Integrating Contemplative and Ignatian Pedagogies in a Buddhist Studies Classroom

Gloria I-Ling Chien

doi:10.3390/rel11110567

Abstract

The burgeoning application of contemplative pedagogy (CP) in Buddhist studies courses has been widely discussed; yet, how educators incorporate it with other teaching strategies has not attracted much scholarly attention. Drawing from the author’s teaching experience at a Jesuit University, this article demonstrates that integrating CP’s first-person, second-person, and third-person approaches with the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm (IPP) will create a multidimensional environment in learning Buddhism in higher education. This article first argues that the issue of avoiding even implied proselytizing can be successfully overcome, as it is related to the application of Buddhist-inspired contemplative practice, such as Cognitively-Based Compassion Training®, in class. Next, based on the principles of CP and the IPP, this study shows specific examples of multisensory contemplation activities that expand students’ ways of knowing about Buddhist practice and foster their consideration for others. Third, to complement the Jesuit educational purpose of students’ spiritual growth, and the CP’s advocating for inner growth, this research navigates these concerns in a way that also enhances students’ learning in the course content. In conclusion, a combination of CP and the IPP facilitates the whole-person development as well as deepens students’ understanding of Buddhism.

Highlights

While contemplation has existed in various religions throughout history, it has been only approximately during the past twenty years that contemplative science and the integration of contemplative practice into education have inspired the interdisciplinary field of contemplative studies
Contemplative pedagogy (CP) in higher education, a burgeoning subfield of contemplative studies, has stimulated workshops and conferences, and it has been analyzed in scholarship on teaching (e.g., Jacoby and Tinklenberg 2019; Byrnes et al 2018; Barbezat and Bush 2014; Gunnlaugson et al 2014; Zajonc 2013; Simmer-Brown and Grace 2011)
Deepens students’ intellectual understating content because it asks students to compare and contrast their learning experience with concepts mentioned in the scholarly reading or Buddhist texts

Summary

Introduction

While contemplation has existed in various religions throughout history, it has been only approximately during the past twenty years that contemplative science and the integration of contemplative practice into education have inspired the interdisciplinary field of contemplative studies. Drawing from the author’s teaching experience at a Jesuit University, this article demonstrates that combining CP with the IPP will create a holistic and effective environment in learning Buddhism. Such integration can be adapted to a class that values students’ reflection on their first-person experience. Based on the principles of CP and the IPP’s elements of experience and reflection, this study documents the examples of leading multisensory contemplation activities, including a focus on CP’s second-person aspect, to expand students’ ways of knowing about Buddhist practice and to foster their concerns for others. This research contributes to a larger conversation about how educators can facilitate multidimensional learning by integrating specific pedagogical approaches in a Buddhist studies classroom

Contemplative Pedagogy and the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm

Multisensory Reflective Learning and the Second-Person Approach

Cultivating Self-Development without Being Buddhist

Findings

Conclusions