“Virtue is the foundation, the forerunner, and origin of all that is good. A strong foundation of morality helps us develop the discipline and serenity necessary for the practice of meditation.”
Bhavana Vandana

Can mindfulness change us? Can mindfulness practice make us less selfish and more compassionate and generous? 

Some say that if you have a selfish predisposition, mindfulness practice can make you more selfish, and that if you are of a more unselfish nature, mindfulness practice will enhance your selflessness. I like to believe that wisely-guided, honest, committed, and diligent mindfulness meditation practice, which includes gratitude, compassion, and loving-kindness practices, brings about the good in people. I believe that it leads to mindful living, a way of life that allows us to look deeply and clearly see our interconnection, interrelation, and interdependence. With that, compassion, kindness, generosity, and patience grow naturally.

The mere contemplation of fundamental questions such as “Who am I? What is the purpose of living? What am I doing here? Why is it so difficult to stay happy?” takes us to an understanding that all problems derive from one problem: the lack of contentment and the impossibility of reaching a state of complete satisfaction. 

Inner peace can be cultivated by the practice of mindfulness meditation and mindful living, which in order to be fruitful, should be based on a strong foundation of morality. Without adherence to a code of moral and ethical conduct, we create disturbances that show up during the meditation and do not allow us to reap the benefits of the practice. These commotions show up in our lives and hinder our evolution. Following the general precept of doing no harm prepares the ground for the cultivation of a way of living that reduces life conflicts and takes us to experience greater peace. Here are some ethical guidelines to live by: 

I undertake the commitment to do no harm. 

I undertake the commitment to abstain from killing.

I undertake the commitment to abstain from supporting any killing. 

I undertake the commitment to abstain from stealing.

I undertake the commitment to abstain from taking anything that is not freely given to me and to be honest in all my dealings.

I undertake the commitment to practice kindness and generosity. 

I undertake the commitment to abstain from misusing my passions. I am committed to respect all beings and not give in to sensual desires that may injure myself and others. 

I undertake the commitment to abstain from false, malicious, harsh, useless and harmful speech, and to be honest, careful, and kind with what I say. 

I undertake the commitment to abstain from getting intoxicated by ingesting substances that cause heedlessness and that may take me to unconsciously say or do things that may harm others and my own self. 

I promise to abstain from engaging in wrong livelihood, which, among other things, includes staying away from occupations connected with the production, commercialization, and use of weapons and intoxicants, and from activities that harm animals and other life forms.

When we live mindfully, doing our best to not harm anyone, we live without guilt, without shame, without remorse, and without regrets, and our lives become a lot lighter, easier, and more joyful. We exist and no one feels threatened by us. No one fears us.

Our job during our lifetime should be to go beyond our self-centeredness in order to reach the understanding that we are all interconnected, that we inter-are. Once we get to this realization, we will move through the world more mindfully, caring for others and doing our best to do no harm.

Piero Falci teaches Mindfulness Meditation and Mindful Living and the acclaimed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. He leads Insight Meditation Silent Retreats and organizes Silent Peace Walks. Piero is an educator who believes that the inner work that leads to personal awakening and transformation is indispensable to create a wholesome world. He is a promoter of peace who believes in advancing the idea that Heaven is here if we want it to be. "A Better Life in a Better World: Can Mindfulness Save Us from Ourselves?" is his latest book. For more information, visit his website www.pierofalci.com