Is Mindfulness compatible with Christianity?

Here's an occasional post, prompted by a discussion we had in one of the churches a couple of weeks ago:

'Mindfulness' has been a buzzword for a few years now, but is it a practice that is compatible with Christianity? Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, the creator of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), describes mindfulness as, ‘Paying attention…on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.’ Or, more simply, ‘being here, now!’ It is a kind of meditation that has its roots in Buddhist philosophy and practice, although many practitioners stress that it can be separated from those roots and used within either a religious or a non-religious framework. They also point to scientific studies which claim that mindfulness and meditation are effective treatments for many conditions. Like a lot of meditation practices it involves focussing on one's breathing and emptying one's head of thoughts, except to be 'aware' of yourself' without judgement, which is seen as the cause of suffering.

'Living in the present' is of course a very sensible thing to do: we can often live in the past or the future, or just 'float' aimlessly through the present. Taking time to rest from the hectic pace of modern life is also very beneficial. 'Self-awareness' is also central to being a Christian for without being self-aware we cannot benefit from the good news of Jesus. Our church services often give us an opportunity to do these things. However, this does not mean that mindfulness is compatible with Christianity.

Firstly, it is impossible to separate mindfulness from its Buddhist roots. Mindfulness is the seventh of the Eight-fold Path of Buddhism, which is the path to 'Enlightenment' or 'nirvana'. According to Buddhist philosophy, suffering and joy are states of mind. To be self-aware is to recognise that these feelings are impermanent as is the 'self' that experiences them. Therefore, nirvana is the escape from focusing on yourself and instead, as Kabat-Zinn says “to recognize your interconnectedness with all life, and with being itself. Your very nature is being part of larger and larger spheres of wholeness.” For Christians to be self-aware is to recognise that we are sinful, unable to make ourselves better and therefore in need of the salvation that comes through Jesus. Our ultimate aim is not a “union with the All” through the dissolution of the human self but rather a communion between God and the human self where neither is dissolved or lost in the other.

These different conclusions come about because of the differing approaches of self-reflection. Mindfulness explicitly requires practitioners to be non-judgemental about themselves, avoiding “potentially destructive thoughts and feelings.” But by rejecting any criticism of themselves, the ability to appreciate their sinfulness is also rejected. However, the Bible never encourages people to meditate on their breathing or their body but instead on the God's revelation in the Bible; this is the only way we can know the truth about ourselves, the world and God. We cannot learn these things by our own efforts because we are limited in our understanding, we can only be told them by someone outside of ourselves. By thinking about our just God, we see our own sinfulness; by thinking about our holy God, we see our separation from him; by thinking about our saving God, we see how he rescues us through Jesus' sacrificial death; by thinking about our loving God, we see the one on whom we can cast all of our anxiety.

Mindfulness may help some people, but it is not compatible with Christianity. However, the bigger question is: why settle for the crumbs of help that mindfulness can give you, when Jesus offers you a feast?