Mindful Business

In this publication we will discuss the central principles of mindful business practices inspired by Buddhist teachings and meditation practice.1 It is an invitation for all of us economic stakeholders to explore new ideas regarding our economic system as a whole and our individual economic thoughts and actions. These insights are based on ten years of economic research, teaching and consulting work,the experiences of hundreds of mindfulness practitioners in the Network for Mindful Business (NMB)as well as many companies and organizations. We will introduce universal insights accessible to anyone interested in meditation and mindfulness, and for anyone willing to take a fresh look at economic processes.

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It is worth mentioning that this article works with an immediate approach to the theme of “economy” based on individual experiences. It can not be exclusively comprehended by dealing with the respective approaches on an intellectual level. Mindfulness is not a concept, but it is a state of mind we can reach by training our minds. In order to evaluate the approaches presented here for correctness and applicability, it is important to be willing to practice mindfulness.

Many business people and others in our society are already practicing. “Mindful Business”, as a field of research and experience, is still rather young. Its empirical evidence will grow according to the number of people cultivating mindfulness in their everyday life and in business inter- actions. Their lived experience will provide more wholesome alternatives to the status quo.