The so-called “Mindfulness Revolution” sweeping through mainstream American popular culture has tended to overshadow both the deep historical roots of the connections between Buddhism and health, as well as the diversity of those Buddhist healing methods beyond merely meditation. Dr. Salguero’s talk will place the contemporary focus on the health benefits of mindfulness within the history of Buddhist engagements with medicine, with special focus on China. He will outline the many rich and complex approaches to healing that have been (and still are) used in Chinese Buddhist communities, and will suggest directions for further historical and clinical research beyond mindfulness.

Dr. Salguero is an interdisciplinary humanities scholar interested in the role of Buddhism in the crosscultural exchange of medical ideas. He has a Ph.D. in History of Medicine from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Medicine, and teaches Asian history, religion, and culture at Penn State University’s Abington College, located near Philadelphia. The major theme in his scholarship is the interplay between the global transmission and local reception of Buddhist knowledge about health, disease, and the body.