Buddhist Principles of Self-Management: Integrating Morality, Mindfulness, and Wisdom into Modern Leadership and Organizational Practice
Millah Journal of Religious Studies February 22, 2026 Monu Singh, Roopalatha Nanga, Syed Jaffer
This paper redefines self-management as ethical self-governance based on early Buddhist canonical texts. Using qualitative thematic analysis of the Dīgha Nikāya, Majjhima Nikāya, and Aṅguttara Nikāya, the authors propose that self-management comprises ethical discipline (sīla), mental discipline (samādhi), and wisdom (paññā), supported by mindfulness (sati) and non-attachment (virāga). They argue this contrasts with neutral, psychological views, positioning sīla as fostering self-restraint and trust, samādhi as stabilizing attention and emotions, and paññā as aiding reflection in complexity. Sati provides ethical vigilance, while virāga reduces ego involvement. The model offers an alternative to reductionist interpretations of mindfulness in leadership studies.