Ethics: November 2022
Our family is preparing to move into our new house this winter. I’m at a point in my life where I have everything I need. And yet, I’ve been spending time looking for new things for the house. Do I actually need them? Can we repurpose our existing things or buy used goods instead? If we do purchase something new, are those things produced in a way that causes the least harm to others and the environment? My answers to these ethical questions seem more consequential than ever, especially in light of climate change.
As Ryan reminds us in his reflection, our lives provide us an abundance of opportunities to explore ethics. Practicing to pause and ponder can help us be in better relationship with others and our environment. We offer the following resources for investigating the value of ethics more deeply this month.
Listen and practice: Ethics As a Foundation, a Flourish Foundation meditation and talk on Insight Timer.
Read: Ethics for a New Millennium by the Dalai Lama
Questions:
What does ethics mean to me and how have I developed and changed my personal ethics over time?
At this point in my life, what are some ethical issues/dilemmas I personally face?
How does our habitual behavior obscure basic human values?
How does acting ethically interrupt the conditioned power of our negative mental habits?
How does acting ethically maximize our sense of genuine happiness for ourselves and for others at the same time?
(Sources: A 9-week study course on Ethics for a New Millennium; Ethics for a Whole New World study guide)
Ethically yours,
Lisa
P.S. We would love to hear from you! Share your insights and questions about this month’s theme at online@flourishfoundation.org