Brains and Buddha
Martha Miser
Aduro Consulting
The Reptile Rules!
Brain research is all the rage these days. Everywhere I look, I see articles and books about neuropsychology and other branches of neuroscience that are unlocking the mysteries of the human brain.
For example, in my field, brain researchers are offering new insights on behaviors that help or hinder interpersonal relationships within organizations. One leading expert, David Rock (2008), describes how the primitive, "reptilian" part of our brains is wired to search for threats in five domains that he calls "SCARF," an acronym for status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness, and fairness.
Applying Ancient Wisdom
Clearly, neuroscience is important. But I confess the research also troubles me. What concerns me is that our Western love of empiricism could lead us to discount other ways of knowing and understanding human behavior.
Susan Szpakowski's essay "Mindful Leadership: Discovering Wisdom Beyond Certainty" (2012) takes a "both–and" approach, noting that ancient Buddhist teachings and 21st-century brain research draw similar conclusions about how the mind works.
The Antidote: Focused Attention
Both Buddhism and neuroscience provide approaches – complementary approaches - to help us counteract uncertainty. These approaches rest on the basic concept of mindfulness, a way of slowing down the mind to find new ground that is not ego-based.
According to Szpakowski, mindfulness can be practiced by applying these four principles to daily living:
- Mindfulness of body: Paying attention to your body and your body's experiences increases awareness and keeps you grounded.
- Mindfulness of life: Begin by noticing the extent to which you get distracted or obsess over things.
- Mindfulness of effort: Being committed to mindfulness means intentionally "coming back" in the midst of daily activity.
- Mindfulness of mind: There is a simplicity to mindfulness: "We are either present to what is happening or we miss it."
Reclaiming the Lost Sense of Self
Mindfulness teacher Jack Kornfield argues that the initial goal of the novice is to heal and "reclaim a lost sense of self." Although this is rewarding, the next step and ultimate purpose is the "further development of character . . . the cultivation of skillful qualities such as generosity, patience, mindfulness, and kindness."
- Geller, L. W. (2016, Spring). Mike Christian and Mindfulness and Mental Energy. Strategy + Business 82.
- Karabell, Z. (2015, May 11). The mindful manager [Blog post]. s+b: Business Literature.
- Kornfield, J. (n.d.). Reclaiming our lost sense of self [Blog post].
- Kornfield, J. (2008). The wise heart: A guide to the universal teachings of Buddhist psychology. New York: Bantam Dell.
- Rock, D. (2008). SCARF: A brain-based model for collaborating with and influencing others. NeuroLeadership Journal 1, 1-9.
- Szpakowski, S. (2012). Mindful leadership: Discovering wisdom beyond certainty. In C. Pearson (Ed.), The transforming leader: New approaches to leadership for the twenty-first century (pp. 110-120). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.