The challenge of mindful engagement

David Loy

pp. 15-26

in: Ronald E. Purser, David Forbes, Adam Burke (eds), Handbook of mindfulness, Berlin, Springer, 2016

Abstract

The highest ideal of the Western tradition has been the concern to restructure our societies so that they are more socially just. The most important goal for traditional Buddhism has been to awaken and put an end to one's dukkha ('suffering" in the broadest sense), especially that associated with the delusion of a separate self. Today it has become obvious that we need both individual transformation and social transformation: Not just because these ideals complement each other, but because each project needs the other. Today, there is a new kid on the block: the mindfulness revolution, still in its infancy and evolving very quickly. One of the important dimensions that remain to be developed is its relationship to the social justice ideals of the Western tradition. Mindfulness practices address the way my mind works. By becoming more attentive, more aware of persistent patterns of thinking and feeling, I can free myself from the discomfort that those patterns often cause. But what about the "discomfort" caused by inequitable economic and social relations? What Bhikkhu Bodhi says about Buddhist practice also applies to mindfulness practice: "absent a sharp social critique, Buddhist practices could easily be used to justify and stabilize the status quo, becoming a reinforcement of consumer capitalism."