Contemplative Practices: An Ethnographic Study of Contexts in Contemporary Bhutan

This ethnographic research investigates the contexts associated with Buddhist practices and how people incorporate traditional understandings of religious practices with innovative approaches to contemporary meditation in a living Buddhist society. Since the 1800s, the use of Buddhist meditation practices spread globally, and secularized components have recently been adapted in education and healthcare systems worldwide. Drawing on participant observation and interviews conducted, this project analyzes the impact of religious orientations on the motivation and experience of practitioners.