From Andrew Jones
Your article discussing a dark side to mindfulness and meditation neglected to mention that in the traditions cited, if you wish to attain a stable peace, living a virtuous life is a vital component (16 May, p 28). Right mindfulness is just one part of an eight-fold path advocated by the Buddha.
One can mindfully rob a bank or kill someone, but that would lead to negative consequences, hence the importance not just of cultivating awareness, but also of acting in a way conducive to peace and the relief of suffering.
This side of these spiritual traditions seems to have been overlooked in the development of “mindfulness” as a separate discipline in the West, to the detriment of our understanding and, inevitably, of our peace.
Sheffield, UK
