Proliferation of Dynamic Meditation of Luangpor Teean Jittasubho to Secular Platforms in Contemporary Thai Society

Abstract

The establishment of Dynamic meditation (DM) among the urban middle class during the late twentieth century was a pivotal juncture that caused the lineage’s emergence as a prominent school of meditation practice in Thai Buddhism.

Secularization of vipassanā meditation is the overall process of transforming traditional meditation into ‘DM’, using the theory of ‘thought and mindfulness’ and presented as a ‘universal mind practice’ for its deliverance onto secular platforms. This movement exhibits a trend towards spiritual engagement among Thai people that is not limited to an integration of mindfulness into people’s daily lives as an individual practice that develops their state of mind. The secular spheres upon which DM has been incorporated into, including spiritual development, education, art, architecture, healing, and environmental conservation, reveal that the Buddhist doctrine of mindfulness has been further transformed and incorporated into ‘secularistic’ activities in order to serve the needs of contemporary Thai society, both spiritually and socially.

Keywords: Dynamic Meditation, Luangpor Teean, Mindfulness, Secularization