TheMindfulEthicandtheSpiritofGlobalCapitalism

ThomasCalobrisiMCC2015

SlovenianphilosopherSlavojiekhasclaimedthatifMaxWeberwealivetoday,hewouldchangethenameofhis
classictomefrom
TheProtestantEthicandtheSpiritofCapitalism
to
TheBuddhistEthicandtheSpiritofGlobal
Capitalism
.WhileIagreewithiekscritiquesofWesternBuddhism,Iseethatasemanticshiftisnecessaryto
correctamisunderstandingheperpetuatesitisratherthe
MindfulEthic
whichisthespiritofglobalcapitalism.
Thisshiftisnecessaryfortworeasons:first,ieksuseofthetermWesternBuddhismistoobroadtobe
meaningfulsecond,mindfulnessisinfactafalsesubversionofCartesiansubjectivity.
Tothefirstpoint,WesternBuddhismcandesignateanynumberofinstitutions,communitiesorreligious
perspectives.Whatiekmeanswhenheusesit,Iclaim,issomethingquitespecific,andthatismindfulness.To
thesecondpoint,weshouldclarifythemeaningofthisphrase,thefalsesubversionofCartesiansubjectivity.
Simplyput,itmeansthatinsofarasmindfulnessimplicitlycritiquesofCartesianmetaphysicsasthefoundationof
modernity,itisafalsecritiqueduetothefactthatmindfulnessisitselfaproductofCartesianmetaphysics.Thisis
tosaythatmindfulnesscannotescapethehorizonofmodernity,itcanonlyservetoreinforceit.Further,asit
pertainstoglobalcapitalism,mindfulnessasafalsesubversion,functionsasthelogicthatsystemveiledasits
critique.Todemonstratethisclaimthatmindfulnessisafalsesubversionasithasjustbeendescribed,weshall
havetocompletetwoobjectivesFirst,wewilllooktohowCartesianmetaphysicswasslippedintoBuddhistthought
duringthedevelopmentofBuddhistmodernism.TodosowillhelpusunderstandhowCartesianmetaphysicsis
alreadypresentintherhetoricaltoolsandstrategiesusedbymindfulnesspromoters.Second,weshalllooktohow
therhetoricaltoolsandstrategiesareusedbymindfulnesspromoterssoastounderstandjusthowmindfulnesshas
cometorepresentthelogicofglobalcapitalismveiledasitscritique.
ToachievetheseobjectiveswelllooktotheworksofRobertSharf,DavidMcMahanandJeffWilson
So,tothefirstobjective:RobertSharfsworkontherhetoricofexperiencehasshownnotonlythatthisrhetoricis
patentlyCartesianinitsmetaphysicalpresumptions,1butthatitsapplicationtoBuddhistthoughtwastwofold.On
onepartitwastheEuropeanOrientalistscholar,who,inapplyingtheCartesianhermeneuticofexperienceto
Buddhist
mrga
textsunderstoodthemtobeelaboratepsychologies,firsthandphenomenologicalaccountsofthe
interiormind.2Ontheotherpart,itwastheProtestantBuddhistintellectualsinAsia,who,inresponsetothe
loominghegemonyofthecolonialWest,soughttoreasserttheirculturalidentitythroughtheirBuddhistheritagethe
ironyhereisthatwhattheylearnedaboutBuddhismoftencame,ifnotfromtimespentstudyingintheWest,then
fromWesternsourcesaboutBuddhism.3FromDavidMcMahanin
TheMakingofBuddhistModernism
welearnthat
theRomanticsemployedBuddhistmodernistideasintheircritiquesofEnlightenmentrationalistssuchasDescartes,
whotheyviewedas,thearchdualistwhoseconceptionsofthedisengaged,autonomousselfsetthefoundationsfor
themechanizationoftheworldandthealienationofhumanityfromnature.4McMahannotesthattheCartesian
cogito
hadreplacedtheBrahmins
tman
whichwastoberejectedbyBuddhistmodernismandthechiefmeansto
refuteitwastodemonstratetheinterdependenceofallthings.InterdependencewithinBuddhistmodernism,as
McMahannotes,tookonanumberofingredientsfromWesternthought.Hetracesthestepsofthisadmixture
fromRomanticphilosopherslikeSchelling,throughtheAmericanTranscendentalists,totheDeepecologyofArne
Naesssoastodemonstratehowthisnotionwasmadetoincludethenarrativeofthefallenhumanbeingwho
reconcileswithandrejoinsthedivinizednaturalworld,andthustookonconservationisttones,oftenemphasizing
fragilenatureofecosystems.
Alternatively,itwastheCartesiannotionofthedisengaged,autonomousselfwhich,openeduptheway
forWesterninterpretationsofmeditationforimpliedinthisnotionisnotonlydisengagementfromtheexternal
worldbutalsofromonesownemotions,impulsesandcravings.McMahanpointsoutthat,despitecertaindoctrinal
differences,Descartesstreatise,ThePassionsoftheSoulreadsmuchlikeanAbhidharmatext,inthatboth
embracethisradicaldisengagementfromthemindsmanifestationsforthepurposeofobservation,analysis,control

Sharf,RobertH."BuddhistModernismandtheRhetoricofMeditativeExperience."
Numen
42,no.3(1995):22883.232
I
bid.23540
3
I
bid.22883.251259
4
M
cMahan,DavidL.
TheMakingofBuddhistModernism
.Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,2008.200
1
2

ThomasCalobrisiMCC2015

andultimatelytransformation.5Andfurtherhestates,whilethedoctrinalelementsofwesternrationalismand
Buddhismdiverge,theissueoftheempowermentofthemindthroughdisengagementfromandultimatelycontrolof
itscontentsisathemethatcouldbeimplicitlybroughttotheinterpretationofBuddhistmeditation.6
McMahanheremakesthecaveatthatitwasnotCartesianrationalism
perse
whichinfluencedtheWestern
interpretations,ratheritwasradicalreflexivity,alongwiththeinstrumentalstancetowardthedesires,appetites,
habitsofthoughtandfeeling.7 Thiscaveatisproblematic,however,giventhatwhatMcMahandescribesashaving
influencedWesterninterpretationsare,ifnotuniquetoCartesianrationalism,certainlyapartoftheCartesian
ethos
.
Further,seeingasCartesianisminauguratedEnlightenmentrationalismhistorically,onecanonlywonderastowhat
thinkerorsystemMcMahanisalludingtohere.
Movingon,thispresumptionthatmeditationisaformofdisengagedintrospectionleadtothe
psychologizationofBuddhisminthetwentiethcentury.AsweknowfromJeffWilson,beforetheadventofJon
KabatZinnsMBSRprogramin1979,BuddhistmodernistshadbeeninconversationWesternpsychotherapistsand
psychoanalystsforsometwodecades.Theseearlydialogueswerententirelycenteredonmeditationhoweveronly
inthe1970s,withfiguressuchasDanielGolemanandJackKornfielddidmeditationbecometheprimaryobjectof
studyforpsychologists.GolemanandKornfieldbothwrotetheirPhd.dissertationsonBuddhistmeditationandits
usesformentalhealthandbothpracticedinAsiaundervariousmindfulnessmeditationmasters.Thesetwoalso
sharetheperspectivethatBuddhism,particularlyTheravdaBuddhism,isatitscorepsychological.Goleman,for
example,inhiswork
TheVarietiesoftheMeditativeExperience
,describesBuddhaghosas
Visuddhimagga
,asa
8
mapforinnerspace andKornfieldstatesinhisdissertationthatTheravdaBuddhismisthelivingtradition
stemmingfromanearlyschoolofpsychology,foundedbyShakyamuniBuddhainthesixcentury.Whereas
GolemandescribedoneinfluentialtextoftheTheravdatraditionasmaptothepsyche,Kornfield,itseems,
identifiesthetraditionasawholeasreligionbaseduponpsychology.
Now,withtheadventofKabatZinnsMBSRprogram,thenotionofBuddhismaspsychologywasmade
evenstronger.AsWilsonnotes,fearingxenophobiaonthepartofhisAmericanaudience,KabatZinnhasattempted
torecontextualizethe
dharma
,whichheunderstandsasauniversallawfulness,9intermsofscienceand
medicine(whichincludespsychologyandpsychotherapy)soastomosteffectivelyreachthosewhoaresuffering
regardlessoftheirabilitytoenterintoitthroughthemoretraditionaldharmagatesornot.10Moreover,dharma
accordingtoKabatZinn,asthelawfulnessoftheuniverseisnotBuddhist
perse
duetoitsscientificnature
dharmaislikescientificknowledgeinthatitis,evergrowing,everchanging,yetwithacorebodyofmethods,
observations,andnaturallawsdistilledfromthousandsofyearsofinnerexplorationthroughhighlydisciplined
selfobservationandselfinquiry,acarefulandpreciserecordingandmappingofexperiencesencounteredin
investigatingthenatureofthemind,anddirectempiricaltestingandconfirmingtheresultsandtherefore
mindfulnessanddharmacanbeunderstoodasuniversaldescriptionsofthemindandnatureinthatthey,
applyequallywherevertherearehumanminds,justasthelawsofphysicsapplyequallyeverywhereinour
universe.11
WeseehereagainthesameassumptionsatplayasinGoleman,KornfieldandtheEuropeanscholar,there
ishoweveraslightbutsignificantshiftKabatZinnseesthedharmanotsimplyasascienceamongothersbutas
the
truthofscienceitself
.It
isthetruth
andthemeansbywhich
weaccessthetruth
simultaneously.KabatZinn

McMahan,DavidL.
TheMakingofBuddhistModernism
.Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,2008.202
I
bid.202
7
I
bid.203
8
G
oleman,Daniel.
TheVarietiesoftheMeditativeExperience
.NewYork,NY:HalstedPress,1976.xxiii
9
K
abatZinn,Jon.WhyMindfulnessMattersin
TheMindfulnessRevolution:LeadingPsychologists,Scientists,Artists,and
5
6

MeditationTeachersonthePowerofMindfulnessofEverydayLife
,editedbyBarryBoyceandtheeditorsof
ShambhalaSun.

Boston,Shambhala,2011.57
10

KabatZinn,Jon."SomeReflectionsontheOriginsofMBSR,SkillfulMeans,andtheTroublewithMaps."Contemporary
Buddhism12,no.1(2011):281306.288
11

KabatZinn,Jon.
ComingtoOurSenses:HealingOurselvesandtheWorldThroughMindfulness
.NewYork:Hyperion,2005.
1367

ThomasCalobrisiMCC2015

justifieshisclaimswiththeclassicBuddhiststrategyofskillfulmeans,whichhetakesnotmerelyascreative
license,butascreativemeanstowardsanend.AsKabatZinnhasstated,mindfulnessbasedstressreduction
(MBSR)wasdevelopedasoneofapossibleinfinitenumberofskillfulmeansforbringingthedharmainto
mainstreamsettings.IthasneverbeenaboutMBSRforitsownsake.12KabatZinnsapproachisnotnovel
however,forwhentakenintoaccountwithinthegreaterhistoryoftheengagementwithBuddhismbytheWest,we
canseethatheisinfactextendingthenarrativeofBuddhistmodernismtowhatisperhapsitsultimateconclusion.
Asafinalnoteonthesubject,thoughKabatZinnspeaksofmindfulnessasaninvestigatoryendeavorintothe
natureofthemind,hedoesntmentionwhatistheaimoftheinvestigationtherhetoricof
antman
isconspicuous
initsabsence.
FromtheworksofSharf,McMahanandWilson,wecandiscerntheinternallycontradictoryelementsthat
makeupthefalsesubversion,namely:theinsertionoftheCartesianhermeneuticsofexperienceonthepartofthe
WesternscholarandtheAsianintellectualonto
mrga
textstheRomanticTranscendentalistemploymentof
Buddhistinterdependenceand,finally,thepsychologizationBuddhismthroughrecognitionofitssharedpractice
ofdisengagedselfintrospectionwithCartesianrationalism.AndnowthatweveuncoveredhowCartesian
metaphysicshasbeentacitlyinsertedintoBuddhistmodernismandtherhetoricsthatderivetherefrom,wecanturn
tooursecondobjective,thatis,tohowmindfulnessembodiesthespiritofglobalcapitalism.Forthiswellreturn,
primarily,toWilsons
MindfulAmerica
.
InhischapterentitledMoralizingMindfulness,Wilsonfindsthatpromotersofmindfulnessoftenhave
aratherstarkviewofmodernlife,thecurebeing,ofcourse,moremindfulness.ForthesepromotersAmericaand
AmericansfunctionassynecdochefortheproblemsofpostindustrialcivilizationthetypicalAmericanisa
caricaturefigureamindlessconsumerofmaterialthings,alienatedandoverstimulated,drawnforeverawayfrom
thepresenttheyown
everythingbut
happiness.Forexample,JanChozenBayswrotein
ShambhalaSun
magazinethatAmericansarethehungryghostsofBuddhistcosmologybeingswhom,asaresultoftheir
transgressionsinformerlives,arebornwithghastlydeformitiessymbolicoftheirinsatiabledesire.13ToJoanna
Macytheecologist,systemstheoristandmindfulnesswriter,theworldisplaguedbytheproblemswhichmanifest
fromtheAmericanbrandoframpant,pathologicalindividualism,14themindfulsolutiontowhichinpartcallsfor
therealizationofthetheecoself.15AndtoKabatZinn,AmericaisanationwithaseriouscaseofAttention
DeficitDisorder,ashestatesin
ComingtoOurSenses
:

Itisnowhardertopayattentiontoanyonethingandthereismoretopayattentionto.
Weareeasilydivertedandmoreeasilydistracted.Wearecontinuouslybombardedwith
information,appeals,deadlines,communications.Thingscomeatusfastandfurious,
relentlessly.[...]Theseassaultsonournervoussystemcontinuallystimulateandfoster
desireandagitationratherthancontentednessandcalmness.16

ThepointhereisthatAmericansareviewedasmindlessandAmericanculturepromotesthismindlessness,as
SusanSmalleyandDianaWinstonstate,thedominantAmericanculturevalidatesvirtuallymindlessactivity,
busyness,speed,andefficiency.Thelastthingwewanttodoisjustbepresent.17Thesecriticismsofconsumer

KabatZinn,Jon."SomeReflectionsontheOriginsofMBSR,SkillfulMeans,andtheTroublewithMaps."Contemporary
Buddhism12,no.1(2011):281306.281
13

Bays,JanChozen.KrispyKremeMind.
ShambhalaSun
,9.3(Spring2011).
14

Macy,Joanna.WorldasLover,WorldasSelf.Berkeley,CA:ParallaxPress,1991.185
15

Ibid.183
16

KabatZinn,Jon.
ComingtoOurSenses:HealingOurselvesandtheWorldThroughMindfulness
.NewYork:Hyperion,2005.
1467
17

Smalley,SusanandDianaWinston.IsMindfulnessforYou?in
TheMindfulnessRevolution:LeadingPsychologists,Scientists,
Artists,andMeditationTeachersonthePowerofMindfulnessofEverydayLife
,editedbyBarryBoyceandtheeditorsof
Shambhala
Sun
.Boston,MA:Shambhala,2011.17
12

ThomasCalobrisiMCC2015

cultureperformedbymindfulnesspromotersatbestportrayonlyhalfofthetruththeotherhalfbeingthat
mindfulnesshasbecometheparadigmaticideologyoflatecapitalism.18iekwouldidentifymindfulnessas
functioninglikea
doublefetishobject
which,ontheonehand,providestheillusionofourbeingcapabletokeepup
withthedizzyingpaceoftheglobalmarketplace,andontheother,reassuresusthatnoneofitisrealjustthe
erraticflowofephemeralphenomena.19Moreover,mindfulnesspromoterstendtoemploymixedmessagesthatis,
thoughtheyharangueaboutmodernlifeandconsumerculturetheyalsopromisethatonewillbecomebetteratthese
thingsiftheysimplypracticemindfulness.Booksonmindfulnesswithtitlessuchas,
InnerProductivity:A
MindfulPathtoEfficiencyandEnjoymentinYourWork
,aswellasForbesarticleswhichsuggestonecan
MeditateforMoreProfitableDecisions,20whenjuxtaposedwiththecriticismswevecitedabove,betraythis
ambivalencequitewell.
Finally,WilsonnotesthattheadventofmindfulnessmarkedashiftinthewayBuddhismhasbeenreceived
bytheAmericanpublic.21Theimageofthetranquilmeditator,asScottMitchellhascalledit,nolongerevokesthe
countercultural
ethos
oftheDharmabumssearchingfor
satori
intheBerkeleyhillsrather,asMitchellpointsout,
thetranquilmeditatorisofttimesafemalecharacterinanadvertisementtryingtofindcalmamidstthebustlingdin
ofsuburbanfamilylife.22Mindfulnessisnolongerjustformonksoreccentrics,butforeveryone,especially
mothersandwomenjustastherehasbeennodearthofliteratureontheapplicationofmindfulnessinvarious
worksettings,thereisalsoarobustcorpusofliteratureonthingssuchasmindfuleatingandmindfulsexwhich
aretypicallywrittenforfemaleaudiences.23Thisfocusonwomenandmothers,itcouldbestated,isduetotheforce
ofsecularizationwhich,inuntyingmindfulnessfromitsBuddhistmoorings,obviatesthemoretraditional
patriarchalelementsfromthepracticeitself.Thisisnottosaythatpatriarchalgendernormsarenolongerpresent,
rathertheybecomemoresubtle,astheyareinglobalcapitalismitselfthemarketingofmindfulnesstowomen
tendstoemphasizeemotionalwellbeingandbodilyhealthwhilethemarketingofmindfulnesstomenemphasizes
successatworkperformingwellunderpressure.Thisisalltosaythattheimageofthetranquilmeditatorisonethat
isnolongersubversiveormarginalbutisonethathasbecomeprofoundlymainstream.So,asafinalnotehere,we
cannowseethatmindfulnessisnotsimplyfoundedontheverystructureswhichitseekstoproblematize,butthat
thisisfundamentalto
itsstructureasafalsesubversion
:onthephilosophicallevelitisCartesianismveiledasits
critiqueontheideologicallevelitisglobalcapitalismveiledasitscritique.

iek,Slavoj.
ThePuppetandtheDwarf:ThePerverseCoreofChristianity
,.Cambridge,Mass.:MITPress,2003.26

iek,Slavoj."FromWesternMarxismtoWesternBuddhism."CabinetMagazine.April1,2001.AccessedMay14,2015.
20
K
inias,Zoe."MeditateforMoreProfitableDecision."Forbes.September25,2013.AccessedMay14,2015.
21
W
ilson,Jeff.
MindfulAmerica:TheMutualTransformationofBuddhistMeditationandAmericanCulture.
NewYork,NY:Oxford
18
19

UniversityPress,2014.1248
22

Mitchell,ScottA."TheTranquilMeditator:RepresentingBuddhismandBuddhistsinUSPopularMedia."ReligionCompass8,
no.3(2014):8189.84
23

Ibid.
114,120.