Non-dual Techniques of Body, Energy and Consciousness: The Philosophy and Practice of Meditation

Dear Colleagues,

Meditation is a core physical practice of religion, as there are meditative practices and effects in prayers and rituals. There are thousands of peoples and religions in the world, so the number of meditation types is even greater. From what perspective should we examine these diverse meditation groups? In this Special Issue, entitled "Non-dual Techniques of Body, Energy and Consciousness: The Philosophy and Practice of Meditation", we welcome works that open up new and comprehensive perspectives on meditation research.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue on meditation.

In the history of religious studies, meditation research has been ongoing in areas of study such as religious practice, enlightenment, mysticism and ritual. Especially since the mid-20th century, the practice and study of meditation has made significant progress in movements and cultures that aim to transcend modernity, such as counterculture and the New Age. The academic tradition and the demands of the times in relation to such meditation have been heightened in the stressful contemporary world, where global human problems are accumulating.

Under these socio-cultural conditions, meditation research has gradually gained momentum in recent years, with studies of each meditation and the meditations of different religions, as well as comparative studies of meditation in different world regions, gradually gaining depth. Attempts have also been made by Wilber, Goleman, Brown and others to construct a general theory of meditation. However, it is undeniable that the epistemological assumptions of the various studies to date have been based on mind–body dualism and an emphasis on consciousness. There is a kind of Orientalism in such research overemphasis. It is necessary here to take a retrospective look at traditional meditation research, to review it epistemologically and methodologically, and at the same time, by doing so, to re-examine the history of meditation and the socio-cultural situations of meditation in the contemporary world and those surrounding it, as well as the philosophy of meditation.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Research area A: To try and refine new ways of describing meditation through a critical examination of consciousness-centred mind–body dualism and a shift towards a triadic theory of body, energy and consciousness. For example, to describe Zen while also focusing on the energetic dimension.
• Research area B: To construct a more comprehensive general theory of meditation by comparing meditations from different religious traditions, paying attention to the historical influences and transmission processes of meditations that have not yet been proven, rather than stopping at a comparison of meditations from different religions or from different regions of the world.
• Research area C: To re-locate the present state of contemporary meditation, such as mindfulness (MBSR), from a more overarching perspective of the social history of meditation and the philosophy of meditation. Such contemporary meditation can be regarded as a contemporary religious practice, although it claims to be de-religious. We are witnessing an era in which the traditional dichotomy between philosophy and religion is being deconstructed and a new philosophy of practice = religion is being born.

The above-mentioned challenges in the study of religions will lead to a deeper and better understanding of the various religions and at the same time provide a better compass for navigating the seas of meditation practice.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200-300 words summarising their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editors, or to the Assistant Editor of Religions. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of this Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Naoki Kashio
Dr. Jørn Borup
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• practice
• prayer
• consciousness
• body
• energy
• bio-force
• mind
• soul
• spirituality
• psychosomatic technique
• body–mind transformation
• non-duality

Title: Modern postural yoga, meditation, and spiritual seeking: Ashtanga vinyasa yoga and “moving meditation”

Abstract: This study focuses on yoga as part of contemporary spiritual culture (CSC) and examines the relationship between modern yoga and meditation. First, I investigate the purpose of practice and the position of medi-tation in classical yoga and hatha yoga; I clarify that classical yoga aims to stop the fluctuations of the mind by subduing physical activity, while hatha yoga aims to activate energy by working on the body, which is a microcosm of the universe. Next, I explore the characteristics of modern postural yoga (MPY, which was established in the early 20th century) and how it differs from traditional yoga. Based on the above discussion, I examine ashtanga vinyasa yoga (AVY), a major school of MPY that has greatly influenced many other forms of yoga. I point out several interpretive frameworks for a series of physical practices in ashtanga yoga (within the same school of yoga). While the Indian tradition views asanas (physical postures) as preparation for meditation, the Western counterculture-influenced yoga that developed after the late 1960s views asanas as a microcosm of life, as a search for spirituality, and as “moving meditation.”

Title: Tsuruji Sahoda's Yogic Experience: from a Scholar to a Practitioner

Abstract: This paper will focus on Tsuruji Sahoda (1899-1986), who can be called one of the leading figures in popularizing Indian yoga practice and its meditation methods in modern Japan. After studying mainstream Indian philosophy and obtaining his doctorate, Master Sahoda served as a professor in Indian philosophy at Osaka University and other institutions. It was at the age of 62, just before retirement from Osaka University, that he encountered yoga practice by receiving instruction from an Indian in Japan. He then mastered yoga, established a yoga Ashram in Kyoto, trained disciples, and eventually made a significant contribution to the spread of full-fledged yoga in Japan. He published many books and translations on yoga as a physical and meditational techniques. In his writings, how is his experience of meditation and the non-dualistic union with the Absolute understood and elucidated by him? How is his Hindu-rooted yoga coherently related to his background as a Buddhist monk? In other words, is his yoga, which is adapted to the Japanese spiritual or religious soil, consistent with the authentic, authoritative Hindu yoga system without contradiction? By examining these issues through comparison with other yoga founders and practitioners in Japan and abroad, we will reconsider the characteristics and significance of Sahota's yogic meditation from a broader perspective.