SustainabilityLeadershipThroughVipassanaMeditation

By

JonathanCrowley

Submittedinpartialfulfillmentofrequirementsfora

MastersofBusinessAdministrationat

MarlboroCollegeGraduateSchoolMBAManagingforSustainability

December18,2010

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TABLEOFCONTENTS

1. Introduction p.04

2. Sustainability,WorkplaceStressandChangeManagement p.05

3. Mindfulness‐PracticesandOrigins p.07

4. Mindfulness’Benefits p.08

5. TheCorollariesbetweenMindfulnessandEmotionalIntelligence p.11

6. TheCorollariesBetweenMindfulnessandPositivePsychologyatWork p.15

7. DistinctionsofVipassanaMeditation p.17

a. MentalDe‐Conditioning p.19

b. EthicalDevelopment p.22

c. Impermanence p.24

8. ATen‐DayVipassanaCourse p.25

9. MindfulnessinCorporations p.27

10. Mindfulness,SubjectiveWell‐Being,EcologicallySustainableBehaviorand

theNewSocialEconomicMetrics p.30

11. ThePresentStudy p.36

a. Methodology p.36

b. ResearchFindings p.37

c. Discussion p.42

12. Conclusion p.45

13. AppendixesA,B&C p.49

14. References p.56

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Introduction

There are two noteworthy and emerging trends in the business world today: the

sustainability businessmovement and the trend in corporatemeditation programs. This thesis

willattempttoanswerthequestionofwhetherthesetwotrendsarerelatedand, ifso,whatare

the implicationsof their relationship?There is a senseof urgency for the greater sustainability

movement, particularly around the pressing concerns of climate change, to effect a change in

producer and consumer behavior that would help preserve critical ecological systems being

depletedonEarth.Greenwashing,lackofleadership,andminimalpeerinfluencethatdiscourages

moreenvironmentalconsumerbehaviorhinderthebusinesssustainabilitymovement(Greendex,

2010). Seniormanagement’s role in effecting change is hindered by resistance to change, often

relatedtoworkplacestressandacultureofautomatedtasks,ormindlessness(Lee,2008;Langer,

1991). Workplace related stress is now the leading source of stress in the world, costing

companiesanestimatedhundredsofbillionsofdollarsworldwide(Albrecht,1986).

Widespreadandpeer‐researchedmindfulnessmeditationprogramshavebeendetermined

tosignificantlyreducepsychologicaldistress(Praissman,2008)inavarietyofcontextsincluding

workplacestress(Shapiro,Oman,Thorensen,Plante,&Flinders,2008).Thevalueofmindfulness

practices,however,isonlynowbeginningtobestudiedinthecontextoftheworkplaceandmore

researchisneeded.Emergingresearchisindicatingmindfulnessasacorrelativethreadrelatedto

organizational emotional intelligence (McGarvey 2010), workplaces of positive psychology

(Seligman, 2004), authentic and resonant leadership (Goleman, 2002), ecologically responsible

behavior (Jeffery, 2009) and quality of life indexes (Jeffery, 2009). This paper will introduce

mindfulness, its definition and applications both in clinical terms as well as its wider social

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context.MindfulnessresearchoutcomeswillbeappliedgenerallytoVipassanaMeditation(VM)as

the origin of mindfulness practice. Vipassana’s relevance to the sustainability movement is

distinguishedfrompopularformsofmindfulnessbecauseofitsemphasisonethicaldevelopment,

mentalde‐conditioningandcontinuousimmersiontrainingwithanexperienceofimpermanence.

Thispapersuggeststhatsinceunsustainableconsumptionisbasedonemotionaldecision‐making

(Jackson, 2009), a workplace mindfulness training like Vipassana, that can intervene with

instinctualornon‐cognitiveemotionalcentersofdecision‐making(Davidsonetal,2003),canplay

aroleincreatingalargersustainabilityculture.Althoughmoreresearchisneededforvalidation,

this paper suggests Vipassana’s role in a new leadership culture of personal and planetary

sustainability.

Sustainability,WorkplaceStressandChangeManagement

Hitchcock and Willard (2006) took the view that "Sustainability is at its core an issue

requiringorganizationalchangeandculturalchange."Whatneeds tobeconsidered,however, is

that attempts at organizational change and improvement often fail because of employees'

resistance to change (Lee, 1997). Lee (1997) states that resistance to change has a strong

relationship toworkplace stress. He suggests that as a person's stress level increases, they are

more likely to operate out of a primitive, hardwired responsewhich causes them to cling to a

familiar way of operating, even if this is no longer effective (Lee, 1997). Research shows that

stress is connected with a fear of novelty. As people become more stressed, the new and the

differenttriggerfear(Lee,1997).Inthisclimateofincreasedworkplacestress,itispossiblethat

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attemptsatorganizationalchangeandimprovementarefailingbecausechangeagentsignorethe

connectionbetweenstressandthefearofchange(Lee,1997).

Workplace stress is not just an obstacle to organizational change. According to the

AmericanInstituteofStress(Lee,2009),thecostofstressintheworkplaceisestimatedat$300

billionperyear inabsenteeism, tardiness,poorperformance,employee turnover,accidents,and

stress‐relatedworkers’compensationclaims.Theresearchontheconnectionbetweenstressand

organizational costs aswell as the role that stress plays in resistance to change, provides clear

supportforwellnessinterventions.

Langer(1991)andWhite(2009)assertsthatmindlessnessisastateofmindcharacterized

byanoverrelianceoncategoriesanddistinctionsdrawninthepastandinwhichtheindividualis

context‐dependent and, as such, is oblivious to novel (or simply alternative) aspects of the

situation.Mindlessnessiscomparedtomorefamiliarconceptssuchashabit,functionalfixedness,

over‐learning, and automatic (vs. controlled) processing. Like mindlessness, these concepts

concernrigidinvariantbehaviorthatoccurswithlittleornoconsciousawareness.

A number of research studies have emerged to identify and explain the physiological

process underlying the reduction of stress through mindfulness practice. Researchers have

identified this process as being the efficient functioningof thenatural compensatory responses

withintheautonomicnervoussystem(ANS)(Naranjo&Ornstein,1971;Benson&Klipper,1984).

TheANSconsistsof thesympatheticnervoussystem(SNS),whichmobilizesthebodyforaction

and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which is responsible for reducing heart and

breathingrates(Brodal,2004).Consciouslyfocusingonandcontrollingone’sbreath,intentionally

activatesthecalmingresponsesofthePNS(Benson&Klipper,1984).Becomingmindfulofone’s

heightened physiological arousal, and attentively calming oneself, is associated with further

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positiveoutcomes,suchaswell‐being(Shapiroetal.,2008).Thefindings fromthesestudiesare

veryrelevanttoanyorganizationthatneedstopreventorreducestressintheworkplacetoboth

increase employeewell‐being and decrease resistance to change. An organization interested in

creatingasustainabilityculture, firstneedstoaddressthestressesassociatedwithresistanceto

changebeforeitcanconsidersuchhorizontalorganizationalandculturalchange.

MindfulnessPractices&Origins

Thetermmindfulnessderivesfromthestateofminddevelopedbymeditationthroughthe

teachingsassociatedwithSiddhattaGotama,thehistoricalBuddha.Mindfulnessisconsideredan

Englishtranslation(Thanissaro,2008)ofthePaliwordsaticombinedwithsampajanna,whichhas

beenrenderedasawareness,circumspection,discernment,andretention.BhikkhuBodhi(1998),

theTheravadascholarandmonk,integratesthesemultipledefinitionsofmindfulnessasmeaning

toremembertopayattentiontowhat isoccurring inone’s immediateexperiencewithcareand

discernment.BoththeMahayanaandTheravadabranchesofBuddhismusethetermmindfulness.

Currentlyall threemajor schoolsof theBuddha’s teachingTibetan,ZenandVipassanamake

reference to the word mindfulness and many divisions of these schools currently teach

mindfulnesspracticesinavarietyofformatstoday.Thispaperwillnarrowitsscopetotheterms

andprogramsofmindfulnessdefinedbyDr.JohnKabat‐Zinn,whocreatedtheMindfulness‐Based

StressReduction(MBSR)programthroughtheUniversityofMassachusetts,andbyS.N.Goenka,a

Burmese‐Indian former industrialist and teacher of Vipassanameditationwhose students have

establishedover200centersforVipassanaworldwide.Bothpracticesareconsideredtobewithin

thepoleofmindfulnessmeditationpractices.

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Inclinicalreferences,mindfulnessisbothanoutcome(mindfulawareness)andaprocess

(mindfulpractice). Onedefinitionisasfollows:Theawarenessthatarisesthroughintentionally

attendinginanopen,accepting,anddiscerningwaytowhateverisarisinginthepresentmoment

(Krech, 2006). Bishop et al (2004) propose a two‐component operational definition of

mindfulness involving the self‐regulation of attention so that it is maintained on immediate

experience, therebyallowing for increasedrecognitionofmentalevents in thepresentmoment.

Thesecondcomponentinvolvesadoptingaparticularorientationtowardone’sexperiencesinthe

presentmoment,anorientationthatischaracterizedbycuriosity,openness,andacceptance.

Scientistsandresearchershavebeenresearchingthebenefitsofmindfulness fordecades

(Black, 2010) but the recent surge of public interest as well as the universal incidence of

workplace stress is propelling the field to greater heights. The National Institutes of Health is

currently financing more than 50 studies testing the potential health benefits of mindfulness

techniques,comparedtoonlythreesuchstudiesin2000.ResearchonMindfulnessMeditationis

currently a top priority research topic for the National Institute of Health’s Complementary

Alternative Medicine division (NCCAM, 2010). Hundred of clinical studies have been peer

reviewed, published and continue to be initiated through the advances of functional Magnetic

ResonantImaging,orbrainscans;theincreaseinparticipantsundergoingmindfulnessprograms

andtheirwillingnesstobestudiedandsurveyed(Black,2010).

Mindfulness’Benefits

A recent study on the effects of Mindfulness (Praissman, 2008) determined that

MindfulnessBasedStressReduction (MBSR), aneightweek,16‐hourprogramdevelopedbyDr.

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JohnKabat‐Zinn,isaneffectivetreatmentforreducingstressandanxietythataccompaniesdaily

life and chronic illness. MBSR is also therapeutic for healthcare providers, enhancing their

interactionswith patients. No negative side effects fromMBSR have been documented and the

implications for implementation are that MBSR is a safe, effective, integrative approach for

reducingstress(Praissman,2008).

Peoplewhopracticemindfulnessfocusingtheirmindsthroughtechniquessuchas

meditationhavequantifiableincreasesintheirpsychologicalwell‐beingandanincreasedsense

ofautonomy(BrownandRyan,2003).Inaseriesofstudies,researchersfoundthatuniversity

students,workingadultsandcancerpatientsallshowedmorevitality,optimismandhappiness‐‐

alongwithreduceddepression,stressandanxiety‐‐afterregularlyfocusingtheirmindsbypaying

attentiontobreathingandsimilartechniques.Mindfulnessalsohelpedpeopletakechargeoftheir

lives,and"theyweredoingmorethingstheyfeltgoodabout,"saidBrownandRyan(2003)whose

findingsappearedintheJournalofPersonalityandSocialPsychology.

Shapiro and colleagues (Shapiro, Carlson, Astin, and Freedman, 2006) developed a

theoretical model on the mechanisms of mindfulness. The model suggests that mindfulness is

composed of three core elements: intention; attention; and attitude. In this conceptualization,

throughintentionallyattendingtoexperienceinanopen,discerningway,wedevelopthecapacity

tore‐perceive,shiftingourrelationshiptoexperience,becominglessidentifiedwithit,andbetter

able to see it with clarity and objectivity. Simply stated, the model proposes that mindfulness

training develops the ability to dis‐identify, or re‐perceive one’s experience,which directly and

indirectlymediateschange.

The study included pre‐ and post‐assessment of 309 persons participating in a

mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) program. The authors measured the direct and

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indirectmechanismsproposedbyShapiroetal.(2006),includingmindfulness,re‐perceiving,self‐

regulation, values clarification, cognitive and behavioral flexibility, and exposure. Results

demonstratedthatallofthevariablesproposedbyShapiroandcolleaguesincreasedbothbefore

andafter themindfulness intervention.Whenmindfulness and re‐perceivingwere combinedas

one composite score, values clarification, as well as cognitive and behavioral flexibility, were

found to be partial mediators between the mindfulness/re‐perceiving composite variable and

reductioninpsychologicalsymptoms.

These results support the theory that mindfulness intervention increases levels of

mindfulness,re‐perceiving,self‐regulation,valuesclarification,cognitiveandbehavioralflexibility,

and exposure. They also suggest that cognitive and behavioral flexibility as well as values

clarificationpartiallyaffecttherelationshipbetweenmindfulness/re‐perceivingandpsychological

distress.Takenasawhole,thestudypointstothepotentiallyoverlappingnatureofmindfulness

andre‐perceiving. InShapiroandcolleagues’ (2009)model,re‐perceiving isaprincipaleffectof

mindfulnessmeditation.Thestudyalsopointstothepotentialformindfulnesstofacilitatechange

managementwithin thecontextofworkplacesustainability culture,where re‐perceiving,values

clarification, and flexibility would be necessary faculties to develop within an introspective

environmentofcuriosityandnon‐judgmentalacceptance.

“Mindfulnessmeditationmayworkinreducinganxietyandnegativeaffectandincreasing

positiveaffectandhope.Mindfulnessmayworkinpartbymodifyingdistortedcognitivethought

processes. Although the fundamental philosophy and intent of mindfulness may be to evoke

clarityandawakening throughobservation rather thanchangeper se, thispracticenonetheless

maypromoteadaptationbyhelpingpeopletoseemoreclearlyandapproachwhateverariseswith

acceptanceandkindness.Asthinkingbeings,howwepayattentionmayaffecthowweare.”17

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Althoughthesefindingsareencouraging,it’simportanttonotethatcurrentevidencefrom

mindfulnessresearchstudiesisheavilyinfluencedbymethodologicalflaws,includingnon‐

randomization,unreportedrandomizationdetailsandtoosmallsamplesizesrelatedtoself‐

selectionbias,possibleinappropriatestatisticalmethodologyandthehigherlikelihoodoffalse‐

positivefindings.However,thesheernumberofresearchstudiescomingoutonMindfulness

Meditationhasseenrapidimprovementsinresearchdesigninrecentyears(ChiesaandSerretti,

2010).

TheCorollariesbetweenMindfulness,EmotionalIntelligenceandLeadership

InPrimalLeadership,authorDanielGoleman(2002)reportsthatfororganizationalchange

effortstobesuccessfultheyrequireleadershipcompetencies,whichincludeandarecharacteristic

ofauthenticandresonantleadershipmodels.Changemustoccurinseniormanagement

leadershipaswellasintheworkplaceculturalnormsatlargetypicallydeterminedbyHuman

Resourcedepartmentstobelasting(Goleman,2002).ResonantLeadershipinvolvestheleader‐

managerhabituallyattuninghimselforherselftopeople'sfeelings,andtherebymovingthemina

positiveemotionaldirection."Resonance",bywhichtheemotionsofthefollowersareinspiredto

achievehigherstandardsofperformance,isnormallygeneratedbytheimpactoftheleader's

actions,charismaandtotalpersonality.Suchleadersspeakauthenticallyfromtheirownvalues,

resonatingwiththeemotionsofthosearoundthem,andleavingpeoplefeelingupliftedand

inspiredevenindifficultmoments.AccordingtoRichardBoyatzisandAnnieMcKee,(2005),

leadersdeveloptheirresonanceandrenewthemselvesbycultivatingthreeessentialelements:

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mindfulness,hope,andcompassion.AsGoleman(2002,p.20)putsit:“Whenaleadertriggers

resonance,youcanreaditinpeople'seyes‐theyareengagedandtheylightup.”

InPrimalLeadership,authorDanielGoleman(2002)makesthecasethatemotional

intelligence,thatis,anintelligencebasedoneighteencompetenciesthatdemonstratethe

awarenessandmanagementofselfandothers,playsacriticalroleinauthenticandresonant

leadership.Resonantleadershipbeginswithauthenticity,saysGoleman,(2002,p51).Inonestudy,

theresultsofanemotionalintelligencedevelopmentprogramweremoreimpressivethantypical

leadershipclassesobservedintraditionalMBAprogramsortypicalcorporateleadership

developmentinitiatives.ResearchontraditionalMBAprogramsfoundjusta2%increaseinsocial

andemotionalcompetencies(Boyatzis,CowanandKoIb,1995).Corporateleadershipinitiatives

faredslightlybetter,buttheeffectswerealsorelativelysmallandtendedtofadesignificantlyover

time(Goleman,2002).

Harvard Graduate School of Education doctoral candidate, Metta McGarvey, will be

publishingherdissertation,"ThePotentialEffectsofMindfulnessontheEmotionalDevelopment

ofLeaders"in2011.McGarveylooksat138currentandformerleaders,leadershipdevelopment

coaches,andconsultantstostudyadultdevelopmentandhowmindfulnessmayaffectpersonality

and emotional intelligence. So far, McGarvey's findings indicate that people who engage in

mindfulnesspracticesscorehigheronemotionalintelligenceandscoreloweronneuroticism.This

suggestsanassociationbetweenbeingmoremindfulandmoreemotionallyintelligent(McGarvey,

2010).

Notsurprisingly,Goleman’sworkinemotionalintelligenceresearchbeganwithhisearly

writingsonTheMeditativeMind:TheVarietiesofMeditativeExperience(1988).Inhisfollowing

book,EmotionalIntelligence,Goleman,himselfaformerstudentofVipassanateacherS.N.Goenka

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andofleadingUSinsight(mindfulness)meditationteachers,explainshowmindfulnessleadsto

emotionalregulationintheinnercoilsofthebrainstissues,affectingtheemotionalregulating

circuitrybetweentheprefrontalcortexandtheamygdala,apartofthelimbicbrainsystem

associatedwithinstinctualemotion(Goleman,1997).

Ingeneral,MindfulnessMeditationhasbeenfoundtoeffectareasofthebrainresponsible

foremotionalaffectandregulationsuchastheamygdala,theanteriorcingulatecortex,theinsular

cortexandthehippocampus.Theseareallconsideredpartofthelimbicoremotionalfunctioning

ofthebrain,mediatingbasicand"instinctual"behavioralresponses.Theamygdalaisresponsible

for the storage of memories associated with emotional events and conditioning of emotional

responses. Damage to the amygdala impairs the classical conditioning of emotional responses

(Wikipedia,2010).Theinsularcortexplaysarolelinkedtoemotion,theregulationofthebody's

homeostasis and the degree judgment of pain. The hippocampus is associated with long‐term

emotionalmemoryandlong‐termstresses,suchaspost‐traumaticstressdisorder.

Davidson’sfindings(2003)werethefirsttosuggestthatmeditationcanproduceincreases

in relative left‐sided anterior activation that are associated with reductions in anxiety and

negative affect and increases in positive affect. While this study is now considered crude by

comparisonwithlaterresearchdesign,itwasinstrumentalisinitiatingmindfulnessresearch.

Researchers (Lazar, 2005) have also found thatmeditation is associatedwith increased

cortical thickness, an indicationof increasedneuralpathways.Magnetic resonance imagingwas

usedtoassesscorticalthicknessin20participantswithextensiveInsightmeditationexperience,

whichinvolvesfocusedattentiontointernalexperiences.Brainregionsassociatedwithattention,

interoception (internal sense stimulated from within the body) and sensory processing were

thickerinmeditationparticipantsthanmatchedcontrols,includingtheprefrontalcortexandright

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anteriorinsula.Between‐groupdifferencesinprefrontalcorticalthicknessweremostpronounced

inolderparticipants,suggestingthatmeditationmightoffsetage‐relatedcorticalthinning.Finally,

thethicknessof tworegionscorrelatedwithmeditationexperience.Thesedataprovidethefirst

structural evidence for experience‐dependent cortical plasticity associated with meditation

practice. These findings challengeoriginal studies,which claimed that theneuro‐functioningof

thebrainwasimpervioustoexternalintervention.

Mindfulness‐basedmeditationpracticeshavealsobeenfoundtoactivatebrainactivity in

both hemispheres thus reducing negative affect, and stress and leading to enhanced brain

functioninginemotionalandattentionalregulation(Creswell,Way,Eisenberger,andLieberman,

2007;Goldin,2010)Brainimagingonmindfulnessparticipantsshowsthatmeditatorsareableto

come back down to baseline after acute, emotional reactions much faster than control groups

(Goldin, 2010). Mindfulness’ impact findings on emotional centers of the brain are critical to

emotional intelligence understanding because they underscore that mindfulness training can

significantly alter emotional functioning in the brain and behavior. Brain imaging research on

mindfulness participants demonstrates thatmindfulness has a direct, increasing effect on one’s

emotionalintelligenceasrevealedinthebrain’senhancedneuralcircuitry(Goldin,2010).Thisis

important because emotional intelligence is a important leadership competency critical to any

successfulorganizational change effort. It alsohelps tocreateapositiveworkingenvironment

marked by positive emotions such as optimism and engagement, which are also important for

organizationalchangeeffortsaswellasthecreationofasustainabilitycultureasdiscussedinthe

followingsection.

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TheCorollariesBetweenMindfulnessandPositivePsychologyatWork

Anorganizationworkingtowardssustainabilitymustfirstensurethatasustainable

approachtomanagingemployeesispartofbusinessstrategy(Cohen,2010).Employeewellbeing,

work‐lifebalance,employeelearningandgrowth,positiveinternalcommunications,open

dialogueandemployeeinvolvementinthecommunityareallpartofcreatingasustainability

cultureintheworkplace(Cohen,2010).

Seligman (2004) established the field of Positive Psychology at the University of

Pennsylvania. Positive Psychology is a study of positive character traits and qualities such as

optimism, resilience and vitality or zest. Applied to organizational life, it is concernedwith the

applicationofpositivepsychology in theworkplace,especiallywithregard towork‐lifebalance,

authenticleadershipandwhatmakesusmoremotivatedandhappieratwork().27

Recently, Seligman (2004) proposed that the most essential dimension underlying

happiness is ameaningful life. This is defined by utilizing one’s personal strengths in order to

serve a purpose greater than oneself (Seligman, 2004). This finding is significant to any

organizationmakingthetransformationtoasustainabilityculture.Asustainabilitymindsetasa

reflectionoffutureresourceuserequirescausalandgenerationalthinkingbeyondoneself,forthe

preservationofotherspeciesandecologicalsystems(UN,1987).

Psychologicalresearchsuggeststhatmindfulnessisassociatedwithanumberofthese

outcomes.JacobandBrinkerhoff(1999),forexample,foundthatmindfulnesswaspositively

associatedwithsubjectivewellbeingintermsofoverallhappiness,lifesatisfaction,and

environmentalsatisfaction.Lapsesinmindfulness,incontrast,canleadtoindividuals'

experiencingeverydayperformancefailuresintermsofattention‐relatedcognitiveerrors

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(Cheyne,Carriere,andSmilek,2006).Otherresearchshowsthatmindfulnessincreasesaperson’s

opennesstoexperience,improvestheirattentionandinternalstateawareness,andreducessocial

anxiety(BrownandRyan,2004).AstudybyMarinettiandPassmore(2010)presentsacasefor

introducingmindfulnessintheworkplacebylinkingitwithpositivecharacterstrengthssuchas

self‐control,integrity,bravery,perspective,citizenship,andsocialintelligence.

InIndia,studies(Parihar,2003)onVipassanaMeditationcoursesforgovernment

employeessponsoredbytheMaharashtraStateGovernmentfoundthattherewasanincreasedin

thelevelofsubjectivewell‐beingindicatorscomparedwithnon‐meditators(seetablebelow).

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DistinctionsofVipassanaMeditation

ThereareseveralwaysthatVipassanaandMindfulnessMeditationdifferfromoneanother.

MindfulnessMeditation(MM)isofferedina2.5‐hourweeklyclassformatover8weekswitha1‐

dayadditionalsessionforbetween$450‐$600,althoughalternativepaymentsareofferedforlow

income participants. 5‐day executive mindfulness programs are offered for $4,000. Although

based on theBuddha’s teachings it is offered in a non‐sectarianwaywith no references to the

Buddha or his teaching. It does not have an explicit ethical or moral component, although its

founderhassuggestedthatitsethicsareimplicitinitsteachingsofnon‐harm(Kabat‐Zinn,2010).

MM’stechniqueinvolvesawarenessofthenaturalbreathandabodyscanthatbringsawareness

tobodysensationsaswellasthoughtsandemotions.Hathayoga,groupdiscussion,individualized

instructionandhomepracticeroundoutthecurriculum.(CenterforMindfulness,2010).

Vipassana Meditation (VM) is taught in a 10‐day residential setting, comprising

approximately100hoursofsittingmeditationteachingandpractice.Goenka’steachingisentirely

basedontheBuddha’steachinghoweverthecoursestressesthattheBuddhataughtauniversal,

non‐sectarianteachingapplicabletoallandthatthereisnoconversiontoBuddhisminthecourse.

Nonetheless,traditionalPalichantingandalloftheBuddha’smaintheoreticalteachings,(i.e.,the

FourNobleTruths,theEight‐FoldNoblePath,theFiveAggregatesoftheMindandtheDependent

Origination)arecoveredineveningdiscourses.Studentsundertakeformalitiesatthebeginningof

thecourse, includingtakingrefuge inBuddha,DhammaandSangha(albeitwithanon‐sectarian

translationofthoserefuges),surrenderingtotheBuddhaandpresentteacher.Studentsareasked

atthebeginningofthecoursetoundertakefivemoralprecepts,includingnotkilling,notstealing,

no sexual activity for the duration of the course, not speaking falsely and not taking any

intoxicants. As the course progresses, the relationship of these precepts to the success of the

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meditationisunderscoredmanytimes.TheVipassanacourseincludesthreedaysofobservingthe

naturalbreathasaconcentrationexercisecalledAnapana.Fromtheforthdaystudentsaretaught

to scan theirbodiesobserving invariousways theirbodysensationswith theunderstandingof

theirimpermanentnatureasatooltocultivatethementalqualityofequanimity.Studentsaretold

thatobservingtheimpermanenceofsensationswithamindofequanimityinitiatestheuprooting,

attenuation and ultimate eradication of mental negativities associated with one’s conditioned

habitual responses of reactivity and therefore liberates the mind of layers of conditioned

perceptions.

ThispaperwillfocusonthreecontextsoftheVipassanacoursethat

The word sati is translated as “awareness.” The Vipassana Research Institute (1992)

established by S. N. Goenka in Igatpuri, India, has noted that, in theMaha‐Satipatthana Sutta,

considered theearliest recordeddiscoursepreserved in theoriginalTheravada traditionwhere

the Buddha elucidated his meditation instructions, sati is always accompanied by the word

sampajanna. By analyzing all the references to sampajanna in the entire Pali Canon, the oldest

source of the Buddha’s teachings, VRI has come to translate it as “the constant thorough

understandingof impermanence.”AVRI translationofonePaliCanonpassageattributed to the

Buddhastates:

“And how, meditators, does a meditator understand thoroughly (sampajanna)? Herein,meditators, ameditator knows sensations (vedana) arising in him/her, knows their persisting,andknowstheirvanishing.”

Duetotheemphasisofthewordvedana(physicalsensation)throughoutthePaliCanonin

referencestosati,sampajanna, itsrelationtothedefinitionofsuffering, it’scentralplacementin

boththeBuddha’sconfigurationofthemindandthecausalchainofsufferingandliberationfrom

craving, Goenka’s teaching of Vipassana has given great importance to the observation of

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sensations as an object of meditation, which, accompanied by a re‐perceiving of sensations as

impermanent,de‐conditionsthemindfromcravingandaversionandtheresultantaccompanying

mentalsuffering(VipassanaResearchInstitute,1992).

a. MentalDe‐Conditioning

“Ifameditatorabidesobjectivelyobservingtheimpermanenceofpleasantsensationwithinthe

body,itsdecline,fadingandceasingandalsoobservinghisownrelinquishingofattachmentto

suchsensationwithinthebody,thenhisunderlyingconditioningforcravingwillcometothe

surfaceandgeteradicated.

Ifameditatorabidesobjectivelyobservingtheimpermanenceofunpleasantsensationwithinthe

body,itsdecline,fadingandceasingandalsoobservinghisownrelinquishingofattachmentto

suchsensationwithinthebody,thenhisunderlyingconditioningforaversionandhatredwill

cometothesurfaceandgeteradicated.

If a meditator abides objectively observing the impermanence ofneutralsensation within the

body, its decline, fadingand ceasing and also observing his own relinquishing ofattachment to

suchsensationwithinthebody,thenhisunderlyingconditioningforunawarenessandignorance

willcometothesurfaceandgeteradicated.”

TheBuddha,GelaññaSutta,SamyuttaNikaya36.8:NyanaponikaThera]

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Vipassanameditationrequiresthepractitionertofocusonphysicalsensationsastheyare

consideredtobethelinkbetweenmindandbody.Accordingtothistheory,physicalsensations

occuronthebodybutarefeltbythemind.Whenanindividualfeelsapleasantsensation,thehabit

patternofthemindistoreacttoitwithcravingandrepeattheexperience.Conversely,ifan

unpleasantsensationisfelt,thehabitualreactionisaversionandtheindividualwillattemptto

dissociatefromthesensation.

Anexamplemightbeanemployeewhoreceivesabonusandasaresultofthatbonus,feels

pleasantsensationsinside.Whenthepleasantsensationsaregone,dependingontheperson’s

attachmenttothem,theybecomelesscontentandseekmorebonuses.Whatthepersonmaynot

realizeisthatitisthesensationsthatthebonusproducesandthecravingforthosesensations,

whicharethecauseoftheirunhappinessandnotthebonusitself.Accordingtotheteachingsof

theBuddha,pleasantandunpleasantsensationsarethepointwherehumanconditioningfor

unhappinessbeginsandthepointwherefreedomfromthisconditioningcanoccur.

AssumingtheBuddha’stheoryiscorrect,individualconsumptionwouldthenbelargely

basedonobtainingpleasantsensationsashumansveertowardpleasureandavoidpain.Itis

thereforepossiblethatourentireindustrialproducerandconsumercomplexisbasedonmeeting

collectivedesiresforpleasantsensations.Ifthistheoryiscorrect,itisproblematicgiventhe

feedbackthattheEarth’secologicalresourcesareincreasinglylimited.

AstudybyParksandMarlatt(2006)examinedsubstanceuseamongincarcerated

populationsandfoundsignificantsupportfortheproposalthatVipassanaMeditationishelpfulin

regulatingaddictivebehaviors.Accordingtotheauthors,VipassanaMeditationisaneffective

treatmentforsubstanceabusedisordersbecauseitteachesmindfulnessthroughobjective,

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detachedself‐observationwithoutreaction(Parks&Marlatt,2006).Thisabsenceofreaction

allowsacceptanceofthoughtsandsensationsasindependent,impermanenteventsandnotas

directreflectionsoftheself(Parks&Marlatt,2006).Experiences,suchascraving,areobservedas

impermanenteventsnotnecessarilyrequiringaction(e.g.,substanceuse),allowingthemeditator

to“letgo”ofcompulsivethoughtpatterns.Theauthorsconcludethatmindfulawarenessinthe

formofVipassanaMeditationcanhelpsubstanceusersdiscoveralternativestomindless,

compulsive,orimpulsivebehavior(Parks&Marlatt,2006).

Recentadvancesinneuroscienceillustratehowthemindcanbeusedtochangetheactivity

andneuralcircuitryofthebrain(Hanson&Mendius,2009).Ifthoughtsarejudged,orruminated

upon,theassociatedneuralcircuitsarestrengthened.However,consciouslyredirectingattention

elsewherefacilitatesinthedisengagementofhabitualpatternsofneuralfiring(Dispenza,2007).

Thisinturndecreasesone’sconditionedreactionstoobjectsofconsciousness(Siegel,2007).

ThesefindingslendsignificantsupporttothetheoryandtrainingofVipassanaMeditation,

whichrequiresthemeditatortoobservesensationswithoutreactingtothem.Asconditioned

reactionstopleasantandunpleasantsensationsareattenuated,olderlayersofconditioningare

abletosurfaceonthemind.Withrepeatedresponsesofequanimity,thisconditioningisweakened

andfinallyeradicated.Inthecontextofasustainabilitymovement,experiencingsubjectivewell‐

beingandlifesatisfactionapartfromthecompulsiontosatisfy,onaspectrum,thedesiresand

cravingsofpleasantsensationisrelevant,notonlytoindividualconsumerlifestyles,butalsoto

theworkplacesthatsupportthem.

22

b. EthicalDevelopment

Asustainabilitymindsetrequiresanethicalfoundation.Afterall,sustainabilityisabouttheuseof

resourcesinsuchawaythatpreservestheiruseforfuturegenerations(UN,1987).Thesovereign

useofresourcesisanethicalissuewhenoneconsidersthatcurrently90%oftheearth’sresources

arebeingusedby25%ofitspopulation.

Fororganizationstobesuccessfulinestablishingasustainabilityculturetheyneedto

includethegoalofcreatingandsustainingethicalclimateswhereemployeesactethicallyasa

matterofroutine(Cohen,2010).Thegoalfororganizationsshouldnotbetoinfluenceeach

decision;thegoalshouldbetoactivateorganizationallywideself‐regulationthatinfluenceseach

decision(Cohen,2010).

Vipassanameditationisfoundedonapersonallyinternalized,intrinsicmoralcodeof

disciplineframedaroundnon‐harming.OneuniquecharacteristicaboutVipassana’sethical

developmentcomponentisthatitevolvesfromabehavioralandcivilcodetoanethicthatisself‐

chosen.Itisfoundedontheprinciplethatethicaldevelopmentmustbebasedinself‐interestin

ordertobesustained.Farfrombeingamoralityofthehereafter,thepeacebasedonmoralityis

experiencedhereandnowinmoment‐to‐momentawareness.

Thetraditionteachesthatobservationofthemoralcodeofdisciplineonaten‐daycourseis

necessarytoallowthemeditators’mindtosufficientlycalmdownandbecomeconcentratedso

thattheycanpenetratetodeeperlevelsoftheirunconscious.ThemonkHenepolaGunaratana

(1992)furtherclarifiesthisconceptinhisbook‘ThePathofSerenityandInsight’:

“Asecondreasonamoralfoundationisneededformeditationfollowsfromanunderstandingof

thepurposeofconcentration.Concentration,intheBuddhistdiscipline,aimsatprovidingabase

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forwisdombycleansingthemindofthedispersiveinfluenceofthedefilements.Butinorderfor

theconcentrativeexercisestoeffectivelycombatthedefilements,thecoarserexpressionsofthe

latterthroughtheinstrumentsofbodilyandverbalactionhavetobechecked.Moral

transgressionsbeinginvariablymotivatedbydefilements‐bygreed,hatred,anddelusion‐whena

personactsinviolationofthepreceptsofmoralityheexcitesandreinforcestheverysamemental

factorshispracticeofmeditationisintendedtoeliminate(pp.15‐16).”

Essentially,Vipassana’sethicalprocessisaself‐investigationintowhatagitatesorcalms

themind.Likeachildwholearnsnottotouchahotstoveafteroneortwotrials,withmore

introspectiveattuningthemeditatorlearnstoseewhatmentalbehaviorisharmfultoyourmind.

Bythestudentsownself‐pacedexperientialdevelopmenttheirmoraldevelopmentprogressesin

relationtotheirdeepeningpeaceofmind.Asconditioningaroundcravinggetsuprooted,the

peaceofmindthatresultsallowsthemeditatortoplumbfurtherandexperiencemoresubtle

realitieswithintheirownbodyandmind.Studentstypicallyreportexperienceswherethe

perceivedboundariesdefinedbymuscles,bones,andorgansopenupanddissolveintosubtle

oscillatingphenomenon.Thereportedpeaceofmindthatfollowsfromthisexperiencenaturally

allowsthemeditatortoreflectontheconsequencesofimpulsivedecisions.

AbusinessexecutiveinterviewedthreemonthsafterherfirstVipassanacoursewasasked

whetherthecoursechangedherperspectiveontheenvironment.Herresponsewasasfollows:

“BeforeIwouldkillacockroachwhenIsawone.NowIputacupoveritandtakeitoutside.

It’sasharedspace,”shesaid.“There’ssomuchlife.Spidersareamazingcreatures~they’redoing

whattheyneedtodo.”

24

Moralityoftenswingsbetweentwopolesofabsoluteprincipleandcompleterelativism.

OneofthedefiningcharacteristicsoftheVipassanaethicalprocessisitsvoluntaryexpressionas

wellasitsabilitytointegratetheguidingpreceptwithitssituationalapplicationinanon‐

judgmentalethos.OvertimeVipassanabecomesaself‐regulatingfeedbacklooptogivemeditators

informationabouthowtheirwayoflifeactuallyimpactstheirmindandtheworldatlarge.

c. Impermanence

StudentsonaVipassanacoursemeditateinrelativestillnessforapproximately100hoursoverten

days,directedtopayattentiontothechangingin‐and‐outflowofrespirationandsubsequentlyto

themassofchangingsensationsintheirbody.Overmanydays,studentsbecomeimmersedina

continuousexperienceoftheirownimpermanenceasexperiencedbyafocusontheconstant,

moment‐to‐moment,changingnatureoftheirsensations.Typicallybytheendofthecourse,the

majorityofstudentsreporttoassistantteacherstheircapacitytofeelsensationsthroughoutthe

body,bothonthesurfaceaswellaspenetratinginsidetothecoreoftheirbody.Asmentioned

above,studentsreportthattheperceivedboundariesdefinedbyone’smuscles,bones,andorgans

openupanddissolveintomereoscillatingphenomenonwhiletheymeditate.S.N.Goenkaequates

students’subtleawarenessofthemassofone’ssensationswithquantumreality.Thiscanbe

rationalizedbythefactthathumanbeingshave100trillioncellsintheirbodies.Thesecellsin

turnaremadeofmolecules,atomsandsubatomicparticlesthatactasbothwaveandparticle.

Theseparticlescontainspacesbetweenthemthatarerelativetothespacesbetweenthefurthest

starsinthegalaxy.Thesamerelativedistancesofspaceintheuniversearethereforealsofound

withinourbodies.Whenonelooksatthenightsky,lightphotonsfromthefurtheststarmillionsof

lightyearsawayenterone’seyesandimpactone’sretinacreatingsubatomicvibrations,molecular

25

kineticmotion,synapticnerveconnections,cellularactivity,andalltheprocessesthatmakeup

one’sbiologicallife.Goenkasuggeststhatthisquantumrealityofour100trillioncellsclimaxin

theexperienceofbodilysensationsthatcontinuouslyriseandpassaway.Mostofthisfeelingis

consideredoutsidetherealmofnormalwakingconsciousnessbutpossibletofeelwithextended

meditation.Thecapacitytofeelthissubtletyisdirectlyrelatedtoone’scapacitytoeradicateone’s

conditionedmentalreactivity.Thedescriptionsofboththemacrouniverseandmicroreality

attributedtotheBuddha2,600yearsagonearlymatchwithmodernscientificrevelationsofthe

20thCentury(Fleischman,2010).Thiscanserveanimportantpurposeinthecontextof

developingaworkplacesustainabilityculturewherebytheimpermanenceoflifeisindividually

internalizedinadevelopmentcontextofequanimityandempathyforallbeings.Asustainable

mindsetrequiresthatweunderstandthisimpermanenceexperientiallyinordertomakethe

choicesonbehalfoflimitedresourcesonEarth.Experiencingandacceptingsuchprofound

continuouschangeinsidecanbreakdowntheillusionofpermanenceandresistanceto

organizationalchangeoutside.Aworkplacecanencouragethisawarenessaspartofitsvalues,

missionandfootprint.

The10‐dayVipassanaCourse

Vipassanabrochures(VMC,2010)statethattolearnVipassanameditationitisnecessary

totakeaten‐dayresidentialcourseundertheguidanceofaqualifiedteacher.Tendaysof

sustainedpracticeareconsideredtobetheminimumamountoftimeinwhichthefundamentals

ofthetechniquecanbelearned,sothatVipassanacanbeappliedindailylife.Forthedurationof

theretreat,studentsremainatthecoursesite,havingnocontactwiththeoutsideworld.They

refrainfromreadingandwriting,andsuspendanyreligiouspracticesorotherdisciplines.They

followademandingdailyschedulethatincludesabouttenhoursofsittingmeditation,with

26

numerousbreaksinterspersedthroughouttheday.Theyalsoobservesilence,notcommunicating

withfellowstudents.However,theymayspeakwiththeteacherswhenevernecessaryandmay

contactthestaffwithneedsrelatedtofood,accommodation,health,etc.

Therearethreestepstothetraining.First,studentspracticeabstainingfromactionsthat

causeharm.Duringthecoursetheyundertakefivemoralprecepts:refrainingfromkillingany

livingbeings,stealing,speakingfalsely,allsexualactivityandtheuseofintoxicants.Thepractice

oftheseprecepts,aswellasmaintainingsilence,allowsthemindtocalmdownsufficientlyto

performthetaskofself‐observation.

Thesecondstepistodevelopamorestableandconcentratedmindbyfocusingthe

attentiononthenaturalbreath.Bythefourthdaythemindistypicallycalmerandmoreprepared

toundertakethethirdstep:thepracticeofVipassanaitself.

Vipassanaistheobservationofsensationsthroughoutthebody,withtheexperiential

understandingoftheirchangingnature.Onedevelopsabalancedmindbylearningnottoreactto

thedifferentsensations,experiencingtheuniversaltruthsofimpermanence,sufferingand

egolessness.Thistruthrealizationbydirectexperienceistheprocessofpurification.

Theentirepracticeisactuallyamentaltraining.Justasphysicalexercisesareusedto

improvebodilyhealth,Vipassanacanbeusedtodevelopahealthymind.Studentsreceive

systematicmeditationinstructionsseveraltimesaday.Theprincipalteacher,Mr.Goenka,a

renownedIndian‐Burmesemeditationteacher,whowaspreviouslyasuccessfulbusiness

industrialist,explainseachday’sprogressinarecordedvideodiscourseeachevening.Complete

silenceisobservedforthefirstninedaysofthecourse.Onthetenthdaystudentspracticeloving‐

kindnessmeditation,inwhichthepuritydevelopedduringthecourseissharedwithallbeings.

27

Studentsthenresumespeaking,makingthetransitionbacktoamoreextrovertedwayoflife.The

courseconcludesintheearlymorningoftheeleventhday.

AlthoughVipassanacoursesareprovidedatno‐costandarewidelyavailablethereare

severalpotentialbarrierstoaccess,whichshouldbediscussed.The10‐day,residentialcourse

couldprohibitparticipationbyindividualswhoareunabletocommitto10daysbecauseofwork,

familyorotherobligations.Also,theintensiveschedule,prolongedperiodsofsitting,focuson

Easternphilosophy,andmandatoryisolationfromtheoutsideworld(e.g.,reading,writing,or

speakingtoothersisprohibitedforthedurationofthecourse)mayallbecoursedeterrents

(Parks&Marlatt,2006)

MeditationinCorporations

Atotalof73corporationshaveadoptedmindfulnessintheUnitedStatessince2003.Large

corporationssuchasGoogle,Apple,eBayandYahooareamongtheearlyadopterstoincorporate

mindfulnessintheworkplace.Thehighest‐profileexampleremainsGoogle.GoogleUniversity’s

SearchInsideYourselfprogramfocusesondevelopingworkers'emotionalintelligencewitha

curriculumcalledMindfulness‐BasedEmotionalIntelligence.Itincorporatesinstructionon

mindfulbreathingandlisteningtechniquesthatofferpersonalbenefitsforitsemployee,butwith

aneyeonimprovingthecompany'sbottomline(Boyce,2009).Googlehascreatedmeditation

spacesarounditscampuses,andemployeeshaveorganizedclasses.TheinstigatorofGoogle’s

MindfulnessProgram,MengTan(Boyce,2009),citestheexampleofHP,whichyearsagowas

consideredanoddballcompanyforitsnotionthattreatingemployeesverywellcouldincrease

profitability."Today,it'stakenforgrantedbyeveryone,atleastinSiliconValley.Similarly,one

day,therewillbeacompanythatwilldemonstratethathavingemployeespracticedeep

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mindfulnessandcompassionisverygoodforbusiness,andeventually,itwillbetakenforgranted

everywhere.IhopethatcompanyisGoogle(Boyce,2009).”

GreenMountainCoffeeRoasters(GMCR)isanotherexampleofacompanythatvalues

MindfulnessMeditation.Specializinginorganic,fair‐trade,andspecialtycoffees,GMCRoffersa

MindfulnessCenterattheirWaterbury,Vermontfacilitywhereemployeescantakeyear‐round

retreatsandworkshops.Thecompanyhasbeenrecognizedasaleaderinthecoffeeindustryfor

itsinnovativebrewingtechnologyandsociallyresponsiblebusinesspractices.Accordingtothe

company’sContinuousLearningProgramDirector(Sullivan,2010)thecultureatGMCRisguided

byself‐reflectionandemotionalintelligence,whicharekeywellnessfactorsthatareconsidered

criticalskillsfortoday’sworkplace(Lee,2009).Despitetheseprogressivepractices,GMCRhas

recentlybeenthesubjectofaninquirybytheU.SSecuritiesandExchangeCommission(SEC).The

SEC’sinquiryintoGMCR’saccountingpractices,specificallyaroundmisrepresentedearnings,has

resultedinGMCRexpressinguncertaintyaboutthecompany’sshort‐termfinancialoutlook

(D’ambrosio,2010).

ArecentinterviewwithGMCR’sContinuousLearningProgramDirector(Sullivan,2010)

revealedthattheformerCEOintroducedamindfulnessprogramsevenyearsagothattheDirector

feelsisnowcompletelyembeddedinGMCR’sculture.Itrangesfrombeingpartofsafety

proceduresforfrontlinemanufacturingworkersaswellasmiddleandseniormanagers.Floor

workerstakeamindfulnessbreakatshiftchangeandhaveregular4‐minutemindfulbreaks

duringtheirshift.Employeescantakean8‐hourclassanda1‐daymindfulnessretreatisoffered

everymonth.Mindfulnesspracticesaredefinedinabroadwayfromformalsittingpracticeto

cognitivetraining.

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Inadditiontomeditation,manypeopleatGMCRdeveloptheirmindfulnessthrough

introspectivediscussions,yogaandreflectiveexercises.GMCRconsidermindfulnessasa

necessarytoolforstressreductiontodealwiththerecent60%growthrate.Sincetheintroduction

oftheirmindfulnessprogram,employeesperceiveseniorleadershipasbeingmoreappreciativeof

themandconcernedwithbuildingcommunityintheworkplace(Sullivan,2010).

Amindfulculturerequiresindividualstobemorecontemplativeandreflective.Inlightof

therecentSECinvestigation,thequestionofethicaldevelopmentarises.Ifa“mindful”

organizationcanhaveanethicallapse,howmuchcanrealisticallybeexpectedfrommindfulness

orhowcananinstitutionalfailureberemediedbymindfulness?Doesmindfulness’semphasisof

individualcontemplationandresponsibilityallowforlapsesincollectiveactionandresponsibility,

andcouldthisbeaddressed?WhatwouldhavehappenedatGMCifsomeoneinanexecutive

positioncouldhavecalledforatimeouttoreflectonwhatmusthavebeenmanydiscussions

surroundingtwistedfinancialdatareleases?

Theirprogramdirectorsaidthatcompanyfundingisavailableforemployeesinterestedin

attendinglongermindfulnessretreats,forexampletheywouldconsidergivinganemployee5‐10

daysoffforaretreatordoingaretreataspartofasabbatical.ThisindicatesthatGMCRconsiders

theseretreatsasanimportantpartoftheirpersonalandprofessionaldevelopmentprograms.

GMCRhasadvancedsustainabilityandCSRpracticesinplacesuchas30%fairtrade

productandrenewableenergyinitiativesandcorporatephilanthropytotheircommunities.

However,astheprogramdirectorsays,“sustainabilityisaboutmindfulness.”

30

Mindfulness,SubjectiveWell‐Being,EcologicallySustainableBehavior,andtheNewSocial

EconomicMetrics

ScientistsinCalgary,Canada(Jacob,2008)employeddatafromamailedsurveyofasample

of829whoselifestyleswereecologicallyorientedandhaddailyandweeklymindfulnesspractices

includingvipassana.Thisstudytestedthehypothesizedrelationshipbetweenecologically

sustainablebehavior(ESB)andsubjectivewellbeing(SWB),withtheproposedlinkbetweenESB

andSWBbeingthepracticeofmindfulnessmeditation(MM).Thestudystates:

"Theresearchreportedherealsopointstothepotentialformeditative/mindful

experiencestoplayaprominentroleintheexplanationofvarianceinSubjectiveWell‐Being,a

directioninQualityofLifestudiesrecentlyhighlightedbyseveralresearchers.Inmultiple

regressionequationsESBandMMindependentlyexplainstatisticallysignificantamountsof

varianceinSWB,indicating,foratleastthestudy'ssample,thattherecanbearelationship

betweenpersonalandplanetarywell‐being.Theinter‐relationshipsamongSWB,ESBandMM

suggestthatforspecificsegmentsofthegeneralpopulation,theremaynotnecessarilybean

insurmountableconflictbetweenanenvironmentallyresponsiblelifestyleandpersonalqualityof

life"(Jacob,2008).

Itturnsoutthatecologicallysustainablebehaviorisrelatedtosubjectivewell‐being,but

primarilybecauseofmindfulnessmeditation.What’sinterestingishowthelinkbetweenMMand

EcologicallySustainableBehaviorisexplained.Theauthorssaythatmindfulness“bringsachange

inconsciousnessthatemphasizesthequalityofaperson’sinnerliferatherthantheaccumulation

ofpossessions”(Jacob,2008).

31

AnearlierstudybyJacob,J.,etal(2004)hypothesizedrelationshipsbetweenandamong

mindfulness(MM),pro‐environmentalvalues,ecologicallysustainablebehavior(ESB)and

subjectivewell‐Being(SWB)usingthemodelbelow:

Usingasamplepopulationofacommunitycurrencysocietywhoweredeterminedtohave

ecologicallyresponsiblelifestylesaswellassurveyedformindfulnesspractice,theresearchers

foundthatalthoughtherewasastatisticallysignificantrelationshipbetweenESBandSWBanda

remarkablerelationshipbetweenMMandSWB,therewasn’tastatisticallystrongrelationship

betweenMMandESB.

Theauthorsconcluded,however,thatmindfulness,becauseofitstrongcorrelative

relationshiptosubjectivewell‐being,wouldappeartobeoneoftheresources(alongwithasense

ofcommunity,arelationshiptonature,amongothernon‐materialpursuits)thatasocietycould

drawontobothpreserveitsnaturalenvironmentandincreasethequalityoflifeofitscitizensin

termsoftheirsubjectivewell‐being(Jacobetal,2004).Continuing,theauthorssuggestthatthe

basisofanecologicallysustainablesocietymaynotbesomuchsustainablepracticeitselforeven

technologicalefficiency,butpersonaltransformationintermsofembracingnon‐materialistic,

spiritualaspectsoflife,ratherthanpursuingmaterialaccumulation(Jacobetal,2004).

32

ProsperityWithoutGrowthauthorTimJackson(2009)claimsthat,despitehugeincreases

inwealthoverthelastdecade,peopleofmostindustrializednationshaveshownlittleincreasein

thesatisfactiontheyreportfeelingintheirlives.Inthesameperiodthatsawdevelopedeconomies

triple,mentaldisordersalsoincreasedsubstantially.Entertainment,education,and

communicationaremoreavailablethaneverbefore,butstatisticsrevealthatratesofdepression

areontherise.Thus,economicindicatorsarenolongeracompleteapproximationofhowwella

nationisdoing.

Oneproblem,saysJackson(2009)isthat"externalities,”theinadvertentperipheralsand

consequencesofeconomicactivity,arenottakenintoaccount.Whenpeopleworklongerhours,

forinstance,theyearnmoremoney,whichinflatesthegrossnationalproduct.Butwhataboutthe

negativeeffectsthatcanoccurwhenlongerworkhoursputmorestrainonsocialrelationships?

Indeed,thebreakdownoffamiliesandcommunitiesmightbeonefactorweighingheavilyonwell

beinginrecentyears.Shigehiro’setal(2007)largesurveydataandlongitudinaldatashowthat

peoplewhoexperiencethehighestlevelsofhappinessarethemostsuccessfulintermsofclose

relationshipsandvolunteerwork,butthatthosewhoexperienceslightlylowerlevelsofhappiness

arethemostsuccessfulintermsofincome,education,andpoliticalparticipation.

AlreadytheEuro‐barometermonitorsthepsychologicalwellbeingoftheEuropeanUnion

nationsatregularintervals,andthesweepingGermanSocio‐economicPanelSurveyprovides

policymakerswithinformationnotonlyaboutincomeandemployment,butalsoaboutlife

satisfaction.ThePewFoundationevaluateswell‐beingacrosstheglobe,whiletheWorldValue

Surveyhaslookedathappinessandlifesatisfactioninaboutseventycountries(Jackson,2009).

33

Nationalpublicpolicyforwell‐being(Diener,2010)hasthepotentialoftransforming

societybymakingpeopleandpolicymoreconcernedaboutwell‐being,andlessconcernedabout

economicsandincome.Theexistenceofnationalmeasuresofwell‐beingcoulddrawmore

attentiontotheactualbenefitanddissatisfactionareasoflife,andservetogiveabroaderfocusto

societaldecisions.Nationalmetricsofwell‐beingcouldreorientsocietiessothatsocialvalues,the

environment,enjoyablework,andphysicalandemotionalhealtharegivenpriorityalongsideof

economicdevelopment.

InFebruary2008,PresidentNicholasSarkozyoftheFrenchRepublic,unsatisfiedwiththe

statisticalmeasurementsonhiscountry’seconomy,askedeconomistsJosephStiglitz,AmartyaSen

andJeanPaulFitoussitocreatetheCommissionontheMeasurementofEconomicPerformance

andSocialProgress(2008).Therewerebroaderconcernsabouttherelevanceofcurrent

measuresofeconomicperformance,inparticularthosesolelybasedonGrossDomesticProduct

(GDP),asmeasuresofsocietalwell‐being,aswellasmeasuresofeconomic,environmental,and

socialsustainability.GDPwasbeingconsideredaninadequatemetrictogaugewell‐beingover

timeparticularlyinitseconomic,environmental,andsocialdimensions,whichareoftenreferred

toassustainability.

TheGeneralProgressIndicator(GPI)andGrossNationalHappiness(GNH)isanemerging

setofmeasuresthatisbeingundertakeninanumberofcountriestodetermineaIndexrankingof

countries,measuringwell‐beinginthemajordomainsoflife,suchashealthandwork,aswellas

narrowermeasuresoflong‐termpurpose,meaning,stress,andtrustincommunityandsociety.

Whenasocietyemphasizesproductivitymeasurements,itspeopletendtofocusonproductivity,

sometimestothedetrimentofothervalues;ifasocietysystematicallyandregularlyassesseswell‐

being,itspeoplewillfocusmoreoftheirattentiononhappinessandlearnmoreaboutitscauses.

34

GPIandGNHisanantidotetothebroadmeasurementofGDP,whichonlymeasureseconomic

activitywithoutavaluesindexonwhethertheactivityiscausingmorepollution.Furthermore,it

doesnotmeasureinvisibleaspectsofhouseholdeconomy,suchasmotheringorvolunteering.

GNHwouldmeasuresevenbenchmarks:

1. Wellness: for instance, consumer debt, average income to consumer price index ratio and income

distribution

2. Environmental Wellness: i.e., environmental metrics such as pollution, noise and traffic

3. Physical Wellness: for example, incidence of severe illnesses

4. Mental Wellness: such as usage of antidepressants and rise or decline of psychotherapy patients

5. Workplace Wellness: in the case of jobless claims job change, workplace complaints and

lawsuits

6. Social Wellness: i.e., discrimination, safety, divorce rates, complaints of domestic conflicts and

family lawsuits, public lawsuits, crime rates

7. Political Wellness: for instance, quality of local democracy, individual freedom, and foreign

conflicts. (Wikipedia)

Oncebasicneedshavebeensatisfied,increasesinincomedolittletoaffecthappiness

(DienerandSeligman,2006).Ifanationhasachievedamoderatelevelofeconomicprosperity,

littleincreaseinsubjectivewell‐beingisobservedasthatsociety’seconomygrowsricher.

ResearchongroupslivingamateriallysimplelifestylefromthetribesinAfrica,totheAmishin

America,toremaininghuntergatherersocietiesintheArcticshowsthatthesegroupsexhibit

positivelevelsofsubjectivewell‐beingdespitetheabsenceofluxuryitems,appliancesandmass

entertainment.Agrowingcollectionofresearchpointstothefactthatmaterialismcanactuallybe

35

toxictohappiness.Inonesuchstudy,peoplewhoreportedthattheyvaluedmoneymorethanlove

werelesssatisfiedwiththeirlivesthanthosewhofavoredlove(Biswas‐Diener,Diener,andTamir,

2004).

Mindfulnesseducationcanplayabothanorganizationalandpublicpolicyroleinthe

establishmentofsocietalnormsforsubjectivewell‐beingandenvironmentallysustainable

behavior.Theemergingmovementsfornationalwell‐beingmeasurementsthatwouldaugment

theprevailingeconomicactivityindexofGDPmayonedayhavemindfulnessactivityasone

criterionformentalhealth,subjectivewell‐beingandqualityoflife.

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ThePresentStudy

ResearchstudieshavefoundthattheMindfulness‐BasedStressReductionprogram(Kabat‐

Zinn,1982)isassociatedwithreducedstress(Kabat‐Zinn,1982),emotionalintelligence

(Goleman,2003),leadershipcompetence(Goleman,2003)andenvironmentallysustainable

behavior(Jacobetal,2008).

Whilepriorstudiessuggestthatdifferentformsofmeditationhaveanimpacton

psychologicalwell‐being(BaerandCarmody,2008),fewstudieshaveexaminedhowVipassana

Meditationimpactsspecificfeaturesrelatedtohowbusinessexecutivesfunction.Toaddressthis

gapintheliterature,Iconductedthepresentstudytoinvestigatehow,comparedtoawaitlist

controlgroupthatreceivednotraining,VipassanaMeditationtrainingforbusinessexecutives

reducesstressandenhancesemotionalintelligence,leadershipcompetenceandpro‐

environmentalattitudes.

Methods

Procedures

AfterreceivingapprovalfromthedirectorofExecutiveVipassanaCourses,self‐report

measuresweredistributedtoexecutiveormanagerlevelparticipantsonthefirstdayofa10day

VipassanaMeditationcourse.Participantswereinvitedtotakepartinthestudyvoluntarilyandin

fullconfidentiality.Theself‐reportmeasuresincludedmeasuresof,authenticleadership(Avolio,

GardnerandWalumbwa,2008)andpro‐environmentalbehavior(Dunlap,VanLiere,Mertigand

Emmet,2000).Sixteenitemsmeasuredauthenticleadership(i.e.,“Asaleader,Imakedecisions

basedonmycorevalues”).

37

Measures

Fifteenitemsmeasuredpro‐environmentalattitudes(i.e.,“Ifthingscontinueontheir

presentcourse,wewillsoonexperienceamajorenvironmentalcatastrophe”).

Ademographicsquestionnairewasusedtoassessage,gender,maritalstatus,education

levelandracialgroup.Inadditiontothebasicdemographicsinformation,participantswerealso

questionedabouttheirpreviousexperiencewithyogaandotherformsofmeditation.Apost

surveywasconductedafteronemonthusingthesamequestionnaires.Acontrolgroupcomprising

ofmanagersfromtwodifferentorganizationsalsocompletedapre‐andpostsurveyoverasimilar

timeperiod.

ResearchResults

Responserate

Ofthe50businessexecutivesandmanagersattendingthe10‐dayVipassanameditation

course,29(58%)completedthebaselineassessmentand17(34%)completedthepostVipassana

assessment.Inthecontrolgroup,17managerswithoutmeditationexperiencecompletedthe

baselineassessmentandaftertwoweeks14(82%)completedthetime2assessment.Only7

(41%),however,ofthecontrolgrouppopulationhadusabledatabasedonpre‐andpost‐survey

identification.

VipassanaMeditationImpactonSelf‐reportMeasures

A2Group(Vipassana,control)x2Time(Pre,Post)repeated‐measuresAnalysisof

Varianceresultedinasignificantinteractionofgroupbytimeoneachofthefoursubscalesofthe

AuthenticLeadershipquestionnaire,andtheenvironmentalattitudequestionnaire.

38

AuthenticLeadership

TheAuthenticLeadershipsub‐scaleforTransparencymeasurestowhatdegreetheleader

reinforcesalevelofopennesswithothersthatprovidesthemwithanopportunitytobe

forthcomingwiththeirideas,challengesandopinions.Ahigherscoreindicatesgreater

transparency.Theresultsindicatethat:

15. VipassanameditationimprovesTransparencyinthecontextofleadershipbehavior.

Vipassanabaselinepre‐coursegroupscoredameanof2.99thathadastatistically

significant(p<.001)changetoapost‐coursemeanscoreof3.83.Thecontrolgroupbaseline

meanscorewas4.15andchangedtoastatisticallyinsignificantscoreof4.10(Figure1).

39

Figure1:AuthenticLeadershipandTransparency

LeadershipandMoral/EthicalBehavior

TheAuthenticLeadershipsub‐scaleforMoral/EthicalBehaviormeasurestowhatdegree

theleadersetsahighstandardformoralandethicalconduct.Alowmeanscoreof0indicateslow

transparencyandameanscoreof5indicateshightransparency.Theresultsindicatethat:

● Vipassanameditationimprovesmoralandethicalbehaviorinthecontextofleadership.

Vipassanabaselinepre‐coursegroupscoredameanof3.3thathadastatisticallysignificant

(p<.001)changetoapost‐coursemeanscoreof4.25.Thecontrolgroupbaselinemean

scorewas4.34andchangedtoastatisticallyinsignificantscoreof4.44(Figure2).

40

Figure2:AuthenticLeadership‐Moral/EthicalBehavior

AuthenticLeadershipandBalanceProcessing

TheAuthenticLeadershipsub‐scaleforBalanceProcessingmeasurestowhatdegreethe

leadersolicitssufficientopinionsandviewpointspriortomakingimportantdecisions.Alow

meanscoreof0indicateslowtransparencyandameanscoreof5indicateshightransparency.

Theresultsindicatethat:

● Vipassanameditationimprovesbalanceprocessinginthecontextofleadership.Vipassana

baselinepre‐coursegroupscoredameanof3.07thathadastatisticallysignificant(p<.001)

changetoapost‐coursemeanscoreof3.73.Thecontrolgroupbaselinemeanscorewas

3.87andchangedtoastatisticallyinsignificantscoreof3.97(Figure3).

41

Figure3:AuthenticLeadership‐BalanceProcessingBehavior

AuthenticLeadershipandSelf‐Awareness

TheAuthenticLeadershipsub‐scaleforself‐awarenessmeasurestowhatdegreetheleaderis

awareofhisorherstrengths,limitations,howothersseehimorherandhowtheleaderimpacts

others.Alowmeanscoreof0indicateslowtransparencyandameanscoreof5indicateshigh

transparency.Theresultsindicatethat:

● Vipassanameditationimprovesbalanceprocessinginthecontextofleadership.Vipassana

baselinepre‐coursegroupscoredameanof2.82thathadastatisticallysignificant(p<.001)

changetoapost‐coursemeanscoreof3.65.Thecontrolgroupbaselinemeanscorewas

3.69andchangedtoastatisticallyinsignificantscoreof3.68(Figure4).

42

Figure4:AuthenticLeadership‐Self‐AwarenessBehavior

Pro‐EnvironmentalAttitude

Thepro‐environmentalattitudequestionnairemeasuresthedegreewhichrespondentsare

environmentallyconcerned.Alowmeanscoreof0indicatesanunconcernedandameanscoreof

60indicateshighconcern.Theresultsindicatethat:

● Vipassanameditationincreasesanindividual’sconcernabouttheenvironment.Vipassana

baselinepre‐coursegroupscoredameanof38.33thathadastatisticallysignificant

(p<.001)changetoapost‐coursemeanscoreof54.13.Thecontrolgroupbaselinemean

scorewas53.63andchangedtoastatisticallyinsignificantscoreof50(Figure5).

43

Figure5:Pro‐EnvironmentalAttitude

Discussion

TheresultsofthisstudyprovidepreliminarysupportfortheeffectivenessofVipassana

MeditationinimprovingAuthenticLeadershipbehaviorsandPro‐EnvironmentalAttitude,beliefs

andvalues.ParticipationintheVipassanacourseimprovedrespondents’resultsonthefour

componentsthatcompriseAuthenticLeadership(Transparency,Ethical/Moral,Balanced

ProcessingandSelf‐Awareness).Participationinthecoursealsoresultedinchangesto

respondents’ecologicalworldview.Inparticular,theyreflectedamorepro‐environmental

orientation.Incomparison,thecontrolgroupdemonstratednosignificantchangebetween

baselineresultsandpost‐questionnaireresults.Therewasnochangeinperceivedstressand

emotionalintelligence.[youwillwanttodiscusswhyyouthinkvipassanahadnoimpactonstress

andEI.]

Thispaperhasarguedthatinorderfororganizationstosuccessfullycreateasustainability

culture,theyneedtofirstencouragethissustainabilitymindsetshiftwithinemployees.Toeffect

meaningfulculturalchangetowardasustainabilitymindset,employeesneedtomaintainan

increasinglyecologicalworldview,whichencompassespro‐environmentalattitudesandbeliefson

awiderangeofissues.Anotherimportantfactoristocreatetheleadershipthatcanfacilitateand

sustainthesechanges.ThisstudyhasprovidedpreliminarysupportforVipassanaMeditationas

animportanttoolininfluencingbusinesssustainabilityculture.Thisfindingcanhaveabearingon

corporateleadershipeffortstocreateanorganizationalsustainabilityculture.

Limitations

44

Thereare,however,limitationstothisstudy,whichneedtobeconsidered.Thesample

sizesforboththeVipassanaandcontrolgroupsweresmallwhichthereforemakestheresults

difficulttogeneralize.Despitethesmallsamplesize,severaloftheresultsweresignificantand

encouragingoffurtherresearch.Anotherconsiderationisthattheone‐monthfollow‐upperiod

mayhavebeentooshorttoexaminerelationshipsbetweencourseparticipationandsustained

changestoleadershipandpro‐environmentalbehavior.Finally,itisinterestingtonotethatthe

controlgroupscoredhigherthantheVipassanagroupinallscalesforbothbaselineandpost‐

survey.Therecouldbevariousreasonsforthisbuttheprimaryreasonmaysimplybethatthe

controlgroupwastoosmall.

Thepromisingfindingsofthepresentstudysuggestanumberofpossibilitiesforfuture

research.Inparticular,replicationofthecurrentstudywithalargerpopulationsampleand

controlgroupsizeisrecommendedtoevaluatethevalidityandgeneralizabilityofcurrent

findings.Itwouldalsobeinterestingtoinvestigatewhetherthe10‐dayprogramisnecessaryfor

theseimprovementsorwhetherothershortertermmodalitiesofmindfulnesstrainingyield

similarresults,suchasKabat‐Zinn’s(1982)mindfulness‐basedstressreductionprogram.

45

Conclusion

TheWorldBusinessCouncilforSustainableDevelopment(2008)recognizestheneedfor

businessestoplayaleadershiproleinfosteringmoresustainablelevelsandpatternsof

consumptionandconsumerlifestyles.Typically,organizationaltraininganddevelopmentfocuses

oncognitivebehavioralpracticesforitsprograms.White(2008)statesthatorganizationalculture

asaforceismadeofinter‐relationalstructuresthatestablishthehabitsofindividuals.Hazanand

Shaver(1990)citeattachmenttheoryoperatinginorganizationswherelessconsciousprocesses

influenceprevalentbehavior.Studiesshowthatconsumersmakeconsumerdecisionsbasedon

theiremotions(Shelton,2010citedinKiwano,2010).Desireforcomfortandreluctancetogiveup

lifestylebenefitsoftensupersedetheirintentionstochange(Shelton,2010,citedinKiwano,

2010).Green‐washing,lackofleadershipandminimalpeerinfluence,allsocio‐emotional

influences,areleadingcausesthatdiscouragemoreenvironmentally‐friendlyconsumerbehavior

(Grendex2010).Thereforethispaperassertsthattochangeorganizationcultureinthecontextof

environmentallysustainablebehavior,trainingdevelopmentandchangemanagementwillneedto

addressinstinctualandnon‐cognitiveemotionallevelsofbehavioraswellasconditioned

organizationalmindlessness.TimJackson(2009)authorofProsperityWithoutGrowth,suggests

thatasustainablefuturewillnothappensimplywithgreenpurchasing.Hedemonstratesthatwith

projectedpopulationratestheplanet’secologicalsystemssimplycan’tsustainitscurrentlevelof

consumptionatall.Atrulysustainablecultureiscreatedwhenallemployeesareawareofhow

theirrolescontributetoasustainabilityagenda(Cohen,2010).Butinsteadofimposing

sustainabilityprinciplesonemployees,anorganizationcanencourageasustainablemindsetfrom

withinitsemployees(Cohen,2010).

46

Thispaperbeganbyitemizingthewaysthatstresshascometonotonlydefinemodern

worklife,butalsotocostsocietyseveralhundredbilliondollarsworldwide.Mindfulnesspractice

wasintroduceddefinedwithVipassanaasanaugustandrigorousoriginaltraining.Asaneffective

intervention,theimplementationofVipassanaprogramsinorganizationscansaveanenormous

amountofmoneytoorganizations.YetthepotentialforVipassanaisgreaterthanmerelycost

savingsandincreasedrevenues.Vipassanapractice,differentiatedfrompopularmindfulness

practicesthroughmoraldevelopment,mentalde‐conditioningandimmersiveimpermanence

experiencepresentsauniqueandcompellingleveragepointforaleadershipandsocietalshift

towardsustainabilitythroughanenlightenedgovernancemindset.

ResearchonthecorrelatesbetweenmindfulnessorVipassanaandmeasuresfor

organizationalsustainabilitybehaviorshouldnotbetakenascausal.Theextentofthisresearchis

minimalbutnonethelessencouraginginhowitprofilesathreadthroughemergingbusiness

trendsinwellnessprograms,leadershipcompetenciesandpro‐environmentalbehaviorthat

supportsemergingmacro,social‐economic,sustainabilitymetrics.IfVipassanaisindeed

correlatedtoSubjectiveWell‐Beingratherthantheaccumulationofpossessionsandwealth,then

whatmakespeoplehappyandgivesthemsatisfactionarethesamefactorsthatcontributetothe

long‐termsustainabilityoftheplanet.Theearth'slifesustainingecosystems,then,donothaveto

bedestroyedinorderthatitspopulationsfindsatisfactionandhappinessintheireverydaylives

(Jacob,J.etal,2008)Byrevealingthechainofchangethatmindfulnessinitiates,startinginthe

neuralpathwaysofthebrainonoutwardwiththepositivityandresonantempathyassociated

withemotionalintelligenceandleadingtothepositivecharacterstrengthsassociatedwith

authenticandresonantleadershipandfinallycorrelatingtoecologicallyresponsiblebehaviorand

47

subjectivewell‐being,itbecomesclearthatmindfulnessmayplayacriticalifunacknowledgedrole

inusheringinthecurrentsustainabilitymovement.Theapplicationofmindfulnesscanbebrought

toourleaders’attentionthroughpublicpolicyandeducationthatsteerssocietyawayfrom

consumeristmaterialismandtowardpersonal,economicandecologicaltransformation.

Sustainabilityleadershipmustreflectthesenew,research‐basedunderstandingswithpoliciesthat

supportamoremindfulgovernanceandsociety.Inlightofthisneweconomicresearch,weare

nowtaskedwithbringinganexperienceofsustainabilityviamindfulnessintotheworkplace.

48

APPENDIXA

SurveyQuestionnairestoExecutiveVipassanaCourseParticipants:

AuthenticLeadershipQuestionnairev1.0Self

Instructions:Thefollowingsurveyitemsrefertoyourleadershipstyle,asyouperceiveit.

Pleasejudgehowfrequentlyeachstatementfitsyourleadershipstyleusingthe

followingscale:

Notatall Onceinawhile SometimesFairlyoften Frequently,ifnotalways

0 1 2 3 4

AsaleaderI…

1.sayexactlywhatImean...........................................................……….01 2 3 4

2.admitmistakeswhentheyaremade..............................................01 2 3 4

3.encourageeveryonetospeaktheirmind................................…01 2 3 4

4.tellyouthehardtruth...........................................................................01 2 3 4

5.displayemotionsexactlyinlinewithfeelings..........................0 1 2 3 4

6.demonstratebeliefsthatareconsistentwithactions..............01 2 3 4

7.makedecisionsbasedonmycorevalues....................................01 2 3 4

8.askyoutotakepositionsthatsupportyourcorevalues.......01 2 3 4

9. make difficult decisions based on high standards of ethical conduct.

......................................................................................................………………………….0 1 2 3 4

10.solicitviewsthatchallengemydeeplyheldpositions..........01 2 3 4

49

11.analyzerelevantdatabeforecomingtoadecision................01 2 3 4

12.listencarefullytodifferentpointsofviewbeforecoming

toconclusions...........................................................................................0 1 2 3 4

13.seekfeedbacktoimproveinteractionswithothers...............01 2 3 4

14.accuratelydescribehowothersviewmycapabilities.........01 2 3 4

15.knowwhenitistimetoreevaluatemypositionon

importantissues.............................................................................……0 1 2 3 4

16.showIunderstandhowspecificactionsimpactothers.....0 1 2 3 4

50

APPENDIXB

NewEnvironmentalParadigmScale–Revised

Listedbelowarestatementsabouttherelationshipbetweenhumansandtheenvironment.

Please indicate the degree to which you agree with each item. Choose the number of your

responseforeachstatementusingthefollowingscale:5=STRONGLYAGREE,4=MILDLYAGREE,

3=UNSURE,2=MILDLYDISAGREE,OR1=STRONGLYDISAGREE.

Weareapproachingthelimitofthenumberofpeopletheearthcansupport.

1 2 3 4 5

Humanshavetherighttomodifythenaturalenvironmenttosuittheirneeds.

1 2 3 4 5

Whenhumansinterferewithnature,itoftenproducesdisastrousconsequences.

1 2 3 4 5

Humaningenuitywillinsurethatwedonotmaketheearthunlivable.

1 2 3 4 5

Humansareseverelyabusingtheearth.

1 2 3 4 5

Theearthhasplentyofnaturalresourcesifwejustlearnhowtodevelopthem.

1 2 3 4 5

Plantsandanimalshaveasmuchrightashumanstoexist.

1 2 3 4 5

51

The balance of nature is strong enough to cope with the impacts of modern industrial

nations.

1 2 3 4 5

Despiteourspecialabilities,humansarestillsubjecttothelawsofnature.

1 2 3 4 5

Theso‐called"ecologicalcrisis"facinghumankindhasbeengreatlyexaggerated.

1 2 3 4 5

Theearthislikeaspaceshipwithverylimitedroomandresources.

1 2 3 4 5

Humansweremeanttoruleovertherestofnature.

1 2 3 4 5

Thebalanceofnatureisverydelicateandeasilyupset.

1 2 3 4 5

Humanswilleventuallylearnenoughabouthownatureworkstobeabletocontrolit.

1 2 3 4 5

Ifthingscontinueontheirpresentcourse,wewillsoonexperienceamajorenvironmental

catastrophe.

1 2 3 4 5

52

APPENDIXC

QualitativeInterviewQuestionsforParticipantsonExecutiveVipassanaCourse

a. WasthisyourfirstVipassanacourse?

b. Canyoudescribeyourexperienceofthecourse?

c. Whatbenefitsdoyoufeelyoureceived?

d. Wouldyouattendthecourseagain?Whyorwhynot?

e. Howhasitchangedyourworklife?

f. Whatdoyouthinkarethebenefitstoaworkplace?

g. Wasyourbossawareofyouattendingthiscoursebeforeyouattended?Isyoubossawarethatyou

attendeditnow?

h. Wouldyourecommendthisexperiencetoco‐workers?Toyoursuperiors?

i. Haveyoubeenabletomaintainadailypracticesincethecourse?

j. Howoftenandforhowlongonaveragedoyoumeditate?

k. Doyoufeelthecoursepreparedyouadequatelytomaintainadailypractice?

l. Hasitchangedyourdaytodaystress?

m. Doyouconsideryourselfgenerallyconcernedabouttheenvironment?

n. Doyousortandrecycleyourtrash?DoyouCompostyourfoodscraps?

o. Do you purchase & use natural, biodegradable household cleaning products and recycled paper

products?

p. Do you buy locally grown produce or organic produce as a priority? Do you preparemeals from

scratch?

q. Doyoufeelthecoursechangedyourperspectiveontheenvironment?

r. This was billed as an executive course. Do you feel that this course was relevant for managers,

executivesandleaders?

s. Do you feel that organizations should adopt Vipassana as part of their training & development

programs?WhyorWhynot?

t. WouldyourorganizationbewillingtoadoptVipassanaasadevelopmentprogram?WhyorWhynot?

53

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