Akincano M. Weber

At the foundation of Buddhist ethics lie the four brahma-viharas—loving-kindness (Pali: metta), appreciative joy (Pali: mudita), compassion (Pali: karuna), and equanimity (Pali: upekkha)— and yet all of these qualities would be incomplete without care and consideration. An often neglected and misunderstood element of Buddhist practice, care (Pali: appamada) is often translated as heedfulness or a kind of diligence.

While the practice of mindfulness has its roots in early Buddhist teachings, the term has become a buzzword in recent years. It sometimes serves as a catch-all for any type of meditative activity while at other times it is narrowly defined as a stress-relieving technique. The faculty at Bodhi College have made it their mission to cut through the hype and help people understand mindfulness in its rich historical, religious, and philosophical context.

In a striking piece of poetry the Buddha once described the sense of samvega—terror or dismay—that inspired him to look for an end to suffering. Rather than trying to solve the problem of competition by looking for a larger puddle for himself or his fellow fish, he looked inside to see why people would want to be fish in the first place. What he found was an arrow embedded in his own heart.