ON HUMAN BEINGS IN BUDDHIST MINDFULNESS THOUGHT, IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBALIZATION

In the current context of globalization (with major conflicts erupting around the world, such as Russia and Ukraine, the Middle East conflict between Israel and Hamas, and disputes in Asia between Thailand and Cambodia, not to mention ethnic and religious conflicts), humankind has been increasingly driven to kill one another to satisfy self-interests. The current human condition is as famously stated in Leviathan (1651) by Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679): “Man is a wolf to man.” In this civilized age, we should be living peacefully and happily, not in fear, not with a life of uncertainty and a hopeless future. In this context, the enlightening ideas from Buddhist mindfulness can help us see the true nature of humanity and find a path that guides us toward the perpetual peace Kant once proposed. The philosophy of mindfulness will offer us an opportunity to escape anxiety, leading us to a future where the paths are already laid out – ideals that guide us to a “world of peace,” living together in serene happiness, as great thinkers throughout history have ever longed for.