Tonglen Meditation's Effects on Compassion in Novice Meditators

Dissertation

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Descriptionངོ་སྤྲོད།

This study, as well as the initial pilot study, are the first known, stand-alone,

empirical studies of the Tibetan Buddhist tonglen meditation practice, which is intended to increase levels of compassion (and the benefits that come with that), in addition to reducing less helpful mind-states such as fear and egotism. The premise of this larger proof-of-concept study was to investigate whether tonglen meditation can 1) increase self-compassion and compassion for others, 2) in novice meditators 3) with very little instruction, and 4) short amounts of practice time. This study examined changes in self-compassion and compassion for others through a pre/post intervention study design (α = .05). Subjects (n = 53), who were novice meditators, were given only ten minutes of introduction and instruction; after which, they were asked to participate in an 18-minute guided tonglen meditation, practice on-the-spot tonglen for 30-seconds twice a day for six days, then do one additional 18-minute guided tonglen practice. Results showed a statistically significantly increase in the total scale score of self-compassion (p < .01) and statistically significant beneficial changes in each of the six subscales as measured by Neff's self-report questionnaire, the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS). An increase in compassion for others, though trending up, could not be determined through Pommier's self-report questionnaire, the Compassion Scale (CS), due to a ceiling effect. In addition to the study results, this dissertation includes a detailed discussion of the findings and of the results from the qualitative feedback, which offers insight into the perceived benefits subjects reported, including a reduction in pain, increased communication skills, and the ability for greater perspective taking. The dissertation also contains an introduction to tonglen meditation, a tonglen “troubleshooting guide,” a chart of tonglen commentaries in English organized by century, and an extended literature review of a "cousin" compassion meditation practice, loving-kindness meditation (LKM).

Citation

McKnight, Daphna. "Tonglen Meditation's Effects on Compassion in Novice Meditators". PhD diss., University of the West, 2014.

Acknowledgementsii
Abstractiv
List of Tablesxi
List of Figuresxii

Chapter 1: Introduction1
- Brief Description of Tonglen3
- Calls for Use of Tonglen3
- Purpose of the Empirical Tonglen Study5
- Assumptions and Constraints6
- Definition of Terms9

Chapter 2: Literature Review12
- Compassion Definitions12
- Compassion Benefits21
- Tonglen: Historical Research24
- Tonglen: Empirical Research30
- Loving-Kindness Meditation37
  - LKM Study Summaries43
  - Summary of the LKM Literature Review64
- Mindfulness Meditation & Compassion66
- Support for Study Design73

Chapter 3: Tonglen in Context78
- Compassion in Tibetan Buddhism78
- History of Tonglen81
- Tonglen Preliminaries83
- Practice of Tonglen87
- Tonglen Cautionary Teachings92
- "Dharma Lite" Concerns95

Chapter 4: Tonglen Experiment100
- Research Objectives100
- Assumptions and Constraints100
- Significance of the Study102
- Method102
  - Participants102
  - Meditation Instructor Qualifications108
  - Procedures108
- Measures111
  - Self-Compassion Scale (SCS)111
  - Compassion Scale111
  - Short, Written Answer Questionnaire112
  - Demographics Questionnaire113
  - Oral Feedback, Post Study113
- Results114
  - Attrition114
  - Self-Compassion Scale114
  - Compassion Scale116
  - Short Answer Questions119
  - Effect of Practice Time on Results121
  - Demographic Results122
- Conclusion124

Chapter 5: Discussion126
- Discussion Introduction126
- Self-Compassion Scale Discussion127
- Compassion Scale Discussion130
- Effects of Practice Time Discussion132
- Effects of Personal Contemplative Time Discussion133
- Short Answers Discussion135
  - Short Answer 1135
  - Short Answer 2136
  - Short Answer 3137
  - Short Answer 4138
  - Short Answer 5138
  - Short Answer 6139
- Effect of Gender Discussion140
- Tonglen Instruction Discussion143
- Tonglen Script Discussion145
- Subjects’ Oral Feedback Discussion150
- Limitations of the Study156
- Going Forward157
  - Teaching Tonglen158
  - Effect Threshold159
- Expected Contributions159
Appendices161
- A. Tonglen Text/Commentary Bibliography162
- B. Tonglen Introduction to Visualization169
- C. Tonglen Script173
- D. On-the-Spot Visualization Instructions178
- E. On-the-Spot Visualization 6-Day Record179
- F. Informed Consent for Visualization Study180
- G. Demographics Questionnaire182
- H. Self-Compassion Scale (Neff, 2003)185
- I. Compassion Scale [for others] (Pommier, 2011)187
- J. Short Answer Questions189
- K. Pre-Study Information Sheet190
- L. Return Envelope Checklist192
- M. Tonglen Pilot Study193
  - Research Question and Objectives193
  - Assumptions and Constraints193
  - Significance of the Study194
  - Method194
  - Results196
  - Discussion201
  - Additional Appendices for Tonglen Pilot Study211
- N. Tonglen Troubleshooting Guide214
Bibliography224
Dedication of Merit242