Why Mindfulnss Isn’t Enough

THE MODERN MINDFULNESS MOVEMENT has swept through international culture, and, like many Buddhists, I have felt intrigued and pleased about this. Mindfulness is, as the Buddha said, a way to happiness. It puts the responsibility for our mental state right where it belongs: in ourselves. It is a powerful way to work with and feel comfortable with our own minds.

As the basic practice of mindfulness becomes more widespread, it is helpful to consider what Buddhist philosophy—specifically the noble eightfold path and the early teachings on psychology called the Abhidhamma—says about mindfulness and what it can do. In Buddhism, mindfulness is more than the stand-alone practice of bare attention, as beneficial as that is. Right mindfulness is a key part of the complete path to enlightenment.

During the present pandemic crisis, one ancient