Reconnecting self, others and nature

Abstract

Modern lifestyle that is based on ideologies such as consumerism, individualism and materialism has led to overconsumption, mass extinction and climate change in the world and threatens the wellbeing of every member on this planet. An increasing number of studies indicate that mindfulness practice may address the socio-ecological challenges of sustainability through nurturing a non-dualistic worldview, empathy and compassion. This study adopts a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to explore how the philosophy and practice of mindful consumption and the insight of interbeing might contribute to a more connected and conscious community. We include the first-person narratives from a female British teacher-researcher, who used what she had learned from the Plum Village monastery to develop a mindfulness program for elementary school students, parents and teachers in a Thai public school for the past 11 years. Her story unveils the issues regarding different perspectives of mindfulness among various wisdom traditions, and the challenges in teaching and researching mindfulness practice as a foreign lay practitioner in Thailand. We concluded that embracing polysemia and respecting the existence of every human being, animal, plant and mineral of the whole ecosystem is vital for meaningful transformations at individual and societal level.