In this four-handed article we describe the distinctive features of mindfulness and buddhist meditation. Although Jon Kabat Zin founder of mindfulnes protocols has drawn a lot from vipassana meditation, we want to emphasize how mindfulness remains a secular approach, avoiding spiritual implications. On the contrary, the Buddhist proposal has a deep spiritual dimension. It seems appropriate to distinguish the two approaches and come in to dialogue respecting the differences while, on the contrary, we find more ambiguous and misleading the admixtures that are unfortunately more and more widespread today.