Lay Meditation in Early Buddhism

A perusal of the early Buddhist discourses brings to light a remarkable number of references to lay meditation. Such references, which are not confined to the prescriptive type, cover the practice of recollection, the immeasurables or divine abodes and other concentration practices, various dimensions of the establishments of mindfulness, and the cultivation of insight. Judging from the textual records, high numbers of female and male lay disciples reached stream-entry, once-return, and non-return, making it reasonable to consider the contemporary spread of lay Buddhist meditation a revival rather than an innovation.