From Mindfulness to Right Mindfulness: the Intersection of Awareness and Ethics

[...]there is typically a set of ethical principles or precepts that are delivered in the form of oral sermons, homilies, dharma talks, as well as through prayers, songs, and actions. [...]these perspectives and principles are traditionally “held” by a like-minded group that supports the group’s norms and reinforces their beliefs. When examining human intention and motivation, we agree with Flanagan (2003) that it is important to go beyond a utilitarian focus on pleasure for the many (especially if secured at the expense of increased suffering for the few) and to contextualize wholesome actions not only as personal, but as interpersonal and social in nature. When mindfulness is situated as a part of this broader scaffolding, it serves the transitive function not only of relating subject to object but also to the dynamic web of interconnectedness of all subjects; in this way, mindfulness enables a natural progression from the release of suffering at an individual level to larger scale transformation at the interpersonal and collective level of engaged teaching, learning, and ethical action.