Mindful or Mindless Meditation Workshop by Pragya Jain at Saint Paul Seminary, Philippines
Saint Paul Seminary Foundation (SPSF), Philippines organized an workshop on online Mindful or Mindless Meditation: An Indian Perspective followed by a practical meditation session on May 8, 2024. Ms. Pragya Jain, Research Associate at ISJS was the key faculty for this workshop.
The 3-hour session delved into Meditation from the Indian perspective, exploring its practice across Vedic, Buddhist, and Jain traditions. The discussion covered not only the essence of meditation but also touched upon concepts like mindfulness, mindlessness, and the intriguing blend of both—mindful-mindlessness—within these three rich traditions.The talk was followed by a series of thought-provoking questions and answers.
After the talk, participants practiced meditation for thirty minutes through the instruction by Ms. Jain. The ensuing sit-back-and-relax session proved to be captivating, and students thoroughly enjoyed it.
Fr. Norman Pena, Dean of studies at SPSF delivered a welcome speech. Dr. Shrinetra Pandey, Director (Acting), ISJS spoke about the key concept of meditation and its journey from mindfulness to mindlessness. He also introduced academic programs being offered by ISJS. Dr. James Piscos, professor of Indian philosophy at SPSF, presented vote of thanks and threw light on the research project being jointly undertaken by ISJS and SPSF on Ahimsa. Mr. John Michael, a student of philosophy at SPSF and a ISJS alumni, was the coordinator and moderator of this workshop. A hundred students attended the session; some were on-site while others were online.
The 3-hour session delved into Meditation from the Indian perspective, exploring its practice across Vedic, Buddhist, and Jain traditions. The discussion covered not only the essence of meditation but also touched upon concepts like mindfulness, mindlessness, and the intriguing blend of both—mindful-mindlessness—within these three rich traditions.The talk was followed by a series of thought-provoking questions and answers.
After the talk, participants practiced meditation for thirty minutes through the instruction by Ms. Jain. The ensuing sit-back-and-relax session proved to be captivating, and students thoroughly enjoyed it.
Fr. Norman Pena, Dean of studies at SPSF delivered a welcome speech. Dr. Shrinetra Pandey, Director (Acting), ISJS spoke about the key concept of meditation and its journey from mindfulness to mindlessness. He also introduced academic programs being offered by ISJS. Dr. James Piscos, professor of Indian philosophy at SPSF, presented vote of thanks and threw light on the research project being jointly undertaken by ISJS and SPSF on Ahimsa. Mr. John Michael, a student of philosophy at SPSF and a ISJS alumni, was the coordinator and moderator of this workshop. A hundred students attended the session; some were on-site while others were online.
