One of the members of the Ethical Society of St. Louis who has a background in Buddhism has been teaching a class in “Ethical Mindfulness,” in which he’s trying to blend the mindfulness meditation practice of Thich Nhat Hanh with the philosophy and social activism of Ethical Humanism. I have been getting great benefit from these classes. Humanism has many positive ideals, but we humanists are still working to create or find common practices that help people develop their ethical ideals and the habits to act on them. This seems to be where we can learn a lot from classical Buddhism, which is generally non-theistic and which focuses on practices that help us become more aware of ourselves and our actions, and therefore more able to choose “right action” rather than to react out of anger or fear.

Developing the habit of following my breath and observing my thoughts and feelings has helped me avoid many an unethical, not to mention unhelpful outburst; this new habit also helps me slow down and notice my surroundings more, which increases my appreciation for this amazing planet and my determination to help heal rather than hurt it. Most important, mindfulness meditation has helped me calm my emotions and expand my compassion for others.

I believe that other traditions have meditative practices with similar goals, whether adapted from eastern practices or elsewhere. I’d be interested to know what meditative or mindful practices people follow, and how you believe those practices help you make more ethical choices or live more in line with your religious values.