Mindfulness, Heedfulness, and Ethics
Handbook of Ethical Foundations of Mindfulness 2018 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-76538-9_5 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Mindfulness practice Ethics Heedfulness Western psychology Self-regulation Moral principles |
| Key points | Proposes that adopting the term 'heedfulness' from Buddhism can clarify distinctions between nonjudgmental awareness and ethical self-regulation in mindfulness research. |
Abstract
Recent comparisons between Buddhist and modern Western conceptualizations of mindfulness have focused on ethical aspects of mindfulness practice. Unlike Buddhism, where mindfulness practice is integrated with ethical guidelines and precepts, mindfulness as taught in secular psychology promotes a type of mindfulness practice that is not aligned with any particular moral code. The perception that Western psychology lacks ethical characteristics is reinforced by operational definitions of mindfulness that refer to nonjudgmental or nonevaluative awareness. The present discussion argues that nonjudgmental characteristics are not necessarily misaligned with Buddhist practice. Some of the theoretical confusion around the Western conceptualization of mindfulness is related to the fact that ideas have been borrowed from very diverse Buddhist traditions, and the integration of these teachings outside their context has led to certain inconsistencies. Additionally, modern psychology uses only a single term to describe a diverse set of nuances of mindfulness, in contrast to Buddhism, which possesses a very rich jargon. The present discussion proposes the use of heedfulness as a term borrowed from Buddhism to help make some of the necessary distinctions, especially when discussing aspects of mindfulness relating to ethical practice. Unlike mindfulness, which has already found an established meaning as nonjudgmental and present-moment awareness, heedfulness may thus refer to self-regulatory aspects such as monitoring of behavior that is incongruent with the goals and purposes of a person’s mindfulness practice, including explicit or implicit values and moral principles. The adoption of the term heedfulness will contribute to the sophistication of psychological jargon and thus provide more conceptual clarity to assist future mindfulness research.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- What Mindfulness, and for Whom? And Why Might it Work? Mindfulness September 16, 2023
- Science-Based Buddhist Practice: an Illustration Using Doctrinal Charts of Won Buddhism Mindfulness April 23, 2022
- Beyond mindfulness: how Buddhist meditation transforms consciousness through distinct psychological pathways. Frontiers in Psychology 2025
- Being Mindful with Discernment: Development and Validation of the Mindfulness-Discernment Scale (MDS) Mindfulness March 1, 2026
- Bridging the Gap Between Contemporary and Buddhist Definitions of Mindfulness: A Scoping Review Mindfulness October 3, 2026
Cites 24
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects Psychological Inquiry October 19, 2007
and 19 more in the library