A Study on the Educational Application of Mindfulness

ABSTRACT

This paper was written in order to propose that ‘mindfulness’ which is the core of buddhist practice has the possibility to be applied to school education as a supplementary education that can overcome the crisis of modern education. The use of mindfulness meditation is already spreading explosively throughout domestic and foreign general public and psychotherapy field as scientific evidences supporting the positive effect of mindfulness meditation to the body and the soul are brought about constantly. Although researches applying mindfulness meditation to education are increasing, they are still in their infancy. Therefore, for the wholistic growth of students and better educational environment, the alternative form of education applying mindfulness to school education and curriculum should be vitalized more. In this paper, the ‘educational value’ of mindfulness is discovered by exploring the characteristic and the function of mindfulness. By doing this, this paper (a) provides the evidence that mindfulness can solve a very important and practical problem of modern education. Moreover, (b) it also discusses about the grounds for the application of mindfulness to various situations in the classrooms of modern education. Finally, by revealing several important reasons that the application of mindfulness to school education and curriculum should be considered, it is shown that mindfulness can be worthily integrated with education as an alternative form of education which can surmount the crisis of modern education.