Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Moral Arc of Mindfulness: Cultivating Concentration, Wisdom, and Compassion

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Practitioner's Guide to Ethics and Mindfulness-Based Interventions

Part of the book series: Mindfulness in Behavioral Health ((MIBH))

Abstract

Mindfulness and ethics are inseparable. Much of the debate about the meaning and intention of ethics in this context circles around the implications of taking a spiritual practice and secularizing it for various uses in the mental health and wellness fields. This chapter serves as a map of this section on second-generation mindfulness programs that have emerged since the original mindfulness programs. I discuss the complexities inherent in what it means to ask for ethics to be explicitly included in a mindfulness program and the subtle presence of ethics in the relational aspect of teaching secularized mindfulness. The overarching themes of cultivating virtues, values, and the guidance offered by concepts of moral development are explored as it relates to the content of mindfulness programs and the training of mindfulness teachers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Aggs, C., & Bambling, M. (2010). Teaching mindfulness to psychotherapists in clinical practice: The Mindful Therapy Programme. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 10(4), 278–286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aitken, R. (1984). The mind of clover: Essays in Zen Buddhist ethics. New York: North Point Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Amaro, A. (2015). A holistic mindfulness. Mindfulness, 6(1), 63–73. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-014-0382-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baer, R. (2015). Ethics, values, virtues, and character strengths in mindfulness-based interventions: A psychological science perspective. Mindfulness, 6(4), 956–969. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0419-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (2016). Moral disengagement: How people do harm and live with themselves. New York: Worth Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyce, B. (2016, August). Is mindfulness the future of therapy? Mindful, 48–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cayoun, B. A. (2011). Mindfulness-integrated CBT: Principles and practice. Chicester: Wiley-Blackwell.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Compson, J., & Monteiro, L. (2015). Still exploring the middle path: A response to commentaries. Mindfulness, 7(2), 548–564. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0447-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CPA, C. P. A. (2015). Code of ethics for psychologists. Retrieved from http://www.cpa.ca/aboutcpa/committees/ethics/codeofethics

  • Crane, R. S. (2009). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy: Distinctive features. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crane, R. S., Brewer, J., Feldman, C., Kabat-Zinn, J., Santorelli, S., Williams, J. M., & Kuyken, W. (2016). What defines mindfulness-based programs? The warp and the weft. Psychological Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291716003317

  • Crane, R. S., Kuyken, W., Hastings, R. P., Rothwell, N., & Williams, J. M. G. (2010). Training teachers to deliver mindfulness-based interventions: Learning from the UK experience. Mindfulness, 1(2), 74–86. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-010-0010-9

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Danilewitz, M., Bradwein, J., & Koszycki, D. (2016). A pilot feasibility study of a peer-led mindfulness program for medical students. Canadian Medical Education Journal, 7(1), e31–e37.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Evans, A., Crane, R. S., Cooper, L., Mardula, J., Wilks, J., Surawy, C., … Kuyken, W. (2014). A framework for supervision for mindfulness-based teachers: A space for embodied mutual inquiry. Mindfulness, 6(3), 572–581. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-014-0292-4

    Article  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Felton, T. M., Coates, L., & Christopher, J. C. (2013). Impact of mindfulness training on counseling students’ perception of stress. Mindfulness. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-013-0240-8

  • Fernando, A. T., Skinner, K., & Consedine, N. S. (2017). Increasing compassion in medical decision-making: Can a brief mindfulness intervention help? Mindfulness, 8(2), 276–285.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, B., & Tronto, J. C. (1990). Toward a feminist theory of caring. In E. Abel & M. Nelson (Eds.), Circles of care. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilligan, C. (1993). In a different voice: Psychological theory and women’s development (revised ed.). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilligan, C. (2011). Joining the resistance. Cambridge: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilligan, C. (2014). Moral injury and the ethic of care: Reframing the conversation about differences. Journal of Social Philosophy, 45(1), 89–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilligan, C., & Attanucci, J. (1988). Two moral orientations. In C. Gilligan, J. V. Ward, & J. Taylor (Eds.), Mapping the moral domain. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gombrich, R. (2009/2013). What the Buddha thought. Bristol, CT: Equinox Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halland, E., de Vibe, M., Solhaug, I., Friborg, O., Rosenvinge, J. H., Tyssen, R., … Bjørndal, A. (2015). Mindfulness training iproves problem-focused coping in psychology and medical students: Results from a randonized controlled trial. College Student Journal, 49(3), 387–398.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanh, T. N. (2005). Interbeing: Fourteen guidelines for engaged Buddhism. Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanh, T. N. (2007). For a future to be possible: Buddhist ethics for everyday life. Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, P. (2000). An introduction to Buddhist ethics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, P. (2013). An introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, history and practices (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hölzel, B. K., Lazar, S. W., Gard, T., Schuman-Olivier, Z., Vago, D. R., & Ott, U. (2011). How does mindfulness meditation work? Proposing mechanisms of action from a conceptual and neural perspective. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6(6), 537–559.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10, 144–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kabat-Zinn, J. (2011). Some reflections on the origins of MBSR, skillful means, and the trouble with maps. Contemporary Buddhism, 12(1), 281–306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness. New York: Bantam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khoury, B., Lecomte, T., Fortin, G., Masse, M., Therien, P., Bouchard, V., … Hofmann, S. G. (2013). Mindfulness-based therapy: A comprehensive meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 33, 763–771.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L. (Ed.). (1976). Moral stages and moralization: The cognitive developmental approach. New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, T., Paré, D., & Monteiro, L. M. (in press). Exploring the experiences of therapists after participating in an intensive mindfulness program. Journal of Counseling and Spirituality.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leiter, M. P. (2008). A two process model of burnout and work engagement: Distinct implications of demands and values. Supplemento A, Psicologia, 30(1), A52–A58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leiter, M. P., Frank, E., & Matheson, T. (2009). Values, demands, and burnout: Perspectives from national survey of Canadian physicians. Paper presented at the American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leiter, M. P., Jackson, N. J., & Shaughnessy, K. (2009). Contrasting burnout, turnover intention, control, value congruence and knowledge sharing between Baby Boomers and Generation X. Journal of Nursing Management, 17(1), 100–109. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2834.2008.00884.x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. (Eds.). (1984). Burnout in organizations (Vol. 5). Beverly HIlls, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (1997). The truth about burnout: How organizations cause personal stress and what to do about it. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2008). Early predictors of job burnout and engagement. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(3), 498–512.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McCown, D. (2013). The ethical space of mindfulness in clinical practice: An exploratory essay. Philadelphia, PA: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCown, D. (2014). Mindfulness: Fulfilling the promise at last, with a relational view. Paper presented at the Beyond the Therapeutic State: Collaborative Practices for Individual and Social Change, Drammen, Norway.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCown, D. (2016). Being is relational: Considerations for using mindfulness in clinician-patient settings. In E. Shonin, W. van Gordon, & M. D. Griffiths (Eds.), Mindfulness and Buddhist-derived approaches in mental health and addiction (pp. 29–60). Switzerland: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • McCown, D., Reibel, D., & Micozzi, M. S. (2010). Teaching Mindfulness: A practical guide for clinicians and educators. New York: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Mol, M. M. C. v., Kompanje, E. J. O., Benoit, D. D., Bakker, J., & Nijkamp, M. D. (2015). The prevalence of compassion fatigue and burnout among healthcare professionals in intensive care units: A systematic review. PloS One, 10(8), e0136955. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0136955

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Monteiro, L. (2015). Dharma and Distress: Buddhist teachings that support psychological principles in a mindfulness program. In E. Shonin, W. Van Gordon, & N. N. Singh (Eds.), Buddhist foundations of mindfulness (pp. 181–215). New York: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Monteiro, L. (2016). Implicit ethics and mindfulness: Subtle assumptions that MBIs are values-neutral. International Journal of Psychotherapy, 210–224.

    Google Scholar 

  • Monteiro, L., & Musten, R. F. (2013). Mindfulness starts here: An 8-week guide to skillful living. Victoria, BC: Friesen Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Monteiro, L., Musten, R. F., & Compson, J. (2015). Traditional and contemporary mindfulness: Finding the middle path in the tangle of concerns. Mindfulness, 6(1), 1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Monteiro, L., Nuttall, S., & Musten, R. F. (2010). Five skillful habits: An ethics-based mindfulness intervention. Counselling and Spirituality, 29(1), 91–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Narvaez, D. (2014). Neurobiology and the development of human morality. New York: W.W. Norton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neff, K. D. (2011). Self-compassion: Stop beating yourself up and leave insecurity behind. New York: William Morrow.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patsiopoulos, A. T., & Buchanan, M. J. (2011). The practice of self-compassion in counseling: A narrative inquiry. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 42(4), 301–307.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pettifor, J., Sinclair, C., & Gauthier, J. (2011). The 25th Anniversary of the Canadian Code of Ethics for psychologists. Canadian Psychology, 52(3), 149–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pope, K., & Vasquez, M. (2016). Ethics in psychotherapy and counseling: A practical guide (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Purser, R. (2015). Clearing the muddles path of traditional and contemporary mindfulness: A response to Monteiro, Musten, and Compson. Mindfulness, 6(1), 23–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Purser, R., & Loy, D. (2013). Beyond McMindfulness. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ron-purser/beyond-mcmindfulness_b_3519289.html website: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

  • Rest, J., & Narvaez, D. (Eds.). (1994). Moral development in the professions: Psychology and applied ethics. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rest, J., Narvaez, D., Bebeau, M. J., & Thoma, S. J. (1999). Postconventional moral thinking: A neo-Kohlbergian approach. New York: Psychology Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M., & Teasdale, J. D. (2012). Mindfulness based cognitive therapy for the prevention of depression relapse (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shapiro, S. L., & Schwartz, G. E. (2000). The role of intention in self-regulation: Toward intentional systemic mindfulness. In M. Boekaerts, P. R. Pintrich, & M. Zeidner (Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation (pp. 253–273). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, N., Lancioni, G., Winton, A., Karazsia, B., Myers, R., Latham, L., & Singh, J. (2014). Mindfulness-Based Positive Behavior Support (MBPBS) for mothers of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: Effects on adolescents’ behavior and parental stress. Mindfulness, 5(6), 646–657.

    Google Scholar 

  • Solhaug, I., Eriksen, T. E., & de Vibe, M. e. a. (2016). Medical and psychology student’s experiences in learning mindfulness: Benefits, paradoxes, and pitfalls. Mindfulness, 7(4), 838–850.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Titmuss, C. (2013). The Buddha of mindfulness. The politics of mindfulness. http://christophertitmuss.org/blog/?p=1454. Retrieved from http://www.christophertitmuss.org/

  • Tjeltveit, A. C. (1999). Ethics and values in psychotherapy. London: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Tronto, J. C. (1993). Moral Boundaries: A political argument for an ethic of care. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Gordon, W., Shonin, E., & Griffiths, M. (2015). Towards a second generation of mindfulness-based interventions. Australian & New Zealand Joyrnal of Psychiatry, 49(7), 591–592. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004867415577437

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Nistelrooij, I., Schaafsma, P., & Tronto, J. C. (2014). Ricoeur and the ethics of care. Medical Health Care and Philosophy, 17, 485–491.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, J. M., & Kabat-Zinn, J. (2013). Mindfulness: Diverse perspectives on its meaning, origins and applications. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ottawa Mindfulness Clinic, 595 Montreal Road, Suite 301, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1K 4L2

    Lynette M. Monteiro PhD

Authors
  1. Lynette M. Monteiro PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lynette M. Monteiro PhD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ottawa Mindfulness Clinic, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    Lynette M. Monteiro

  2. University of Washington, Tacoma, Washington, USA

    Jane F. Compson

  3. Ottawa Mindfulness Clinic, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    Frank Musten

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Monteiro, L.M. (2017). The Moral Arc of Mindfulness: Cultivating Concentration, Wisdom, and Compassion. In: Monteiro, L., Compson, J., Musten, F. (eds) Practitioner's Guide to Ethics and Mindfulness-Based Interventions . Mindfulness in Behavioral Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64924-5_6

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation