Traditional Practices, Innovative Adaptations: Globalized Buddhism in Contemporary Bhutan

This research project investigates the use of contemplative Buddhist practices and their associated traditional, yet changing, contexts in Bhutan. Specifically, through participant observation and interviews, I examine how people are developing innovative approaches to contemporary meditation using the resources of traditional practice. I will also analyze how cultural beliefs of kindness towards others, reinforced at an institutional level through their education system and government policies, could shed light on the psychological and cognitive processes that lead towards behaviors and decisions aimed at wellbeing.