In this essay, I draw upon Ellen J. Langer’s notions of mindlessness and mindfulness to identify and delineate Confucius’ views on mindfulness. Langer’s theory exemplifies a social-cognitive approach to mindfulness which is a prominent orientation in the extant research. I argue that Confucius, like Langer, rejects mindlessness that is characterised by an over-reliance on automatic responses based on past knowledge and experiences. Furthermore, Confucius supports Langerian mindfulness by underlining the importance of a flexible mindset that is demonstrated through making novel (...) distinctions, appreciating new perspectives and being sensitive to the context. But Confucius’ formulation of mindfulness goes beyond Langer’s by advocating the setting of one’s heart-mind on learning and the application of virtues. A Confucian interpretation of mindfulness debunks an East-West dichotomy on mindfulness and illustrates the harmonisation of the cognitive, affective, moral and social dimensions of mindfulness. (shrink)

The Buddhist construct of mindfulness is a central element of mindfulness-based interventions and derives from a systematic phenomenological programme developed over several millennia to investigate subjective experience. Enthusiasm for ?mindfulness? in Western psychological and other science has resulted in proliferation of definitions, operationalizations and self-report inventories that purport to measure mindful awareness as a trait. This paper addresses a number of seemingly intractable issues regarding current attempts to characterize mindfulness and also highlights a number of vulnerabilities in this domain that (...) may lead to denaturing, distortion, dilution or reification of Buddhist constructs related to mindfulness. Enriching positivist Western psychological paradigms with a detailed and complex Buddhist phenomenology of the mind may require greater study and long-term direct practice of insight meditation than is currently common among psychologists and other scientists. Pursuit of such an approach would seem a necessary precondition for attempts to characterize and quantify mindfulness. (shrink)

The conservation of biological diversity and the necessity of using biological resources sustainably became crucial within the socio-political milieu from the beginning of the 1990s when the global community began revisiting this issue following the adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity. This was further augmented by the IUCN Guide that reminds parties to the CBD that in order to: i) institutionalize the development and implementation of the biodiversity strategy cycle; and ii) create an oversight mechanism, the National Biodiversity Strategy (...) and Action Plan needs to be anchored in legislation and policy. However, apart from these intricate legal paradigms, there are innate ethical frameworks of values and principles for policy options that have proven useful in combating the biodiversity challenges. Bangladesh has nearly a hundred laws that deal with numerous environment related issues including biodiversity. Additionally Bangladesh is also a party to the various international environmental instruments, including the CBD, albeit with certain reservations. The aim of this study is to investigate the extent to which the environmental legislation of Bangladesh coheres to the ethical approaches in addressing the issue of biodiversity, as well as to delve into examples of implementation. An interdisciplinary approach with legal and ethical analysis of biodiversity backed up by secondary data is used. In order to actualize the objective the study, after providing conceptual clarity on certain related issues such as ethical approaches to the environment, biodiversity and so forth, focuses on the legal framework for addressing environment and biodiversity in Bangladesh. The ethical approaches to environmental legislation and biodiversity in Bangladeshis thereafter critically appraised. The study argues and concludes that intrinsic reorientation is necessary in the way the government advocates before the environmental legislation of Bangladesh can be said to reverberate the demands of a general ethical approach to the environment and in particular to biodiversity. (shrink)

This thesis examines how different types of connection – intimacy, community, and compassion – can positively impact the cultivation of well-being and ways of knowing. Using Scholarly Personal Narrative methodology I describe my journey from the 15-years I lived as a monastic yogic nun, followed by a period of heartbreak, to my recent experience as a tip-toeing Buddhist and mid-life graduate student who yearned for community, a place to belong, and an opportunity to be heard, seen and valued. I explore (...) how the pain and suffering of loneliness, grief, loss, and change, when met by presence, patience, awareness, care and flexibility, can help to strengthen one's relationships with the self, others and surrounding environment. I close by outlining how contemplative pedagogy can help to create new ways of knowing, improve cognitive functioning and well-being, and cultivate compassion. I demonstrate how these three connections can transform the higher education learning experience from an abstract, impersonal view of reality to an authentic, interconnected, and intimate one that help students develop long-lasting and meaningful relationships well beyond the classroom walls. (shrink)