draszczyk.

Mindfulness: Its Place in Buddhism and in Today’s World.

Mindfulness is often referred to as a “direct” path toward freedom from suffering. How is it contextualized in the Buddhist tradition? How is it practiced? And why is it that this particular aspect of Buddhism has entered a certain number of areas in the non-Buddhist world, in particular in the fields of healthcare, education, stress management, and psychological self-care? The lecture will take a look at these different questions.

Martina Draszczyk holds a PhD in Buddhist Studies and Tibetology. Her doctoral thesis at the Department for South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies of the University of Vienna dealt with the integration of the notion of buddha nature in meditation practice. In her research projects at Vienna University she focused on Tibetan Madhyamaka, Mahāmudrā, and buddha nature theories mainly in the context of the Kagyu tradition and published two monographs (together with David Higgins). At present, her main field of research is mindfulness with a particular focus on Indo-Tibetan Buddhism.

Talk will be held in the Senior Common Room in Birks Building.