Zen Brain

Mind, Brain, Social Perspectives of Views, Values, Ethics

"What will be transformative is not the brilliance of your argument, but the quality of your presence."

We live in a time of extraordinary moral and ethical challenges and moral suffering, at personal, social, cultural, environmental, and global levels. We need to understand more deeply the value of developing moral sensitivity, moral character, and moral resilience in a world imperiled by moral and ethical conflicts. We also want to explore the neural and social processes associated with moral and ethical discernment.

This ground-breaking program opens up vital questions around how the brain and mind operate in relation to ethical conflicts and how we understand the processes by which world-views, deeply held values, and intentions inform ethical decisions. We look at what is known of the neural and social correlates of ethical discernment. We also examine the role of ethics in contemplative traditions, leadership, and the philosophical underpinnings of morality and ethics from a psycho-social perspective.

Listen to the full series, “Zen Brain: Mind, Brain, Social Perspectives of Views, Values, Ethics,” recorded in May 2017.

Recorded at and shared with the permission of the Upaya Zen Center.

podcast

The Inner-Relational-Systemic Ethics of Rehumanization

A dharma talk shared exploring a multi-dimensional framework through which to counteract dehumanization.

podcast

Faculty Discussion 1

The first of three faculty discussions in which John Paul responds to a question about narrative and imagination in conflict.

podcast

Faculty Discussion 2

The second of three faculty discussions in which John Paul responds to questions about befriending, hope, and preparation for difficult conversations.

podcast

Faculty Discussion 3

The third of three faculty discussions at Upaya's Zen Brain 2017 symposium in which John Paul responds to a question about change across scales from micro to macro.

whole system approach

africa asia and central asia colombia nepal north america northern ireland accompaniment inner works locally-led peacebuilding guest appearances

whole system approach

blog post

The Challenge of Terror: A Traveling Essay

Written while stranded in Guatemala after September 11, an essay suggesting a number of lessons learned from peace initiatives where terrorism was employed as a tool of struggle and calling for new approaches to combating the challenge.

2001