Mindfulness as Relational Ethics

Abstract

Translate Article

In this chapter we propose to understand mindfulness as relational ethics, that is, an engaged, culturally mediated form of knowledge committed to “living well”. In so doing, we take Thich Nhat Hanh (TNH) use of “Nirvana” as a poetic inspiration. We consider our proposal relevant in the context of a rather different, currently dominant version of mindfulness that is (a) individualist (or centred in seemingly self-sufficient individuals); (b) instrumental (or techne-centred); (c) medicalized (or health-centred); and (d) disengaged and meaningless (or nihilist/deconstructivist and hyperfocussed in meditative practices aimed at “attending” rather than “understanding”). In our view, these dominant versions of mindfulness, which we call pop-mindfulness (PM), fail to deliver what they seemingly promise to deliver – an answer to the question about the good life. More assertively, we propose a particular strand of mindfulness, understood as “relational ethics” as a collective and pluralistic project towards “spirit” that may help us develop a more apt alternative to our current materialist, “secular” predicament.