正念減壓的根源與作用機轉：一個佛教學的觀點

The Origins and Mechanisms of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: From A Perspective of Buddhist Studies

此文探討當今流行於西方的正念減壓（MBSR）課程之佛法源頭，和其所以能夠促進人類身心健康的作用機轉。文章首先指出正念減壓的歷史源流。接著，具體描述正念減壓所教授的正念練習的兩個構成要素：上座部佛教的「內觀」和東亞大乘佛教的「禪」。文章的最後則依據上座部阿毘達磨的理論架構，闡述正念減壓之所以能夠有效促進身心健康、改善身心疾患的作用機轉。

This article aims to investigate the Buddhist origins of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) currently prevalent in the West, and the mechanisms through which MBSR contributes to mental and physical health of human beings. It first discusses the historical origins of MBSR. Then it explores in detail the two major elements which constitute mindfulness practices as taught in MBSR, that is, the teaching of “insight meditation” (vipassanā) in Theravāda Buddhism and the teaching of “Zen/Chan meditation” in East Asian Buddhism. Toward the end of this article, it examines, from the perspective of Thearvādin Abhidhamma, the mechanisms through which MBSR improve effectively human health and heal mental and physical disorders.