ABSTRACT
Several studies have shown that the practice of mindfulness in the secular and increasingly fashionable form that has been adapted into a Western psychological framework, is correlated to secure attachment relationships and greater compassion. This chapter briefly introduces first attachment theory and second Buddhist ideas of attachment. It explores the interplay between these ideas using a variety of empirical examples. Buddhism often refers to compassion, 'letting go' and the inevitability of change, while when discussing relationships, we hear more about passion, 'holding on' and constancy. The chapter illustrates how the difficulty that an individual faces is resolved after they find a way to balance these. They become complementary rather than contradictory. The effects of different ideas of the self, attachment theory across cultures and the question of how attachment strategy relates to the tendency to identify with groups are all areas for future research.
